Setting

Inspection report for early years provision

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EY346618 Unique Reference Number 09 August 2007 Inspection date Claire Sheldrake 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 2007. She lives with her husband and two children aged five and two years. They live in a house in Oldmixon, Weston super Mare. The whole of the childminder’s house 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 currently minding one child under five during the day. Her registration includes overnight care for one child under eight years old. The childminder walks to local schools to take and collect children. She attends the local toddler group on a regular basis and takes children to the local park. The family has a fish and a dog.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

She is a member of the National Childminding Association.

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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 satisfactory. Children are being introduced to simple hand washing routines before and after eating, and when using the bathroom. The childminder ensures that children's health is not at risk through cross infection. She uses individual flannels and towels, an anti bacterial spray on play and eating surfaces, and when she was finished with the changing mat.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children receive appropriate care if they become ill or have an accident, because the childminder is first aid trained. She has effective procedures in place to contact parents and has a clear policy for the administration of medication, however at present there is no written consent to administer emergency treatment.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children have their dietary needs met. They sit at the table and enjoy a healthy snack of fruit and raisins, selecting each favourite piece and showing it to one another.

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Helping children to be healthy

The children are encouraged to taste new fruits and are praised for trying them. They benefit from a cooked meal at lunch time, and a menu plan allows parents to see the foods that will be on offer.

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Helping children to be healthy

Drinks are prepared in the children's own cups and are regularly topped up as required. This ensures that the children remain hydrated, even on a hot day.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are able to experience physical activities, they can ride on bikes, slide, and bounce on a small trampoline. They enjoy a game of skittles and accurately roll and kick the ball, to knock them down. Whilst doing craft activities the children are able to use a variety of different sizes of paintbrushes, to extend their coordination and skills.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are cared for in a safe and secure environment, where the childminder has taken steps to reduce any risk to children.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The children are well supervised and the childminder makes sure she is close to them as they play, both indoors and outdoors. The kitchen and stairs are blocked with a stair gate to restrict children's access to these potentially dangerous areas.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children use safe and suitable equipment, they each have a booster chair at the table for snack time and craft activities. Each of these has a lap belt to prevent a child from falling or slipping out. Toys are in good working order and are selected to be suitable for the ages of the children present.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The childminder is aware of preventing accidents. She ensures that the trampoline is sited on the grass and she reminds them to be careful on the step into the garden.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The children are protected from fire. The childminder has all the appropriate fire prevention in place, for example a smoke alarm log, a fire blanket and extinguisher in the kitchen. She has also devised an evacuation action plan which she can follow if there is an emergency.

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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 Children's well being is supported and protected. The childminder has a sound knowledge of child protection and is aware of the safeguarding children guidelines.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. The children are happy, confident and involved. They are able to play and experience a variety of activities to meet all of their developmental needs.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The childminder asks the children what they would like to do, she offers exciting and stimulating choices of painting activities and play-dough. They choose the painting, and delight in mixing colours and recognising them, as they come out of each tube. The children use different sized paint brushes and cover paper with swirls and dabs of paint. They progress to finger painting and then the whole hand. They are excited and chat away to each other, as they produce more and more pictures.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The children have access to a selection of board and story books. They find favourites and are thrilled to find Thomas the tank engine. They sit with the childminder and point at characters and turn the pages to find more.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children play alongside each other and like to join in doing a puzzle. They interact well with the childminder and look to her for support, as they manage the concept of sharing the toys.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The children are encouraged to experiment with language. They are beginning to repeat words of familiar items, and laugh with each other as they paint. They enjoy singing along to the music, whilst eating their snack and attempt to count along with the animals as they sing "two by two, hurrah".

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The childminder records each child's involvement in activities. This information along with observations and examples of the child's work, are put together to make a child's progress file. This is linked to the Birth to three matters framework and goes towards a book "All about me".

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. The children are settled, happy and interact well with one another. The childminder treats the children with equal concern and spends time involving each one to an activity, for example to the painting at the table, and when reading a favourite book.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The childminder encourages each child to have a go and congratulates them when they, complete the puzzles and, stand the skittles up in the garden.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The children are experiencing the wider world, they are involved in community topics and celebrating festivals with their local childminding group.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are offered appropriate care. The childminder has attended relevant training and works in partnership with parents to ensure the child's individual needs are met.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The children behave well. They use good manners when asking for, and being given a snack. They are kind to each other and are learning about how to share. They are experiencing how to manage conflict, here the childminder remains calm and reminds each one to have a turn.

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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 The childminder is building good relationships with the parents. She has developed an appealing information pack for parents which she has personalised with her own children's art work. She writes a daily diary to inform them of their child's activities and routines and she has completed all the relevant child record forms.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The childminder organises her home well to provide children with the opportunities of supervised indoor and outdoor play. She is trained in child care and has had previous experience of working in a day nursery. She is first aid trained and is keen to attend further courses to improve her practice.

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Organisation

The childminder plans her day well, she makes sure that her activities are well resourced and that there is enough for all the children. She records the children's attendance appropriately and a daily diary is shared with parents.

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Organisation

Most of the required documentation is in place to ensure that children are cared for according to their parents wishes, however one written consent is not yet in place. The childminder displays her certificate for parents to see in the hall, and this is accompanied by her first aid qualification and other useful information.

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Organisation

Overall the childminding provision meets the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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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 any 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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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): • ensure written consent for emergency treatment and advice is sought from parents

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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 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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