Setting

Inspection report for early years provision

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EY284157 Unique Reference Number 22 February 2007 Inspection date Yvonne Campbell Inspector

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Childcare Type of inspection Childminding Type of care

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This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

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ABOUT THIS INSPECTION

The purpose of this inspection is to assure government, parents and the public of the quality of childcare and, if applicable, of nursery education. The inspection was carried out under Part XA Children Act 1989 as introduced by the Care Standards Act 2000 and, where nursery education is provided, under Schedule 26 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998. This report details the main strengths and any areas for improvement identified during the inspection. The judgements included in the report are made in relation to the outcomes for children set out in the Children Act 2004; the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding; and, where nursery education is provided, the Curriculum guidance for the foundation stage. The report includes information on any complaints about the childcare provision which Ofsted has received since the last inspection or registration or 1 April 2004 whichever is the later.

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The key inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding: this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality Good: this aspect of the provision is strong Satisfactory: this aspect of the provision is sound Inadequate: this aspect of the provision is not good enough

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The key inspection judgements and what they mean

For more information about early years inspections, please see the booklet Are you ready for your inspection? which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk.

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

The quality and standards of the care are good. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The childminder was registered in 2004. She lives with her husband and two children aged 20 months and four years in Stapleton, Bristol, close to Colston School. The whole of the ground floor of the property is used for childminding and there is a fully enclosed garden for outside play.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of three children at any one time and is current minding two pre-school and one seven year old child with additional needs after school and during school breaks.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The childminder regularly attends pre-groups at the pre-school group in Bedminster, and Stapleton toddler group. She is a member of the National Childminding Association and is working towards the Diploma in Home Based Childcare.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children are cared for in a clean and well maintained home where they are learning about hygiene and personal care. The childminder has regular cleaning routines, such as cleaning the kitchen floor with a disinfectant and using anti-bacterial spray to ensure that kitchen surfaces are free from harmful germs. Children wash their hands after using the toilet and touching the cat. The procedure is carried out before meals and after messy play so that it becomes part of the routine which is known to the children. The childminder provides individual towels for drying their hands. Wet wipes are also accessible for use. The family cat is safe to be in close proximity to children and does not pose a risk to their health as the animal has regular preventative treatment for common feline ailments.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are appropriately excluded if they are unwell or have an infectious illness so that infection is not passed on to others. The childminder has a written statement on sickness which is shared with parents. She also has a current fist aid certificate and a well equipped first aid box and can competently deal with minor injuries which occur during play.

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Helping children to be healthy

The childminder provides nutritious home cooked meals which meet children's dietary needs. Lunch is usually a light meal consisting of sandwiches with children offered the choice of health fillings, such as ham, salad, cheese or marmite. Afters consist of yoghurt or fresh fruit. Some children bring their own food and this is stored in the fridge at the correct temperature to prevent the deterioration of the food and the rapid growth of bacteria.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are developing an interest in the food they eat as the childminder involves them in making some dishes, such as pizza, jellies and biscuits. They also help to make birthday cakes for others. Water or sugar free squash are available at all times. Toddler age children have training beakers with squash in a place where they can reach them and help themselves or point to it to show the childminder that they are thirsty.

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Helping children to be healthy

The childminder provides a range of enjoyable physical activities to promote the healthy growth and development of children's bodies. They have regular exercise at soft play facilities and music and dancing at the childminder's home. There are also visits to local parks. The outdoor area of the home is suitable for energetic play and the childminder provides a range of ride on toys, slides, rockers and scooters to stimulate children's interest and encourage them to move vigorously and develop strength in the large muscles of their arms and legs.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. The childminder's home is a welcoming environment for children and parents. The wide entrance hall is suitable for buggies. All areas of the home are freshly decorated and well lit by natural light. Areas available for childminding include the lounge, kitchen diner and a specially arranged playroom with large patio doors overlooking the garden. All areas have been made safe by the childminder and older children can move freely between rooms depending on the activity they

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 are involved in. A downstairs toilet with hand basin is accessible for quick visits to the toilet for those children who need supervision.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The childminder provides a wide range of toys and play material to support play and learning. These include items to support art and craft activities, dressing up, construction play and shape and learning about shapes. Toys are accessible from a well organised storage unit with deep drawers. Toys are safe and fit for the purpose as when purchasing items, the childminder makes sure that they are of good quality with the British Standard mark. Toys are not hazardous to younger children as the childminder only allows them to have access to age appropriate items and checks them regularly for breakages.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The childminder has a good understanding of safety issues for children and several safety features are in place in the home to reduce the risk of harm. For example, children cannot leave the home unnoticed as the premises are secure at front and back. Keys are accessible to adults for emergency exit if necessary. Younger children are excluded from having unsupervised access to the kitchen and stairs as safety gates are in place. The childminder fully complies with fire safety requirements as smoke alarms are fitted to both levels of the property and a fire blanket is accessible in the kitchen. She has also developed a fire evacuation plan. The garden is generally safe. However, it is not fully enclosed as two fence panels were blown down in the recent gales making the neighbouring garden accessible to children.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are kept safe on trips and outings around the community. The childminder provides suitable car seats and has a harness if needed for children who need to stay safe when out walking. Children are taught to hold the adults hand and not to run off. The childminder ensures that she is able to manage safety issues comfortably by only taking a few children out at any one time.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children's well-being is safeguarded and promoted as the childminder has a clear understanding of what child abuse is and she knows the signs and symptoms which may cause concern. She understands the need to record concerns and discuss them with parents and she keeps the local and national child protection guidance booklets accessible for reference if needed.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. The childminder provides a wide range of activities to promote children's development in all areas, namely physical, social and intellectual. Home based play includes art and craft activities, when children explore the textures of different materials commonly found in daily life, for example, smooth, bubbly, gritty materials. Children learn how to use basic equipment like scissors to cut out pictures which they paste and stick when making collages, posters or celebration cards

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children also enjoy other creative activities using dough which they help to make and colour. Their sense of smell is stimulated by the flavours such as peppermint and lemon which the childminder adds to the mixture.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 Younger children have some planned activities in line with the components of the Birth to three matters framework. The childminder has completed a training course and she makes valid observations of children's progress in the different areas of development. These are shared with parents.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children have opportunities to work together with others through involvement in ongoing group projects. The childminder provides the appropriate resources they need to support learning, for example, a large map of the world with different countries identified and sting pointers showing where different people, animals and fruit come from. Children also find out about the different homes and types of clothing people wear and they cut out images from travel books and magazines to add to the display.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children's individual needs are met well through regular discussion with parents. The childminder also builds on her own understanding of each child and their family culture and knows the issues from home which may affect a child during childminding. For example, sudden changes in sleeping arrangements resulting in insufficient sleep and lack of involvement in activities during childminding.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children are developing a positive view of difference through access to excellent resources and activities. The childminder displays clear pictures of different kinds of family groups including Asian Black, White, Oriental and Mixed Heritage. Tactile resources, such as a toy guide dog with soft fur and moveable parts, are accessible to children. The material is rotated regularly as the childminder is a member of a toy lending service.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children who have additional needs thrive and are comfortable at the childminder's home. She works closely with parents and professionals to provide extra support, such as taking children to speech therapy and recreational activities which include horse riding. Children are given choices and the childminder knows their strengths and also areas for their development. Children's privacy is respected and the childminder supports this with hygiene and sanitary procedures.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Behaviour is managed well as they have simple boundaries to keep them safe and to help them develop awareness of the needs of others. For example, they are discouraged from jumping on the furniture and they are told to hold the adult's hand when out walking. Children are encouraged to share toys and think about how others feel when they are hurt. Methods used by the childminder to manage behaviour includes explanation, distraction and being firm and consistent and not giving children mixed messages about what is expected of them.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The childminder works closely with parents to provide security and continuity of care for children. She has established methods for communication, such as feedback, phone calls and also home and childminder link books. She collects the relevant information on child record forms and the written agreement of care also has a yearly review of care. She has a written complaints form and a book for logging any complaints made by parents.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The childminder organises her practice well in order to meet the needs of children. She has completed the Introducing Childcare Practice course and has a current first aid certificate. She continues her professional development by identifying and attending short courses on practice issues, such as the Birth to threes matters framework for the care of younger children, and puts new learning in place to improve the level of care.

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Organisation

The available space is used well to provide children with clear areas for play, rest and storage systems are organised well to allow children to see and to have access to toys they want to play with.

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Organisation

Children have sufficient care and attention as the childminder understands the need to maintain the adult to child ratio at all times. She is aware that some children may need a higher level of supervision and individual attention and reduces her numbers to meet specified needs. This includes times when caring for children who have learning disabilities. The record of attendance is clearly written and shows when children are cared for on the premises.

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Organisation

The childminder has a good understanding of the need to maintain written information about children and their families. She has completed written agreements of care and child record forms. She also makes written observations of progress and shares these with respective parents. The regulator is kept informed of changes in the home, such as the birth of her second child and the expiry date of first aid certificate and new courses attended. The setting meets the needs of the range of the children for whom it provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection, the childminder agreed to a recommendation to provide activities and resources that help children develop positive images of culture, gender and disability. Children now have access to an extensive range of material including books, dolls, posters and play figures. The childminder now provides several activities which acknowledge cultural festivals and children are developing their understanding about different parts of the world and the issues which affect the people living there.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since the last inspection there have been no complaints made to Ofsted that required the provider or Ofsted to take action in order to meet the National Standards.

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Complaints since the last inspection

The provider is required to keep a record of complaints made by parents, which they can see on request. The complaints record may contain complaints other than those made to Ofsted.

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Complaints since the last inspection

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

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THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

The quality and standards of the care are good. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

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The quality and standards of the care

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • assess the risks to children in regard to the missing panels in the garden fence and take action to remove these.

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The quality and standards of the care

set out in the leaflet Complaints about Ofsted Early Years: concerns or complaints about Ofsted's role in regulating and inspecting childcare and early education (HMI ref no 2599) which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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The quality and standards of the care

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

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