Mascarenhas, Deborah Anne

Inspection report for early years provision

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153621 Unique Reference Number 20 September 2007 Inspection date Jane Davenport 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 1997. She lives with her husband, one adult son and daughter and a daughter aged 12. They live in a house, which is situated in the Chingford area of the London borough of Waltham Forest. The whole of the ground floor of the premises and the first floor bathroom/toilet are used for childminding. There is a fully enclosed garden available for outdoor play.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The childminder is registered to provide care for six children under eight years, and is currently minding three children on a full and part time basis. She walks to local schools to take and collect children and attends a local carer and toddler group. The childminder has a pet dog, two cats and a rabbit.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children are learning about good hygiene practices through everyday routines such as washing their hands after using the toilet and after being in the garden. They receive gentle reminders

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Helping children to be healthy

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 to remember to flush the toilet after use. The childminder ensures her home is clean and hygienic, with effective arrangements in place with regard to her pets. For example, children cannot access their feeding utensils and the garden area is checked rigorously before children are allowed out, thus minimising any potential health hazards.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children benefit from a good range of nutritious meals and snacks such as fresh fruit, pasta and yoghurts. They become aware of the importance of a healthy diet through discussions; for example, they talk about what is good for their teeth or what foods will make them strong, and as a result children are learning to make healthy choices. Mealtimes are social occasions, when children sit together at the table, making conversation with the childminder and their peers. They have placemats with pictures of a plate, a knife and a fork and this helps them to learn about table settings as they match their own cutlery with the picture. Children's special dietary needs are recorded and parents' wishes respected.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children's physical development is well supported with long walks and visits to local parks, where they have the opportunity to enjoy large apparatus such as swings and slides. They also enjoy jumping and bouncing on the secure trampoline in the garden.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children benefit from playing in a child-friendly, well-organised environment which allows them to move around and play safely, where there are good systems in place for their safe arrival and departure. Regular risk assessments are carried out and children benefit from a good range of safety measures, such as functioning smoke alarms and safety catches to kitchen cupboards and drawers. Children are aware of their boundaries and are encouraged to keep themselves safe; for example, they know to take their shoes off before going on the trampoline and to zip up the net to prevent them from falling off, and they are reminded by the childminder not to climb on the back of the sofa in case they hurt themselves.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children have easy and safe access to toys and resources that are stimulating and suitable for their stages of development. Equipment and resources are clean and in good condition and there are effective procedures in place to ensure that they pose no risk to children. The childminder was able to describe how she would evacuate her premises with the children in the event of an emergency, but the procedure is not currently consolidated in writing and has not been practised with the children.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are learning about road safety; through discussions they learn the importance of looking and listening when crossing the road and their understanding of this is reinforced by remembering how the childminder's pet dog was run over because it ran straight across the road without looking.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The childminder has a good understanding of child protection issues and knows how to proceed if she has concerns about a child in her care. This supports children's well-being.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are very well settled at the childminder's home; they enjoy a warm, caring interaction with the childminder and also relate well to one another. Children's language and imagination is very well developed and they express their ideas in a variety of ways. For example, they act

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 out well-known scenarios during role play, such as taking their 'babies' to the park, wrapping them up well against the cold and discussing how, 'My baby's tired. She didn't get much sleep last night.'

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children enjoy books and handle them carefully. They spend time 'reading' and sharing books with friends and adults and can relate well-known stories by looking at the pictures. The childminder encourages them to recall which story they were read at nursery in the morning, and they laugh as they recount a story in which someone ate a red-hot chilli pepper by mistake. Children are confident, sociable and feel good about themselves; this is because they receive lots of praise and encouragement from their childminder, for example, as she praises them for recognising and picking out their name cards at nursery and for knowing what letters are in their names.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Regular visits to drop-ins, playgroups and nursery provide children with the opportunity to mix with other children and adults, which enhances their social and emotional development and provides them with different experiences such as water and sand play.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children are respected and treated as individuals and the childminder meets their differing needs well. She helps children to identify with and celebrate their own cultural identity, and they are learning about diversity through a satisfactory range of anti-discriminatory resources such as dolls and books. Children learn about caring for others, as they help feed the rabbit or look after the dog, and they are supported in coming to terms with feelings of loss as they discuss the death of a well-loved pet.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The childminder is positive and sensitive about working with children who have learning difficulties and/or disabilities and would work closely with parents to ensure that their needs are met.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The childminder is consistent in her management of children's behaviour, and they generally behave very well. They are encouraged to help tidy up and to have good manners, saying 'please' and 'thank you' at appropriate times. She uses effective strategies to resolve potential disputes; for example, when two young children both want the same hat for their doll she shows them that there are more hats in the box and successfully encourages them to share.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children benefit from the childminder's commitment to working in partnership with parents. This ensures that children's individual needs are well catered for, and enables parents to play an active role in the care of their child. Information is shared with parents, who receive daily feedback on their child's progress.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The childminder meets the needs of the range of children for whom she provides. The home provides a secure base for children, which enables them to make informal choices about their play and express their individual needs; they move around with confidence and are able to explore their environment safely.

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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 Record keeping is good. Registers are up to date and contain children's hours of attendance. Children benefit from the polices and procedures that are in place, which generally promote their welfare, safety and well-being. The childminder keeps detailed information on children, which enables her to cater for their individual needs well and deal promptly with situations such as contacting parents should there be an emergency. All documentation is kept securely, ensuring that confidentially is maintained. Children and parents benefit from the childminder's commitment to updating her knowledge through attending relevant training from the local authority.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection a recommendation was set that required the childminder to ensure that parents signed the accident book. The childminder now has systems in place to ensure that parents countersign all recorded accidents, which has resulted in children's safety being further promoted.

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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): • practise the emergency evacuation procedure with minded children so that they become familiar with steps to be followed in the event of an emergency

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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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