Childminder in Suffolk

Inspection report for early years provision

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251199 Unique Reference Number 05 July 2007 Inspection date Karen Pretty 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 outstanding. 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 11 and nine in Ipswich, Suffolk. The whole of the property is used for childminding. There is a fully enclosed garden for outdoor play.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of six children at any one time and is currently minding six children all on a part-time basis. The childminder takes and collects children from local schools and pre-school groups. She attends the local parent and toddler group, takes children to the local park and library.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The childminder is a member of a local childminder support group. The childminder supports children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. She is a member of an approved childminding network.

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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 outstanding. Children's health is excellently promoted through a wide range of comprehensive policies which are proactively shared with parents. An extremely informative and up to date exclusion policy ensures that children are not at risk of cross-infection. Children's understanding of personal hygiene is promoted extremely well, appealing toiletries and individual blue paper towels encourage children to wash their hands and faces. The childminder talks to children to help them develop an understanding of germs and the importance of hand washing. Exceptionally well thought out procedures are in place to ensure children receive the best care should they become ill or have an accident. The childminder has an up to date first aid certificate and records any accidents for parents to sign, subsequently children's health is not compromised.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children can rest and sleep according to their needs, younger children use a travel cot which is placed in a quiet well ventilated room with clean comfortable bedding. Children enjoy the daily benefit of fresh air which is enthusiastically promoted by the active childminder. They walk to the local park and have regular access to the secure well kept garden which contains a mass of play equipment. Children's understanding of the benefit of good fresh food is greatly increased through the provision of healthy and nutritious snacks and meals. The childminder actively encourages children to try new healthy foods. Children are involved in excellent first hand experiences where they have opportunities to cook and grow their own food. The garden displays many rows of different vegetables and fruits which children are fully involved in planting and caring for, attractive homemade labels with words and pictures enable children to monitor

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Helping children to be healthy

and enjoy their produce as it is flourishing. Younger children are encouraged to enjoy meal times and gain independence as they hold beakers and eat finger foods. Children have constant access to drinks to ensure they do not become dehydrated, younger children have their beakers replenished regularly by the childminder. Further drinks are encouraged during meal times and after exercise. Children's individual dietary requirements are very clearly recorded in written agreements and are sensitively catered for.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is outstanding. Children are kept extremely safe in a cosy, spotlessly clean environment that is very warm and welcoming. All of the main living space can be accessed by children, these areas are maintained to a very high standard and arranged to enable children to eat and play together extremely comfortably. Resources and toys are stored at child height in the children's playroom, this enables children to self-select from the attractive boxes labelled with words and pictures. Children enjoy an excellent balance of resources that clearly meet their needs and are appropriate to their age. All toys and equipment are regularly cleaned and checked to ensure they remain of a high quality and good standard for use by children.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children's safety is maintained extremely well through stringent and robust steps taken by the childminder to minimise all potential risks. Daily risk assessments are conducted and the environment is extremely secure. Preventative fire safety precautions are proactively taken, such as, a fire blanket and smoke alarms. The childminder has developed a successful evacuation procedure which is regularly practised with children. Children are taken on outings in safe car seats with written permission from parents. Each potential venue is risk assessed prior to the

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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 visit. The childminder exceeds all requirements to ensure that children's safety is paramount at all times.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are very well protected from potential harm as the childminder has an excellent understanding of her role and responsibilities in safeguarding children. Recent training and a very detailed policy with relevant up to date information ensures the childminder is confident and competent in following correct procedures. Parents are fully informed of procedures prior to admission and incidents are recorded.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is outstanding. Children enjoy an excellent range of play opportunities provided through an extensive range of toys and stimulating activities. The children are building confidence and self-esteem as the childminder has developed close and trusting relationships with them. Children are warmly welcomed by the childminder who is very intuitive of their needs. Consequently, children are settled and self-assured as they select from an exceptional range of activities. Children's language development is extremely well supported through songs, rhymes and stories. The childminder takes children to a number of local groups which enhances children's social skills and develops their confidence. Children accomplish many skills due to the extensive range of stimulating first hand experiences that are provided. Cooking, craft, dressing up and messy play such as dough, sand and water are all regularly enjoyed. Children's creativity and imagination

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

is thoroughly promoted through imaginary games, painting and junk modelling.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children have excellent opportunities to develop physical skills through a wide range of planned activities. They gain confidence using equipment in the park and practise ball skills in the garden. Outdoor equipment including ride-on toys, prams and bikes enable the children to negotiate space and gain a good awareness of other children. Children are actively encouraged and supported towards gaining excellent self-care skills such as, fastening clothes and putting on shoes.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Younger children's needs are exceptionally well met by the warm and tactile childminder. Babies are clearly both animated and stimulated as they play with sensory cause and effect toys. The childminder is very responsive to the babies' happy sounds, and cradles them in her arms as she sings songs, consequently they are extremely contented and relaxed.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is outstanding. Children and their families are warmly welcomed and made to feel part of the childminder's home and family. Flexible and sensitive settling in procedures ensure that children's individual needs are exceptionally well met resulting in children feeling relaxed and at home. Children's achievements are celebrated and displayed providing a rich and colourful environment that has a personal meaning to each child. Consequently, children are valued and have an excellent sense of belonging. Resources and toys are presented extremely well enabling children to all have equal access. The childminder is highly proactive in helping children appreciate differences in cultures and customs. Children experience many hands-on enjoyable activities as they celebrate festivals such as, Diwali and Chinese New Year. A wide range of materials and resources that reflect a positive view of diversity and the wider community enables children to value each

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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 would welcome a child with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. She has experience of supporting specific needs and has deployed excellent strategies alongside parents to enable children's individual needs to be met. The childminder has a good understanding of the need to access support and respect parental wishes in order to promote children's welfare and development.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children have an excellent understanding of responsible behaviour. The childminder has superb strategies in place to ensure clear expectations of behaviour are understood by all children. The children have been fully involved in formulating the house rules, therefore, they have ownership. Positive reinforcement encourages children to understand their good behaviour is valued. A calm and consistent approach is used by the childminder who has very good strategies in place to diffuse minor situations.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children benefit from the trusting relationships the childminder has built with parents and carers. Parents are kept extremely well informed by a daily diary. Information given prior to minding exceeds requirements with colourful brochures introducing the childminder's family, her routines and practices. An excellent written agreement details all individual requirements and provides parents with all the necessary information. Parents collecting children are happy and relaxed in the childminder's home, a daily exchange of information ensures children's needs are comprehensively met. The childminder makes parents fully aware of how they can make a complaint and she knows how to log complaints, should she ever receive any.

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Organisation

The organisation is outstanding. Children are cared for extremely well by a motivated and experienced childminder who organises her day superbly in order to provide a rich balance of activities both in and outside. Children are very happy and secure as they receive outstanding care and levels of support from the dedicated and knowledgeable childminder. The childminder has attended an extensive range of relevant training to support her registration, she is so committed to continuing her professional development that she has recently started studying to achieve a professional early years qualification. Children thrive in this brilliantly organised child-friendly environment, they are secure and confident and clearly benefit from the individual care and attention given.

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Organisation

The childminder has an extremely good understanding of the National Standards and her responsibility to comply with these and the details of her registration. Extensive and honest self evaluation allows the childminder to reflect upon her own practice and continue to improve the services she offers. Accurate checks are in place to ensure children are cared for by a suitably vetted person and children are never left alone with any un-vetted person.

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Organisation

Recent updates have been comprehensively understood with relevant information displayed and made available to parents. A register is maintained, accurately showing children's actual hours of attendance and all required documentation was available at the time of inspection. All children's details are stored securely and confidentially, and the childminder ensures children are cared for in accordance with their parents' wishes.

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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

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Improvements since the last inspection

At her last inspection the childminder was given one recommendation. Continue to develop toys and resources to reflect positive images of culture, gender, ethnicity and disability. The childminder purchased further resources and also made some of her own. Children worked with the childminder to create a book reflecting their own thoughts, through words and pictures, addressing people's similarities and differences. An excellent range of resources are now available which fully reflect positive images, this ensures children are able to fully develop their understanding of the wider community.

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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 outstanding. 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

No recommendations for improvement are made because the quality and standards of care are outstanding.

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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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