Childminder in Worcestershire

Inspection report for early years provision

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204613 Unique Reference Number 30 November 2007 Inspection date Sally Wride 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 1999. She lives with her husband and two children aged 14 and 17-years-old in a house in a village near Evesham. There is a school and parks and playgrounds within easy walking distance. The whole of the ground floor, two upstairs bedrooms and a bathroom are used for childminding. There is a fully enclosed garden available for outside play. The family have three pet cats and two fish.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The childminder is registered to care for six children at any one time and is currently minding sixteen children, all of whom attend on a part-time basis.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The childminder attends the local carer and toddler group on a regular basis. She is a member of the National Childminding Association and is able to take and collect children from local schools and pre-schools.

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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 care environment. They have access to good quality hand washing resources and facilities but are not always reminded to use these at appropriate times, for example, prior to eating their snack. Good hygiene practices ensure toys, equipment and kitchen areas are kept clean. Effective procedures are in place for if children fall ill whilst in the childminder's care. Good quality documentation is maintained regarding the administration of medication and recording of accidents. A well-stocked first aid box is available to ensure children's well-being is safeguarded in the event of accidents.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children enjoy a wide range of outdoor activities which contribute to their good health. They make regular use of the childminder's garden, accessing a range of sports equipment that support and extend their physical skills and control. They use bikes and trikes, bounce on a trampoline and practise their throwing, catching and kicking skills with balls. Visits to parks and playgrounds further improve children's physical skills as they develop their large muscle skills on apparatus suitable for their individual ages and stages of development. Children enjoy picnics in the garden in the warmer weather and participate in sports events such as races and obstacle courses with their peers.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are well nourished and enjoy healthy and nutritious meals and snacks that meet their individual dietary needs and parents' wishes well. They are regularly offered drinks throughout the day which ensures that they are well hydrated. Older children have a clear understanding that eating well helps to keep them healthy. They enjoy mealtimes as a sociable occasion when they sit together with their peers and engage in conversations about their day. Children are helped to understand that brushing their teeth after meals helps to keep them healthy.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are kept safe because the indoor environment is safe, secure and child friendly. The childminder is proactive in identifying and minimising potential hazards and completes visual risk assessments throughout the day. This allows the children to move around safely, freely and independently. Their care environment is warm and welcoming. They have easy access to a wide range of good quality toys and resources that are regularly cleaned to ensure that they remain hygienic for the children to use. Children are interested and challenged by the resources available to them which promote all areas of learning and development.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children develop an awareness of road safety as they practise the 'stop, look and listen' technique when out for walks and on trips. Although the childminder talks to the children about the actions that they should take in the event of a fire, evacuations have not yet been practised. Children are reminded of safety issues throughout the day, for example, they are reminded to sit well on their chairs and to take care when walking down the stairs to ensure that they don’t fall. Children's welfare is promoted and safeguarded because the childminder has a clear understanding of the known indicators of child abuse and referral procedures in line with Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) procedures. Parents are provided with a child protection policy which ensures that they are fully informed of the action that would be taken in the event of a concern about a child in the childminder's care.

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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

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children enjoy playing happily together and are settled and secure in the childminder's care. They enjoy a balanced and varied range of activities and games that support all areas of their learning and development. They have fun, play cooperatively with their peers and enjoy the childminder's involvement and interaction in their play. They show care and concern for each other and often cuddle up and express their emotions, for example, one child said 'I love you' to another child whilst giving her a hug. The childminder uses the 'Birth to three matters' framework as part of her working practice with children and has a clear understanding of the needs of younger children in her care.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children engage in many arts and crafts activities. They enjoy painting, feet painting and collage activities. They use their senses as they explore natural materials such as wooden blocks, shells and leaves. Children relish role play activities. They act out trips to the seaside, taking their dolls for walks in pushchairs and doing the ironing. They benefit from a wide range of dressing up clothes and resources and develop their self-care skills as they dress themselves up in these. Children enjoy listening to stories and often sing along to familiar rhymes. They are confident to initiate dancing activities with their peers. Children participate in regular baking sessions, making cakes, biscuits and sweets to enjoy eating whilst in the childminder's care and also to take home and share with their families. They use their fine motor skills as they manipulate Play-Doh and use a range of tools such as cutters and rolling pins. They construct with building

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

blocks and spend time completing jigsaw puzzles. Children benefit from a range of activities outside of the home. They go out to feed the ducks, to the library and to local parks and playgrounds. They also enjoy trips further afield to countryside centres and farm parks.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children are respected and valued as individuals. Their needs are well met and their individual likes and dislikes are well catered for. They have the opportunity to learn about the needs of others and are encouraged to acknowledge differences in an open and honest environment, supported by resources that promote positive images of diversity. Children participate in activities throughout the year that support their understanding of festivals and events from their own religions and cultures. However, opportunities for them to develop an appreciation of other cultures and religions is more limited. The childminder understands that some children may have learning difficulties and/or disabilities. She has procedures in place to liaise with parents and other professionals to identify the needs of children and how to best meet them.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children are well behaved and play harmoniously together. They show care and concern for each other, the environment and their resources. They respond well to the childminder's calm and consistent approach to behaviour management and are able to share their toys and enjoy playing with the other children. Children benefit from the good working relationships that have been developed between their parents and the childminder. Daily exchanges of information ensure that parents are kept well informed about their children's progress and the activities that they have enjoyed whilst in the childminder's care. Parents' views are sought through ongoing discussions and yearly questionnaires. The childminder has developed a range of policies and procedures that are openly shared with the parents to ensure that they are fully informed of how the care of their children is organised.

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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. Children benefit from the childminder's good organisation and commitment to providing a warm, caring and stimulating environment. She organises her home and practice to ensure that children are always well cared for. They have plenty of room to play and rest. She provides a homely atmosphere, where a wide range of toys and equipment provides them with a variety of stimulating experiences. The childminder regularly meets with other local childminders to allow the children the opportunity to socialise with wider groups of children. They go to local carer and toddler groups and some children also benefit from being taken swimming each week.

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Organisation

Children's care, learning and play is enhanced because the childminder is proactive in accessing training courses that further extend her knowledge of child development, activities that she can offer to the children and those which support her childminding practice. All of the required documentation which contributes to children's health, safety and well-being is in place, carefully stored, well organised and effectively maintained. They are regularly reviewed and are only accessed by the childminder, ensuring that confidentiality is maintained. Overall children’s needs are met.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection the childminder agreed to ensure that children have no access to the ornamental pool or to the swimming pool in the garden. Since then the ornamental pool has been filled in and the swimming pool has been fenced and gated off to ensure that children do not have any access to this area of the garden. The childminder agreed to make improvements to documentation. Since then, she has ensured that accurate written records are maintained that show children's days and times of attendance and has ensured that a record is available to record any existing injuries that the children may have.

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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):

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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 • further develop children's understanding of the importance of washing their hands at appropriate times • ensure that children are provided with regular opportunities to practise fire evacuation procedures • further develop activities available to children that develop their appreciation of the world in which they live.

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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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