Childminder in Enfield

Inspection report for early years provision

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160074 Unique Reference Number 19 September 2007 Inspection date Carolyn Mary Hasler 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 has been registered since 1989. She operates from a three bedroom, three storey terrace house in Edmonton Green an area within the London Borough of Enfield close to local shops. The through lounge, kitchen and garden on the ground floor and the bathroom on the first floor are used for childminding purposes. She lives on the premises with her husband and one adult daughter. The childminder is registered to care for six children under eight years at any one time, she currently has two minded children on roll. The childminder takes children to local toddler groups, parks and libraries. The family keeps two pet cats on the premises although they stay outside while children are present.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

She is a member of National Childminding Association.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children are learning about how to live healthy life styles. Good hygiene practices and encouraging children to perform tasks for themselves, helps children feel self sufficient in

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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 personal hygiene skills. For example, they are learning to wash their hands after messy activities, going to the toilet and before sitting down to eat. Older children go to the toilet independently, while younger or less able children are supported. Babies and toddlers are comfortable and learn about good hygiene because the childminder changes their nappies regularly setting good examples. Household cleaning routines ensure that children have a clean and well organised space to play in. The childminder ensures good hygiene is practised around her pets and children have little contact with them ensuring that children's health is protected.

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Helping children to be healthy

If children become sick or injured while on the premises they can access immediate first aid because the childminder has completed training and a first aid kit is kept close at hand. Sick children are made comfortable while awaiting collection by parents. The childminder takes steps to minimise cross infection to others. For example, she follows her sick children's policy which requires the exclusion over a short period of time for children who have infectious illnesses. Record keeping underpins the childminder's service. This means that children's health and wellbeing is safe guarded.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children enjoy access to fresh air and exercise, they walk to and from school daily and sometimes visit the park where they have opportunities to run round and let of steam and feed the ducks. They also have access to the play ground where they can climb, learning how to control their bodies and practise balancing skills. Very young children are learning basic ball skills, rolling balls along the floor. Children are active while they play, very young babies are stretching and flexing muscles, they are using movement for purpose. For example, they are learning that hitting a leaver or button makes a toy light up or move. Older children move confidently around the childminder's home, climbing on to furniture to sit down. All the children have controlled and supervised access to the garden. This ensures that children are leading healthy and active life styles.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are learning about how to eat healthily. They are offered a hot meal during the day made with nutritious fresh ingredients. They know that they can help themselves to fruit throughout the day and are offered snacks at regular periods. Most children are independent eaters, while very young children are supported. The childminder ensures that parents are kept fully informed on meals and takes account of children's allergies, cultures and religious requirements. Children are offered drinks throughout their day, this ensures that they do not become dehydrated.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children feel welcome into the childminder's home because she offers them a warm and sincere welcome upon their arrival. They separate confidently from parents and quickly settle to play. Children have access to a well organised play space to play in. Floor space has been maximised so that they have space to play at floor level. There are comfortable places for children to sit and rest, and areas such as the family dinner table where children can sit and do their home work or enjoy table top games and art and craft activities. They have access to natural light through picture windows both at the front and at the back of the house. The temperature is comfortable, heating is regulated to ensure that it is conducive to play and learning. Children have access to the whole of the ground floor and part of the first floor to use the toilet and bathroom area, in addition the secure rear garden offers additional play space when the weather

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

permits. Children have access to a variety of play and learning opportunities which are of good quality, stimulating and suitable to the age range of the children. Furniture and equipment are appropriate for their purpose and well maintained.

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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 risk assesses her home before children arrive to ensure that they can play and learn in a safe environment. She ensures that children are safe from domestic fires by ensuring that the house has been fitted with smoke alarms and a fire blanket is mounted close to cooking equipment. Gas equipment is checked regularly by a corgi registered engineer. She has a fire evacuation procedure which helps her to evacuate the premises in an emergency. Although most scenarios have been considered, risk still remains when sleeping children are on the settee, consequently this compromises children's safety. Children are learning about staying safe. They talk about road safety skills while walking to and from school, while younger children travel in a buggy, older children know that they must hold onto the buggy in order to stay safe. They

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

practise safety through role play situations such as playing with toy cooking equipment. The childminder sets boundaries to ensure that children are learning how to keep themselves safe within her home.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The childminder demonstrates a sound understanding of how to protect vulnerable children from abuse. She has attended training on child protection and understands her responsibility to record and report all concerns to the appropriate professional bodies and has a copy of national guidelines to follow. This means that children are safe guarded.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are confident and self assured when in the childminder's house. They know where to find resources and self select from the containers of toys. They build trusting relationships with the childminder who is warm and friendly towards them, she encourages them to play and care for each other. During story time children share close physical contact in the form of cuddles while listening and talking about the pictures, this helps them feel special and promotes close and rewarding friendships with each other. Very young children spend time playing close to the childminder while older and more independent children are happy to play by themselves or in small groups. Children are skilful communicators, very young children make themselves understood through gesture and vocal indication, while toddlers and older children are vocal and are able to express their feeling to others successfully. In addition they have been learning

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

to communicate through makaton, a form of sign language. This gives children additional ways to communicate their needs elevating frustration. They are enjoying familiar stories, songs, rhythms and rhymes which help children build on vocabulary through repetition. Children are competent learners. Babies are learning that their actions have consequences and they can control how toys behave. They are building on this knowledge to extend their experiences. Toddlers and older children have opportunities to play imaginatively with role play and small world equipment, they are challenged through resources such as sequencing puzzles which tell stories. They are enjoying art and craft activities such as painting, rubbings with crayons and drawing. Their experiences are extended because the childminder takes them to community groups, local libraries and parks. The childminder talks to parents daily informing them on

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Children have a strong sense of self, because the childminder talks to them as individuals, calling them by name. They understand and recognise their place within the group. Older children are considerate of the younger children, ensuring popular pieces of equipment are shared, they learn to be kind to each other. They are building an awareness of how to respect

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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 others' feelings, ideas and choices. Children are learning about others in the wider community. They enjoy trips to the park and to toddler groups. Older children attend school where they meet other children with different cultures and needs. Children see positive images within the media, through stories and pictures of others, they have access to a small selection of resources such as story books and baby dolls which help them to explore and investigate others' cultures, disabilities and stereo typical ideas in a positive way. Although they are learning about others' differences they have limited opportunities to explore how other people celebrate important events around the world.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Although the childminder is not currently working with any children with learning difficulties, she has a clear understanding of the issues involved. She works closely with parents to ensure all relevant information is collected on children's needs and assesses how this will effect current care arrangements prior to committing her services. The childminder is happy to accommodate and work closely with other professional bodies and makes all reasonable adjustment to care arrangements to enable children to meet their full potential.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children are managing their own behaviour well, they have clear boundaries to follow which keeps them safe and helps them learn right from wrong. They are learning that there are consequences to their actions and they are encouraged to acknowledge and apologise when their actions have hurt each other. Older children are taking turns and sharing popular pieces of equipment, while younger children build these skills through example. They hear positive messages from the childminder who offers them praise and encouragement when they are doing well. They are polite to one another, respecting each others' feelings. Older children show younger children by example how to behave and this influences the behaviour of the whole group. As a result they were well behaved.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children benefit when partnerships with parents are supportive and respectful. On initial contact parents have access to a prospectus of the service which gives them information on the setting and its policies and procedures. Each party shares relevant information about the care arrangement and a business agreement is completed and signed. They work together to settle children in, allowing them to build trusting relationships before care arrangements commence. The childminder sets time aside to talk to parents about how their child has been, she makes herself accessible by telephone throughout the day. The childminder has a complaints procedure and keeps a log of complaints; although this is not in line with changes in legislation, parents are able to make a complaint and the childminder is able to explain how the procedure has changed since October 2005.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The childminder ensures that all adults who have contact with minded children are suitable to do so. She has kept herself up to date with changes, accessing a variety of short courses provided by the local authority. She is enthusiastic in her approach and offers children a warm and friendly service which is well organised. She promotes the healthy lifestyles of children because she helps children to become aware of their own bodies' needs, teaching them about personal hygiene and setting good examples on how to stay healthy. They are learning to keep themselves safe because the childminder has clear and consistent boundaries which help children to build confidence, taking risks in a safe environment. Children are enjoying their time at the setting and small achievements are acknowledged and celebrated. They are learning to be positive contributors to their own group and are building knowledge of the wider community.

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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 The organisation of paperwork is good, all documentation is well organised and available. The childminder collects and records relevant information for childminding and shares records with parents. She has a good understanding of confidentiality and stores confidential records securely.

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Organisation

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 agreed to develop knowledge and understanding of child protection procedures. The childminder has made significant progress in her knowledge of this area. She demonstrates a sound understanding of how to protect vulnerable children from abuse and has attended training on child protection. This means that children are safe guarded.

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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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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): • take steps to ensure children's safety while asleep • continue to develop resources which help children explore and investigate others' cultures, religions, gender issues and disabilities, provide children with opportunities to learn about important celebrations and events around the world. • develop the complaints procedure to take account of changes in legislation since October

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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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