Childminder in Bradford

Inspection report for early years provision

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302119 Unique Reference Number 15 August 2007 Inspection date Rachel Ayo 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 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 was registered in 1997. She lives with her husband and adult child in a property in a quiet residential area of Bradford, West Yorkshire. The whole ground floor of the childminder's house is used for childminding, along with a bathroom on the first floor. There is a secure enclosed rear garden for outside play.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of six children under eight years at any one time and is currently minding two children under five years during the day and one child over five who attends on an occasional basis. The childminder attends local toddler groups. The home is in close proximity to local shops and schools and is on a local bus route.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is inadequate. Although the childminder explains that it is not her usual practice to administer prescribed medicines, such as antibiotics, appropriate forms are in place in the event of this. However, the childminder has administered other types of prescribed medication, such as an inhaler without

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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 following the correct procedure, which is a breach in regulations and impacts on children's safety. Most procedures with regards to accidents are followed suitably to promote children's welfare. For example, the childminder has obtained consents from parents to seek any necessary emergency medical treatment or advice. However, the first aid box is not kept out of children's reach and some of the contents have expired.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are sufficiently protected from infection because the childminder follows generally appropriate environmental health and hygiene guidelines, policies and procedures. For example, the home is clean and well maintained, anti-bacterial liquid soap is used for washing hands, individual drying arrangements are in place and the childminder washes her hands before preparing food. However, babies' milk bottles are not stored in a safe and hygienic way and the arrangements for changing nappies does not effectively promote good hygiene. Children are involved in suitable routines to help them learn to understand simple good health and hygiene practices.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are suitably nourished. The childminder explains how she promotes healthy eating and offers children overall freshly prepared meals. Examples include pasta dishes, stew, sandwiches with healthy fillings and a range of fruit and vegetables. Children clearly enjoy the corned beef hash as they readily tuck into this at lunchtime; resulting in empty plates. The childminder limits sugary foods and these are generally only offered as a treat, such as a lollypop, or if children have helped to make things, for example, decorated digestive biscuits or rice crispy buns. Children have access to drinks at all times and babies are regularly offered their bottle of juice brought from home. This supports children's all round good health.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children take part in regular physical activity, whether this is when playing in the childminder's garden or on outings, for example, to the soft play centre. The childminder has a good range of toys to help children develop confidence in their physical skills and they access more challenging equipment at the park. The childminder finds out about children's individual sleep routines to ensure that these are in line with parent's wishes.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children are cared for in a suitably welcoming environment that is organised appropriately to meet their individual needs. For example, the lounge is used for quiet activities, such as reading stories and children engage in arts and craft, mark-making, completing puzzles or playing games in the kitchen diner. Children use a satisfactory range of suitable and safe equipment, appropriate to support their development and learning. Resources are sufficiently organised to enable children to make choices. For example, older children are able to access low-level cupboards and the childminder intermittently asks children what they would like to play with.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are helped to stay safe in most aspects. For example, the outdoor play area is well secured, the written emergency escape plan is practised regularly and cupboard and drawer locks prevent access to sharp implements and hazardous substances. However, the home is not effectively made secure and equipment used to sleep babies, for example, the sofa, does not highly promote their safety and welfare. The childminder ensures that toys on the kitchen floor are intermittently tidied away or moved to the side, therefore, minimising accidental injury.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are safeguarded because the childminder understands her role in child protection. She has a sufficient understanding of possible signs of abuse and neglect and holds the most up

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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 to date safeguarding procedures, including contact numbers. This means that the childminder can promptly respond to any concerns of this nature to promote children's safety and welfare.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. Children are settled, presenting as happy, for example, as they engage in mark-making or show the inspector their favourite book. Babies, new to the setting, develop emotional well-being because of warm, close and supportive relationships with the childminder. These are established initially through good settling-in arrangements. Babies clearly enjoy being carried around on the childminder's hip or sitting in the highchair, as they observe and smile at other children, the inspector and the childminder.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children over three years are involved in a satisfactory range of activities, which support their development and learning. They enjoy their play, for example, as they thread buttons or successfully connect number dominoes, and enthusiastically engage in a collage activity. A variety of materials are provided for children to freely choose from, such as buttons, tissue paper and shiny star shapes. They are supported in the use of scissors by the childminder and show good levels of concentration as they attempt to cut out pictures from a selection of cards. Photographs show children engaging in a range of outings and play opportunities, such as dressing up, baking, painting and water play.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Individual care routines of babies are followed by the childminder and she spends time interacting with them. She speaks warmly and gives frequent eye contact, for example, during feeding times. Babies use their voices, creating sounds to make contact and let the childminder know what they need or how they feel. The childminder responds positively to their needs, for example, as she identifies when they are hungry or tired. Although there are some suitable resources for babies and young children, the childminder has no knowledge of the 'Birth to three matters' framework and is therefore not using this to effectively plan and provide a suitable range of activities and resources for this age group.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. The childminder works in partnership with parents by sharing some aspects of the childcare practice before placement through discussion and a number of written policies and procedures. However, written agreements are not maintained with some parents. Additionally, parents are not effectively informed about additional activities, such as swimming or use of a ball pool, to ensure that they can formally agree to these. Children are valued and included because the childminder finds out about their individual needs before placement, for example, dietary requirements, likes or dislikes. Individual photograph albums are maintained for each child to share with parents and information about the daily routine is shared verbally on a daily basis.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children behave well in the setting and develop self-esteem because the childminder acknowledges their achievements, such as cutting with scissors, and offers encouragement and praise, for example, when they have eaten all their lunch. Children make choices and take decisions as they look in the cupboard to choose something to play with or decide which collage materials they want to stick on to their picture. Children access a satisfactory range of resources that help them learn about diversity.

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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

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Organisation

The organisation is inadequate. Some record keeping systems are used adequately to promote the efficient and safe management of the setting, promote children's well-being and meet their individual needs. For example, the daily attendance record is kept up to date, child record forms contain required information and a number of written policies and procedures support the practice, such as behaviour management. However, regulatory records with regards to health and working in partnership with parents are not suitably maintained. This means that overall, the setting does not meet the needs of the range of the children for whom it provides care.

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Organisation

Children clearly feel at ease in the home from home environment where a suitable amount of space is organised adequately to enable children to access areas freely and make adequate choices in their play and learning. The childminder has completed a child protection course since her last inspection and has maintained an up to date first aid training certificate as required, which promotes children's welfare.

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Organisation

Documentation is generally sufficiently organised and accessible and confidentiality is maintained in most aspects, with the exception of the system for recording existing injuries.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection a numbers of actions were raised in relation to; record keeping with regards to the administration of medicines; the physical environment with regards to space requirements; behaviour management; safety and activities provided. Additionally, a number of recommendations were raised in relation to; information provided to parents about the childcare practice and confidentiality.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The childminder has extended the range of activities and resources for most age groups to enhance their learning and development. However, a weakness has been identified with regards to the provision of very young children, which is reflected in the report.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The childminder does not use the gas fire in the lounge to promote children's safety.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The childminder is able to demonstrate and describe a suitable range of strategies to manage unwanted behaviour, which enables children to learn to respond to appropriate expectations for their behaviour.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The childminder explains that she does not have visitors, who have additional children, to the premises, therefore space is not impacted upon. A sufficient amount of space was observed on inspection to meet the needs of the children attending.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Although the childminder has clear systems in place for the administration of prescribed medicines and is clear about how she would record these, this action has not been sufficiently met with regards to all types of prescribed medication, such as inhalers. Therefore, an action has been raised to reflect this.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The recommendations with regards to sharing information about the childcare practice and confidentiality of records, have not been sufficiently addressed, and are reflected in the report.

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Improvements 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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Complaints since the last inspection

Since the last inspection, Ofsted received one complaint relating to Standard 2: Organisation. This involved a concern that the childminder was caring for more children than she was registered for. Ofsted investigated this concern by carrying out an unannounced visit on the 10 May 2005. Although there was no evidence to confirm that the childminder was not operating within the conditions of her registration, actions were raised regarding record keeping. This related to the daily attendance record and the accessibility of documents. The childminder remained qualified at the time the investigation was closed.

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Complaints since the last inspection

The provider is required to keep a record of all 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 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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The quality and standards of the care

To improve the quality and standards of care, the registered person must take the following actions: • ensure that the correct procedures are followed with regards to the administration of all types of prescribed medication. 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

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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