Clifford Holroyde Sen College

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique Reference Number 104742 Inspection date 22 July 2005 Inspector Valerie Button

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Type of inspection Childcare Type of care Childminding

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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 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 inadequate - notice of action to improve. The registered person does not meet the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The childminder lives with her husband and two teenage children in a semi-detached house in a residential area on the outskirts of Bideford. The house is open plan downstairs and the children have access to the through lounge/dining room, conservatory and kitchen. The main play areas are the living room and conservatory where toys are stored. The back bedroom is used for sleeping babies only. The garden is used as an outside play area in good weather. There are no pets apart from fish in the pond.

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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 The childminder was first registered in 1992. Registration is for 6 children under 8 years old. There are 12 children currently on roll. This includes children who attend before and after school and during school holidays.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. Children are cared for in a clean, well ventilated home, where they enjoy energetic play outside and regular excursions to local play parks. Children's medical needs are appropriately supported because necessary medical records are satisfactorily maintained. Their care is supported because the childminder knows the children very well and is well informed about any allergies or particular health care needs. An appropriate written policy on the non-attendance of children who are unwell has been written to share information with parents Toilet and hand washing facilities are upstairs. The childminder has failed to establish an effective procedure for the use of these facilities, in order to ensure that children wash their hands appropriately and hygienically. All children's hands are wiped with the same damp flannel. Children are thus sometimes at risk of cross infection.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are adequately nourished. They enjoy snacks and drinks provided by the childminder and bring their own packed lunches, which are appropriately stored in the fridge. Babies are held comfortably whilst being bottle fed.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is inadequate. Children are cared for in a modern, well-maintained home. They are happy and settled in the welcoming family home. Children enjoy using a good range of toys and play equipment. These are clean and well maintained. Children may also bring favourite items from home. Children are at risk from hazards in every area of the home and this is a cause for concern. The childminder has begun to identify and address some hazards, for example, from kitchen items and electric sockets. Knives are kept out of children's reach and socket covers are fitted. Good attention has been given to ensuring that the fish pond has a safe and substantial cover, in order to minimise the risk of this to children. However, children have access to all areas of the home. Though only playing downstairs, bedrooms are accessible to children when using the bathroom facilities upstairs and unsupervised. Children sometimes play in areas of the garden

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

which are out of the sight and hearing of the childminder. Children can leave the premises unsupervised because the front door and the side gates are not locked. Children's safety from identified hazards is compromised because they are not always adequately supervised, sometimes due to the wide age range of the children present. This is a cause for concern. Children play both inside and out. There are

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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 areas of the garden which are not visible from the house and areas of the house not visible from the garden. The childminder relates well to the children and frequently checks on them but both younger and older children are left unsupervised for short periods of time. For example, while the childminder accesses toys or equipment, such as the high chair or changes nappies. Older children, from the age of three to eleven, are left downstairs whilst the baby is settled to sleep in a travel cot upstairs. This places children at risk. Children are adequately protected. The childminder has extended her knowledge and understanding of child protection issues, but she does not have the latest government guidance on file.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. Children are settled and happy. They enter confidently and make themselves at home, with children mostly relating well to each other and using resources independently. Older children state that the childminder is 'very kind' and the children benefit from the interest of the childminder, for example, in discussing previous, last day of the school term, activities. Their play is supported when she makes 'props', such as a Star Wars' 'light sabre' to enable a child to join in with games. Children look forward to local trips out, for example, to nearby woods or parks. They enjoy playing indoors and out, for example, using the play station indoors or playing ball games outside.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. All the children benefit from the childminder's care, attention and involvement in their play at sometime during the day. All children are warmly greeted and relationships are good throughout. Sometimes children must briefly wait for attention, in order to enable the childminder to attend to the needs of older or younger children. However, they benefit from the family atmosphere which enables them to mix with children much older or younger than them. Older children clearly enjoy holding babies and playing with them and, in turn, babies benefit from varied attention. Children, in this way, consider and are aware of the needs of other members of the group. Children respond well to good behaviour management. The childminder is experienced and capable. She ensures that the children have enough to do and plans to include a local trip to nearby play facilities every day. Working in partnership with parents clearly contributes to the children's well-being.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

There are warm, easy relationships between the childminder and the parents, for example, in conversations about sleep routines and diet or the end of the school year. Children's continuity of care is supported by the regular exchange of information between childminder and parents. This helps to ensure that children are cared for in accordance with their parents' wishes and that there is a consistent

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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 approach to promoting their welfare.

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Organisation

The organisation is inadequate. Children benefit from the experience of the childminder in caring for children. However, not all members of the household, over the age of sixteen years have been suitably vetted, thus placing children and adults in a vulnerable position. Children are able to play indoors and out, with good use of space and resources available at the home. Insufficient attention is given to the maintenance of regulatory documents required to underpin the care and safety of the children. There is no system to record the attendance of the children and this is a cause for concern. The impact of this oversight on children's safety and well-being is only being considered by the childminder now, following the inspection. This lack, combined with issues about some less effective supervision of the children and the lack of security in the home, places the children at risk. The childminder does not meet the needs of the range of

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection the childminder was asked to obtain written consent to transport children by car. This has been done to support the children's safety and ensure that parents are adequately aware and informed of procedures. She further agreed to keep a record of significant events or observations concerning child protection issues. An incident record has been established and the childminder has attended training which included the area of child protection. The extension of the childminder's knowledge and understanding helps to ensure that children are adequately protected.

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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 inadequate - notice of action to improve. The registered person does not meet the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

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WHAT MUST BE DONE TO SECURE FUTURE IMPROVEMENT?

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

To improve the quality and standards of care, the registered person must take the following actions: • maintain an accurate daily record of the children's attendance, to include their times of arrival and departure • conduct a risk assessment on the premises identifying actions to be taken to minimise risks, including those from the unlocked front door and side gate, the outside shed and inside areas, upstairs and down • ensure that children are appropriately supervised at all times. These actions are set out in a notice of action to improve and must be completed by the date specified in the notice.

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The quality and standards of the care

procedures set out in the leaflet Building better childcare: Compliments and concerns about inspectors' judgements 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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