Childminder in Norfolk

Inspection report for early years provision

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256039 Unique Reference Number 10 May 2007 Inspection date Christine Eglinton 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 satisfactory. 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 1998. She lives with her husband who is also a registered childminder and their two children aged 11 and 14 years. The family also have a foster child living with them who is aged 14 years. The family live in a house situated on the outskirts of the city of Norwich. The childminder prefers to use the main living room, kitchen and two of the bedrooms for childminding. There is a fully enclosed garden for outside play. The family has two cats, goldfish, a hamster and a pet snake.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The childminder works with her husband and together they may care for a maximum of 10 children of whom no more than six must be aged under five years. The childminder and her husband currently have 13 children aged under eight years on roll who all attend on part-time basis. They also care for older children who are aged over eight years. Both of the childminders attend local parent and toddler groups and prefer to walk to take and collect children from the local school.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The childminder 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 cared for in a warm and clean environment where they benefit from appropriate levels of cleanliness throughout the home. For example, children and visitors remove their shoes when they enter the childminder’s home which promotes cleanliness of the floors and carpet. Appropriate daily routines such as children being reminded to clean their hands before eating and after using the toilet, ensure children understand the need for good personal hygiene. Although the childminder uses protective gloves during nappy changing routines, she is not consistently incorporating effective cleaning procedures for the equipment that is used to change the children on. This does not ensure that effective procedures are being used to prevent the spread of germs.

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Helping children to be healthy

Parents give prior consent for the childminder to administer medication which ensure children receive the correct dosage according to their needs. Children who are infectious do not attend thus preventing the spread of infectious ailments. The childminder holds a current first aid certificate which means she is able to give children appropriate care if there is an accident.

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Helping children to be healthy

There are suitable storage procedures for the food provided by the parents to prevent spoiling and children avoid sweet snacks and fizzy drinks which promotes their health. Although children are able to recognise lots of fruits and vegetables when they play with the play food, they are not given sufficient opportunities when they take part in the planned activities to help them understand foods that are good for them. For example, during cooking and growing activities.

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Helping children to be healthy

Regular access to outdoor garden toys and outings to the local park enable children to develop their physical skills. Children are encouraged to walk to the local school which offers children further opportunities of enjoying regular exercise. Older children talk about the benefits of fresh air when they play outside.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Space within the childminder’s home is well organised and meets children’s needs appropriately. Children have sufficient room to play and have a quiet place to rest, and a comfortable safe place to enjoy their meals. Children enjoy playing with a wide range of good quality toys and equipment which are suitable for children’s stage of development. Toys are kept clean and are in good condition and stored at low level so that children can access them safely and easily. For instance, children choose a selection of cars from a box and choose their own selection of musical instruments which they eagerly explore. This enables them to spend time concentrating at self-chosen activities which helps them make important decisions in their play and learning.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children benefit from a suitable range of safety measures. For example, all low level kitchen cupboards containing hazardous items have safety locks fitted and safety caps protect exposed electric sockets. This helps to reduce potential hazards and allows children to play and explore safely. The childminder uses gentle reminders to help younger children learn about safety. For example, she explains why they need to pick up some of the toys on the floor and the consequences of injuring themselves if they fall over.

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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 The childminder has sound knowledge of child protection issues. She knows what action she needs to take if she has any concerns about a child in her care which promotes and safeguards children’s welfare.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. The childminder ensures she asks relevant information about the children to ensure their needs are known. For instance their daily routine and likes and dislikes. This helps children to feel secure within their environment and contributes towards their general well-being. Children are able to bring their special comforters from home such as their special blankets to help them feel secure.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The childminder is very good at recognising individual traits in children which helps her recognise when they are showing signs of becoming tired or distressed. For instance, she notices that one child puts their fingers in their mouth, and another child covers themselves with their special comfort blanket which indicates that they are becoming tired and restless. Consequently, this enables her to meet children’s individual needs very effectively and as a result children are very confident and secure.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

A good balance of adult and child initiated games help children make good progress in all areas of their learning. The childminder interacts well with children during their play and children are very keen for the childminder to join in their games. For example, they take great delight in making her pretend cups of soup and make her sandwiches out of the play food. The childminder observes children well and uses her observations to help extend children’s enjoyment. For instance, she notices that some of the children are interested in playing with the toy cars so suggests they pull out the large toy car park to make it more accessible. This results in lots of children joining in and they all concentrate at steering the cars along and down the car park ramps which extends their overall enjoyment.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are encouraged to talk about important people in their lives such as members of their family and talk about their home. This helps them develop a sense of belonging. The childminder makes good use of the local toy library to ensure children are able to access a varied selection of play resources. For instance, they enjoy playing with musical bells which give them good opportunities of exploring different types of musical instruments. Children are able to express their feelings when they play with paint and glue, and make collages when they attend the local support group. However, young children are not given sufficient opportunities to take part in mess making activities to help aid their sensory development by using an approach in line with 'Birth to three matters' framework.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Children are actively encouraged and supported to take part in all the activities and comments made about gender stereotypes are gently discussed with children. Children only have access to a limited range of play materials which does not reflect a balanced range of diversity. They have taken part in celebrating Chinese New Year but are not benefiting in taking part in other planned activities to help introduce them to other cultures. Consequently, this does not encourage children to learn to appreciate and value each other’s culture by discussing similarities and differences.

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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 There are appropriate systems in place to support children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Close liaison with parents and outside agencies ensures all children’s needs are well planned for and met. The childminder makes expectations of behaviour clear and gives clear requests which ensure children understand why certain behaviour is not acceptable. Children play well together and take part in lots of co-operative play such as playing together with the toy car park which require them to take turns and share the resources.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children benefit from sound working relationships between the childminder and the parents. Regular informal discussions and daily feedback about the child’s day helps to ensure continuity of care. Parents are able to view clear and detailed information about the service she provides to enable them to make an informed choice.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. The childminder has regularly updated her knowledge by attending relevant childcare courses. This ensures she has sufficient knowledge of current child care practices to support the care and learning of the children. Children benefit from the childminder’s suitable organisation of the premises which provides them with ample space to play, and have sufficient access to appropriate resources. Children feel at home and at ease and daily routines provide children with opportunities to relax as well as be busy and actively occupied. Overall children’s needs are met.

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Organisation

Written policies and procedures guide the childminder in her daily practice to ensure children’s needs are met. Information kept about the children is relevant and helps to promote their welfare. Mandatory records are in place and are kept in a confidential manner. However, the childminder is in breach of a mandatory requirement in regulations in that she is unable to demonstrate appropriate evidence of contacting the regulator of significant changes to the premises. This does not guarantee effective management of the setting.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the previous inspection the childminder was asked to develop the documentation to improve information systems for parent. She was also asked to improve children's access to drinking water. She has now implemented appropriate documentation to assist parents in contacting the regulator, and has increased opportunities for children to access drinking water. This enables her to promote children's health more effectively and has helped establish stronger partnerships with parents.

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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 the 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 satisfactory. 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): • provide more opportunities for children to learn about healthy eating options/foods that are good for them • make sure that nappy changing routines incorporate good hygiene practices • increase opportunities for mess making and sensory exploration for young children by using the’ Birth to three matters’ framework • ensure that children have access to an appropriate range of activities and resources which promote equality of opportunity and anti-discriminatory practice

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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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