Setting

Inspection report for early years provision

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EY269783 Unique Reference Number 06 June 2007 Inspection date Ann Law 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 satisfactory. 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 2003. She lives with her husband, who is also a registered childminder and their two adult daughters, their two daughters aged 12 and 15 years and their six week old grandson in Stalybridge. The whole ground floor is used for childminding and there is a fully enclosed rear garden for outside play.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The childminder is registered to care for six children at any one time. She is currently minding four children under five years during the day and five children over five years, before and after school and in the school holidays. She walks or drives to local schools to take and collect children. She attends the local parent and toddler group and takes children to the local park. The family have two pet guinea pigs. The childminder offers overnight care for up to two children. She holds the BTEC National Certificate in Early Years, a level 3 qualification.

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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 satisfactory. Children are cared for in a very clean and well maintained environment. The childminder implements effective procedures for nappy changing to sustain high levels of hygiene and to prevent the spread of infection. Older children all use the same towel for drying their hands though this is changed three times each day. Children each have their own face cloth which they use after meal and snack times. Although all documentation is in place for health, the childminder does not have a secure understanding of how to complete it fully. As a result, the childminder does not obtain written permission from parents prior to administering medication and this is a breach of regulations.

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Helping children to be healthy

The childminder provides nourishing meals for the children, including chicken casserole and fisherman's pie. Snacks are very healthy and the children enjoy, for example, a wide variety of chopped fresh fruit. Arrangements for rest and sleep meet the individual needs and routines of the children. Babies sleep in buggies or travel cots and a flexible approach to the day allows children to sleep when they want to. This contributes to their physical well-being. The childminder actively encourages babies to explore the space around them as they become more mobile, developing their physical skills pushing wheeled toys.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are cared for in a safe environment, where the childminder identifies and minimises all risks. Many safety items are in place, such as safety gates and plug socket covers, allowing children to move around safely, freely and independently. However, the emergency evacuation plan has yet to be practised to ensure that in the event of an emergency the procedure is feasible. A broad range of suitable and well maintained furniture, equipment and age-appropriate toys and resources are accessible for the children to safely self-select from.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The childminder takes positive steps to helping children to learn about keeping themselves safe, for example, she reminds younger children to take care when climbing steps in the garden and talks to the older children about stranger danger. The childminder has all of the required procedures and documents in place to ensure that she safeguards and promotes children's welfare. She has a sound understanding of her responsibility within the Local Safeguarding Children Board procedures and has booked a refresher course in safeguarding children in the autumn.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are happy and settled in the welcoming environment. A varied range of activities and resources are available to the children, such as play dough, sand and physical play. This develops their independence when making choices and decisions. The childminder routinely involves children in real life experiences, such as visits to the local parent and toddler group. This gives children the opportunity to be part of their local community and to develop their social skills.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The childminder skilfully links topical issues with activity themes for the children. The current topic of recycling has given the children many learning opportunities, including a visit to a local

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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 recycling centre where the children actively recycled household waste. Other activities included activity sheets linked to recycling and making junk models. Babies are encouraged to explore and discover objects because the childminder has created a treasure basket with many different items to stimulate their senses. This facilitates their creative learning as they make sense of and respond to what they see, hear, feel, smell and touch.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children feel a sense of belonging in the setting, for example, babies are held close whilst bottle feeding and they experience a healthy emotional attachment with the childminder. Their comfort items from home, such as dummies, are valued allowing children to understand that the childminder acknowledges their emotional needs. This promotes their well-being. Children become aware of the diversity of our world through interesting activities including different festivals. Chinese New Year included making displays of the children's names in both English and Chinese script.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The childminder has a written behaviour policy, which is shared with parents, to ensure that positive strategies are used to manage children's behaviour. As a result, relationships between the children are good. The childminder works successfully in partnership with parents to offer good care to children and to meet their individual needs. The childminder ensures that daily verbal exchanges keep parents informed of their child's time with her. Although this promotes continuity and consistency of care for the older children, the childminder does not have a system in place for recording the food intake and nappy changes of the babies.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. The well organised and relaxed environment allows children to feel at home and gives them the confidence to initiate their own play and learning. The childminder works efficiently with her co-childminder to ensure that she meets the individual needs of all the children in her care, such as time to eat, rest and play.

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Organisation

All of the required documentation has been supplied by the local authority in the form of a comprehensive folder. However, the childminder has chosen not to use certain aspects of the documentation, including the accident and medication records and this has resulted in the requirements of the National Standards for health not being met.

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Organisation

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

At the last inspection the childminder was asked to ensure that necessary signed consent forms are kept. Although the childminder has made improvements to certain aspects of consents, including gaining permission to take photographs of children which is good practice, she has failed to ensure that the necessary written consent to administer medication is gained prior to administration. This remains a recommendation from this inspection.

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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 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 satisfactory. 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): • ensure that written parental permission is gained before medicine or other treatments are administered to children.

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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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