Childminder in Stockport

Inspection report for early years provision

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306733 Unique Reference Number 17 December 2007 Inspection date Janice Shaw 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 1994. She is assisted, mainly during school holidays, by her husband. The childminder lives in a semi-detached house in the Cheadle Hulme area of Stockport. She lives with her husband and four of children, one is aged 16 and three are over 18.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The childminder is registered to provide care for a maximum of six children. There are currently eleven on roll. Minded children have access to all the ground floor rooms. There is an enclosed rear garden which is used for outdoor play.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The childminder is a member of the National Childminding Association and local childminding group and receives support from the local authority.

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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 good. Children are developing a good understanding of personal hygiene and physical care due to well established daily routines. Positive steps are taken to help prevent the spread of infection when changing nappies by wearing protective clothing and disposable gloves. The children learn from an early age the importance of hand washing, for example the childminder washes a baby’s hands after changing as well as her own. All accidents are recorded appropriately and ensure parental consent is in place prior to administering prescribed medication. The home is very clean and well maintained, providing a very comfortable and relaxed place for children to play.

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Helping children to be healthy

Innovative ways are used by the childminder to help children recognise what a healthy diet is, through baking sessions, eating healthy snacks and being involved in specific projects. For example, the childminder has made home-made books with sample menus in to help children understand about nutrition. These are age appropriate and with written menus for older children and pictorial examples for the younger children. Individual dietary needs are well known and children are consulted about their individual preferences. Children benefit from daily opportunities in the fresh air. They walk to and from school each day and play in the interesting rear garden weather permitting. They make good use of the large variety of outdoor toys such as slides, climbing frame and wheeled toys which provide good opportunities for children to develop new physical skills and learn to control their bodies.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children benefit from a child friendly environment which is bright and cosy and presents as a ‘home from home’ experience. Interesting photographic displays of all the minded children are arranged throughout the house which raises their confidence and self-esteem. Children can easily access an extensive range of high quality toys and equipment which are regularly checked to ensure they are in good working order. This further promotes children's independence and choice.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Positive steps are taken to promote safety in the home and there are good policies and procedures in place to support this. Children learn about fire safety as the evacuation procedure is clearly displayed on the wall and illustrated by the children. External doors are securely locked with keys hung out of the children's reach. The childminder's secure knowledge of current safeguarding procedures ensures children are protected from harm.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is outstanding. Children are very happy, settled and relaxed in the company of the childminder. They are motivated, eager and actively participate in and enjoy the activities and experiences offered to them. They are confident and self assured because of the excellent support and encouragement they receive from the childminder. For example, as children build a tower with plastic cups, they discuss and name the colours of bricks in a shape sorter and link them successfully with the colours of the clothing a toddler is wearing. They are involved in imaginary play activities and include the childminder in their play. For example, the childminder encourages

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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 the children to show caring skills as they cuddle and talk to the doll. They are confident and relate very well to each other. The childminder is enthusiastic and experienced. She uses her wealth of experience to plan an extensive range of opportunities and activities which cover all areas of their development. For example, children bake, are creative with art and craft materials, construct and extend intellectual skills with a superb range of puzzles and games.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

All of the minded children benefit from the childminder's highly skilled ability to give them very good opportunities to explore their environment by different types of toys being stored in different rooms around the house. This allows older children to become involved in complex games groups, whilst the younger children are not exposed to equipment which is not safe for them. Younger children benefit from the childminder's excellent understanding of the 'Birth to three matters' framework. Innovative planning covers social interactions, communication skills, exploring the environment, developing imagination and being creative. Evidence of the children engaged in extensive activities is shown in their individual development files, photographs and scrap books which contain a large range of children’s art work.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Older children have well-planned activities as they have many excellent opportunities to relax after school with an abundance of art and craft materials and a wide range of games and activities. Displayed on the wall is a frieze which has been designed and made by the children. This shows a line of people made with pipe cleaners, which are intended to represent all the minded children and the childminder. Children are very resistant to removing from the display ‘children’ who have left, but, will willingly add new ones. This clearly emphasis the genuine affection and care the children have for each other.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children benefit enormously from the exceptional organisation of the setting. Their all round learning and development is testimony to the commitment and caring they receive from the childminder who is dedicated to her profession. Robust policies and procedures together with imaginative and stimulating planning and the childminder's excellent knowledge of children's development support and challenge all the children's learning. Access to very good resources and interaction from the childminder sustains children's interest and enables them to successfully develop their play. Extensive and thorough monitoring records, observations and evaluations clearly show children's progression and ensure that the highly skilled and expert practice of the childminder is of a consistently high standard.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children develop a very good sense of belonging and self-assurance. They receive a warm, friendly welcome which helps them to feel secure and relaxed within the child-centred home. Very good consideration is given to children who are new to the setting which ensures they settle with ease and develop a strong sense of belonging. Their individual needs are well known as a consequence of effective communication with parents which ensures they are actively involved in their child's care. They benefit from an inclusive play environment where they are involved in making choices about what they want to do. All children have equal access to all resources, and activities are not gender specific. They learn about diversity and the world in which they live through planned activities and a plentiful selection of toys and resources. The childminder demonstrates through discussion a very positive approach to inclusion. However,

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Helping children make a positive contribution

it has been recognised that her knowledge of how to care for children with disabilities is not always sufficient.

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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 praise and encouragement they receive encourages them to be well mannered and courteous. They show care and concern for others as they learn to play together and the childminder deals with conflict over toys sensitively by encouraging sharing and co-operation. Children develop a sense of maturity when they are involved in fund raising efforts for charity. Older children, under the sensitive guidance of the childminder, had recently organised a sale of their unwanted toys to raise a significant amount of money for children in need.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children are kept safe and well due to the childminder's dedication to providing a good child service. Their familiarity within the home allows them to make choices about what they want to do as they know where things are kept and where activities such as nappy changing take place. They benefit from a familiar structure to the day and the week which helps them to feel confident and secure.

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Organisation

The childminder values new training opportunities as a means to develop her knowledge and expertise in particular areas such as safeguarding and the Early Years Foundation Stage framework. Children's individual needs are well known due to comprehensive documentation systems which the parents and childminder update on a regular basis. Individual files for children's information ensures good confidentiality practices when sharing details with parents. As a consequence, children are well cared for and their individual needs are met. Overall, the provision meets the needs of the range of the children for whom it provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Following the last inspection the childminder was required to ensure that detailed records were maintained of any accidents. All accidents records are now appropriately maintained.

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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):

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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 • continue to develop knowledge of how to care for children with disabilities.

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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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