Setting

Inspection report for early years provision

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EY343731 Unique Reference Number 05 June 2007 Inspection date Helen Blackburn 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 2006. She lives with her husband and daughter, aged three years, in the Mirfield area. There are schools, shops, parks and access to public transport in the local area. The whole ground floor and first floor, except for the master bedroom of the childminder's house, is used for childminding. There is a fully enclosed garden for outside play. The family has a cat.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of five children at any one time. She is currently minding two children, both attending on a part-time basis. The childminder walks to the local nursery and school to take and collect children.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

She attends the local childminder support group and 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 good. The children are cared for in a home where standards of cleanliness are good. The childminder carries out daily cleaning routines to maintain a clean environment and to minimise the risk of cross-infection. The children learn about good personal hygiene practices through everyday routines. They know to wash their hands at appropriate times and through fun songs, they learn about germs. Good procedures regarding the management of illness contribute to protecting children’s health. For example, children with infectious illnesses remain at home to protect others and detailed medication records are in place.

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Helping children to be healthy

The children have good opportunities to be active and to exercise, which contributes to them leading a healthy lifestyle. The children regularly access fresh air; they play in the garden and go on walks. There is a good selection of resources to promote children’s physical development, for example, construction, mark making materials, bikes, slides, climbing frames, push and pull toys, balls and trampolines. In addition, the children enjoy outings to local parks and soft play centres.

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Helping children to be healthy

The childminder promotes healthy eating well, to support children’s healthy growth and development. She offers a flexible service regarding meals. She provides meals to meet children’s needs or if parents wish, they can supply their own food. The childminder offers the children a varied and nutritious diet, for example, fresh fruit, vegetables, salads, meats and breadsticks. The children also enjoy growing some simple foods, such as herbs, carrots and tomatoes. Meal times are a relaxing experience for children. They eat at their own pace and the younger children acquire new skills as they learn to feed themselves.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. The environment for children is safe and secure and there are a number of good safety precautions in place to contribute to this, such as smoke alarms, protected electrical sockets and security of the premises. The childminder is vigilant in supervising children and regularly reviews the safety within her home to keep children safe. For example, as babies and younger children become more mobile she reviews the safety precautions she has in place. In addition, the childminder has written emergency and accidents plans to ensure she effectively cares for children in an emergency.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The children are developing a good understanding of how they can keep themselves safe. They follow good road safety procedures when on walks. Through activities, they begin to talk about situations when to call the emergency services and what to do if the smoke alarm sounds.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The children access a good range of resources that are safe and maintained in good condition. The childminder continues to extend these to meet the ongoing development needs of the children. The resources are stored in boxes to enable children to access them freely and in a safe way.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The childminder’s good understanding of child protection issues contributes to her protecting children from harm. She has detailed written policies, which relate to the Local Safeguarding Children Board. These clearly outline her responsibilities in safeguarding children, including reporting any concerns.

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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. The childminder’s friendly approach results in providing a welcoming and relaxing atmosphere for children. This contributes to the children being happy and settled in the childminder’s care. The home is set up with a selection of resources to create a stimulating environment ready for children’s arrival.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

There are good relationships between the childminder and children. She knows the children really well and this enables her to meet their needs effectively. For example, she recognises when children are tired or hungry. She actively engages herself in children’s play and interacts with them well. The children respond well to this, for example, they approach her for comfort and laugh and smile as they play together. Through her involvement in children’s play, she supports and encourages their development. This is because she understands how young children learn and therefore she asks appropriate questions to build on children’s knowledge and understanding. This includes her beginning to use the ‘Birth to three matters’ framework to promote positive outcomes for children.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

There is a good range of resources available for children that meet their developmental needs. The children are becoming independent learners as they choose what they want to do. The children enjoy their time with the childminder and are busy throughout the day. The children enjoy activities, such as exploring treasure baskets, looking for items buried in the sand, painting, looking at books, dressing up and playing shops.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. The children behave appropriately for their ages and stages of development. There are consistent boundaries and routines in place to enable children to understand what is expected of them. They look at books and listen to stories that explain about sharing, taking turns and respecting others. This helps children to learn about right and wrong. The childminder uses praise to encourage children to behave in a positive way and this contributes to raising children’s self-esteem. The childminder’s written behaviour management policy demonstrates the practice in place.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The children are developing some awareness of the wider society and diversity. Through stories and books, the children begin to learn about some differences. However, overall resources that promote positive images of others are limited to support children in developing a broader knowledge and understanding.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Relationships between the childminder and parents are good and they work successfully together. They regularly share and exchange information to ensure they meet children’s needs and promote their welfare. Daily dairies provide information on the child’s day, including development and activities they enjoy. Through written policies and welcome packs, the parents are fully aware of the service in place for their child.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The home is organised well to effectively meet children’s needs and to ensure they play safely. The childminder uses each area of the home for different purposes, for example, the kitchen

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Organisation

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 for creative play and the living room for quieter activities and sleep. Through organising her time well, the childminder meets the individual needs of children. She builds into the day opportunities for children to sleep or rest in line with their own routines. This contributes to children feeling secure and provides continuity of care for them.

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Organisation

The childminder understands the benefits of further training to enhance the service she provides for children. She demonstrates her commitment through attending training, such as the ‘Birth to three matters’ framework, treasure baskets and child protection. She uses the skills and experiences gained on the courses to influence her practice; this promotes positive outcomes for children.

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Organisation

There is good documentation in place to contribute to the safe management of the setting and to promote children’s welfare. There are a number of written policies, such as child protection, equality, safety and complaints to demonstrate the service provided for children. This includes recording detailed and accurate information about the children so that the childminder cares for them effectively. The storage of the documents ensures confidentiality but allows the childminder to access them freely and easily. Overall, the provision meets the needs of the range of the children for whom it provides.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since registration 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): • extend the resources and activities that raise children's awareness of diversity and equality.

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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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