Childminder in South Tyneside

Inspection report for early years provision

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312482 Unique Reference Number 29 January 2008 Inspection date Julie Morrison 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 1990. She lives with her husband and adult son in a terraced house in Jarrow, Tyne and Wear. The whole of the downstairs area is used for childminding and there is a rear garden for outdoor play. The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of six children aged under eight years and currently has six children under eight years and two children over the age of eight years on roll.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. The childminder follows good health and hygiene procedures to ensure that the home and equipment are kept clean. For example, she ensures that she washes her hands regularly and has good nappy changing procedures in place. Children learn good personal hygiene through consistent routines and positive role modelling. Posters in the bathroom remind them to wash their hands and individual hand towels reduce the risk of cross-infection. The childminder can respond appropriately if children have an accident as she is trained to administer first aid. She also has permission to seek emergency medical advice or treatment in place for the children.

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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 A clear written policy regarding sick children and effective procedures for recording medication and accidents further promotes children's good health. The childminder demonstrates a good understanding of healthy eating, for example, providing healthy snacks of fresh fruit. She works with parents to ensure that she is aware of specific dietary needs. Children enjoy a varied range of activities which contribute to their good health. They go for regular walks to the park, attend fun days and play in the garden on bikes and slides. Such activities promote children's physical development and help them to learn that exercise is fun.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are able to move around freely as the childminder maintains close observation of the children and has relevant safety equipment in place. This reduces the risk of accidents. For example, stair gates and door guards are in place. Children's safety is further enhanced as the childminder does regular visual checks of external areas before children go out to play. Children's independence and self-help skills are promoted well as they are able to access a wide range of age appropriate toys easily. Toys and equipment are clean and in good condition, this is done through regular cleaning and throwing away any damaged or broken resources. This ensures children can play safely.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are kept safe on outings as the childminder has good procedures in place. For example, posters are displayed to remind children about road safety. Children's awareness of keeping themselves safe is further promoted as they practise regular fire drills, however, the childminder does not keep a written record of this. Children are effectively safeguarded as the childminder has clear written procedures in place should she have a concern about a child and has a good understanding of the signs and symptoms of abuse.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Observation and photographs show that children benefit from a good range of activities that cover all areas of development. For example, they enjoy imaginative play with cars, dressing up, arts and crafts activities and reading stories. Flexible plans are in place to ensure that children have a balance between indoor and outdoor activities and effective use is made of the local area, giving children a breadth of opportunities. For example, they attend fun days where they practise circus skills and go on nature walks to collect leaves which they use to make pictures.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The childminder is positive in her interaction with the children. She talks constantly to them, taking an interest in what they are doing and furthers development as she encourages them to identify different colours. As a result, children are happy and settled in her care. Their self-esteem and sense of belonging is encouraged as their paintings are displayed on noticeboards. Children attend regular toddler groups, this gives them an opportunity to develop their social skills as they interact with their peers.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. The childminder has a good understanding of promoting equal opportunities and ensuring that children's individual needs are met. New experiences, such as eating Chinese food with

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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 chopsticks, helps children to develop an awareness of the world around them. This is supplemented by a good range of resources, including, books, hand puppets, dolls and jigsaws. Planned activities support children's awareness of their local community, as they visit local museums and go to the library.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Consistent encouragement ensures children are developing a good knowledge of what is right and wrong. Clear boundaries are set and the childminder encourages good manners, for example, saying please and thank you. Relevant training and a commitment to working with parents ensures that the needs of children with learning difficulties and disabilities would be met. Children benefit from positive relationships between the childminder and parents, who speak extremely highly of the care and education that their children receive. Initial meetings ensure that information required to meet children's individual needs is shared along with relevant policies and procedures. Effective procedures are in place so that parents remain up to date about their child's daily care.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children’s play opportunities are maximised through the effective organisation of space, time and resources. For example, toys and resources are well organised in boxes so that children can independently select what they would like to play with. Planned outings ensure children have good opportunities for physical play and a more comprehensive view of the world they live in.

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Organisation

All records which are required for the safe and effective management of the provision are in place, in line with regulations. However, some records are not easily accessible. Children’s welfare is appropriately safeguarded as the childminder and other household members have had suitable checks completed. The childminder is committed to ongoing professional training and attends regular childminder meetings to further enhance her practice and benefit the care of the children.

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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 a recommendation to make the garden drains inaccessible was raised. All drains in the garden have now been covered and are inaccessible to children.

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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 complaint record may contain complaints other than those made to Ofsted.

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Complaints 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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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): • keep a written record of all practised fire drills • consider storage of records so that they are easily accessible.

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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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