Childminder in Surrey

Inspection report for early years provision

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160509 Unique Reference Number 12 June 2007 Inspection date Angela Cole 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 1996. She lives with her husband and children aged 13 and 11 years in a detached house in Guildford. The whole of the ground floor of the childminder’s house is used for childminding with upstairs bedrooms available for sleeping. There is a fully enclosed garden for outside play. The family has a dog and a guinea pig as pets.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The childminder occasionally works with her husband as her assistant. She is registered to care for six children at any one time. She is currently minding four children under five years who attend on a part-time basis and two children over five years before and after school. The childminder drives or walks to schools and pre-schools to take and collect children. She regularly attends the local toddler group, music group and childminder's group, and takes children on a wide range of outings.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The childminder is a member of the National Childminding Association and of a local childminder support group. She holds a Level 3 qualification in childminding practice and is a support minder for Sure Start. She has gained a recognised quality assurance award in childminding.

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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 enjoy a wide range of suitable activities that develop their physical skills and promote a healthy life-style. They regularly play in the well-equipped garden with large and small play equipment, including a medium sized trampoline and balls. They enjoy getting out in the fresh air to walk to school or by the railway. Younger children gain good independence in dressing and toileting.

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Helping children to be healthy

Good procedures, such as daily cleaning and use of disposable gloves for nappy changing, sustain high levels of hygiene and help to prevent the spread of infection amongst children. The children are cared for in a warm, spotlessly clean home where they learn the importance of good hygiene, for example, through cleaning their hands before meals. Documentation provides an accurate record of all accidents and medication administered to children to ensure the continuity of their care. Arrangements for sick children protect them from infection as parents are kept well informed of any illnesses that other children may have.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children begin to understand the importance of taking regular drinks as a way to maintain their health. Drinking water is available to them at all times and the childminder offers extra drinks when children are involved in energetic activity. The childminder gives parents appropriate guidance on the contents of packed meals and encourages them to offer a balanced diet. Any snacks that she provides are based around fruit, and fresh fruit is available to children to ensure they remain healthy.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children benefit from the well-maintained, welcoming environment. The childminder organises her home so that resources are on view to attract children as they arrive. Toys and equipment are in a good condition so children can use them safely and the childminder reminds them to tidy resources away carefully so that pieces are not broken. Babies and children safely and independently select activities from a range of resources that are appropriate to their age and stage of development.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The childminder is aware of potential hazards and takes steps to minimise the danger to children, for example, she carries out informal daily checks and has completed a written risk assessment during training. Children are safe indoors as, for example, low sockets are covered and only small windows are opened upstairs. They are safe outdoors as the childminder supervises them closely in the garden and on outings. Children effectively think about their own safety as the childminder always gives the reason, for example, why they must keep the play floor clear of clothes.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The childminder’s sound understanding of child protection and the local procedures contribute to safeguarding the children’s welfare. This is underpinned by current training in first aid and child protection. Her comprehensive policy is available to support her to take appropriate action in the event of any concern.

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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. Babies and children are happy and enjoy their time with the childminder. They learn through good quality play and respond well to varied routines that include times for active and quieter play. The children's play opportunities are effectively extended by regular visits to group activities, such as toddler and music groups. These outings provide good opportunities for them to develop their social skills. They also visit many places of interest, such as an arboretum, where they explore and bring back sticks, stones and acorns from their walks.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The childminder effectively supports children to make progress in all areas of their development. The children choose from a range of resources that contribute to their use of imagination, including dressing-up clothes and a wide variety of small-world toys, such as a 'dinosaur park’. The childminder provides older children with creative materials that complement those at other settings, including home-made dough and gluing activities. The youngest children are well stimulated as the childminder offers them appropriate toys from low-level storage, such as stacking beakers, though they do not experience a wide range of crafts or have free access to extensive, natural materials.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The childminder takes a good interest in what children say and do. She is warm and affectionate with them, and gets down on their level to interact and play. They respond well to her and offer their toys, such as a helmet to try on her head. The children benefit from their good relationship with the childminder as she listens carefully to their ideas, for example, about mats arranged in a 'circle'. She extends their use of language and sets appropriate challenges, for example, about the number of rainbow colours in a shared book.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children settle and gain good self-esteem. This is because the childminder creates frequent opportunities for them to make their own choices, for example, about their play and their meals. They gain a good sense of responsibility as they play carefully with younger children and feed the guinea pig. Children’s individual needs are effectively taken into account and the childminder works hard at including children of different ages. Any child with learning difficulties and/or disabilities would be effectively supported through close liaison between the childminder, the parents and appropriate, external agencies.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

All children have access to appropriate toys and equipment as, for example, boys and girls use the wide range of dressing-up clothes. The childminder ensures that the resources represent children who attend as well as individuals from the wider community. This helps children develop a positive attitude to others. The childminder is knowledgeable about child development and fully understands the needs of young children regarding behaviour management. As a result, children learn to be well-behaved and polite in response to her clear role model and calm expectations. These are effectively shared with parents in the written policy and in confidential conversations so children gain security from a consistent approach.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children benefit from the childminder’s friendly, open relationships with families, that are supported by revision of the contracts whenever this is needed. The childminder provides good continuity of care between herself and the child’s home through detailed, pre-care discussions and the request for information on their routine or typical day. The children are well looked after in accordance with their parent’s wishes, for example, regarding toilet training. 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 are well informed about their children’s progress by daily conversation and the childminder's use of sheets about the care needs of the under threes.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The children receive a good standard of care because the childminder is well qualified and highly experienced. She strives to keeps her knowledge up-to-date and frequently accesses training to further develop her good practice. She continues to be enthusiastic about her role and shares her expertise with new childminders to benefit a wider range of children.

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Organisation

The childminder is well organised so that children relax in the calm atmosphere of the secure, homely environment. Most resources are well organised to support children's care, learning and play. The children feel comfortable in a sympathetic routine that effectively takes in account their active play and rest requirements. They have good adult support to feel settled and confident, as the required ratios are well met.

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Organisation

The childminder maintains all documents that are required for the efficient and safe management of the provision. She has set up a log to record any complaints and this is compliant with Ofsted’s requirements. Her daily register provides an accurate record of children’s attendance and includes a system to show the working hours of the assistant. She implements many individually-written policies that effectively reflect and support the children's health and safety, including a detailed evacuation plan. The childminder meets the needs of the range of children for whom she provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection, the childminder was recommended to consider the recording of accidents and arrangement for safe storage of household chemicals. She has developed procedures for recording accidents and now ensures that confidentiality is maintained by writing the children’s details on separate pages. She now keeps all dangerous substances out of children's reach. In these ways, the childminder has improved her procedures for promoting the children's health and safety.

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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. 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): • extend the resources for the youngest children so they have regular access to a wide range of craft and natural materials.

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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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