Y.G. Sirol Blaenffos

Inspection report for early years provision

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400661 Unique Reference Number 26 November 2007 Inspection date Shirley Maynard 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 was registered in 1986. She lives with her husband and mother in a detached property on the edge of Ingleton village, North Yorkshire. The detached property consists of two adjoining houses. The children have use of only the first floor of one of the houses comprising of an open plan lounge with dining area, bathroom and play room. Children also have access to an enclosed garden.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The childminder co-minds with another registered childminder. She is registered to care for a maximum of six children or 12 when co-minding. She is currently co-minding 21 children of whom 16 are under eight years. All children currently attend on a part time basis.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The childminder attends local toddler groups and childminding groups. She is a member of the National Childminding Association and holds the Diploma in Pre-School Practice. The childminder has recently gained the North Yorkshire Quality Scheme.

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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 outstanding. Children are welcomed into a very clean and well maintained home. They benefit from the childminder's excellent understanding of how to prevent the risk of cross infection. Liquid soap, paper towels and wipes are routinely available for minded children. Further more, the childminder talks to them about why they need to wash their hands at appropriate times, such as, after using the bathroom and before eating food. As a result, children are developing an understanding of good hygiene practices and starting to take responsibility for keeping themselves clean. When asked why they wash their hands a child responds 'to get rid of germs'.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children's physical development is very well promoted. They benefit from fresh air as have open access to outdoor play area. Their develop co-ordination and gross motor skills as then run and jump or play on the wide variety of wheeled toys, including bikes and coupe cars. Children also thoroughly enjoy regular outings to gymnastic club and the play barn. The childminder acts in the children's best interest when they are ill and their welfare is protected as she has all the necessary documentation in place and maintained to a meticulously high standard.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are very well nourished because the childminder has an extensive understanding of a balanced diet and promotes this for children in her care. Water is available throughout the day to keep the children refreshed and hydrated. The children were seen to be enjoying a well presented lunch of wraps. Their independence is developed as they are encouraged to choose their filling which included, cheeses, carrots, hummus, tuna and cucumber. Mealtimes are a social occasion where children and the childminder sit together and discuss what they are eating and why it is healthy, in a vibrant and homely environment.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children greatly benefit from being cared for in a very safe, secure and well planned out home. An abundance of children's photographs and pictures are displayed on the walls creating an interesting and stimulating environment. The childminder uses the first floor of the property for childminding and this includes a dedicated playroom and a secure outdoor play area. An excellent range of well maintained equipment and furniture is available for both indoor and outdoor to allow babies and children to play, rest and eat in comfort. Children are encouraged to make choices in their play and access resources independently from the low level storage which are attractively labelled and include, dressing up, mark making, construction and creative materials.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are learning to keep themselves safe because the childminder talks to them about potential dangers. For example, she discusses road safety and where is safe to cross the road with them. The attendance register has recently been improved and is accurately maintained with the children's individual arrival and departure times. The emergency evacuation procedure is well established and shared with parents and children. This means, during an emergency, there will be no delay in minded children leaving the home quickly. The children's understanding has been enhanced by a home made book which includes photographs of them practising the evacuation procedure and is continually available for children to look at. This is very beneficial for the younger children to familiarise themselves with the emergency evacuation procedure.

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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 The children are well protected as a result of the childminder's good knowledge and understanding of child protection issues. She is aware to the signs and symptoms of possible abuse and the procedure to follow if she had a concern about a child in her care. However, the child protection policy is not currently up to date with local and national guidelines.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is outstanding. Younger children greatly benefit from the childminder's excellent knowledge and understanding of the 'Birth to three matters framework', which is effectively implemented into her practice. She has attended training and is highly skilled in providing a broad range of stimulating activities for young children. The childminder routinely observes children during their play and uses this information to plot their developmental progress. She has established very effective relationships with parents and works closely with them to ensure consistency in children's care and learning. Parents receive regular verbal and written feed back which keeps them well informed on their child's progress.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children enjoy and achieve in an environment where they can make choices about their learning and play. They settle quickly on arrival and have good levels of self esteem. This is due to the close relationship they have with the childminder and the co-minder. They both interact with the children in a very gentle and positive manner, listening to them and valuing what they say. The younger children are provided with activities to support their language development. For instance, they delight in pressing the buttons to start the music on the tape recorder; then thoroughly enjoy dancing around the room singing to each other. The children listen to stories the childminder reads to them, they thoroughly enjoy naming their friends and objects included in the excellent selection of home made books. They develop their hand eye co-ordination and fine manipulative skills as they enjoy puzzles and build towers with the bricks. The use of

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

number and colour is incorporated in everyday routines, such as helping to set the table for lunch and counting and naming the colours of the plates.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children enjoy activities both inside and outside such as playing in the sand, engaging in role play and creative work. Older children freely access the wide selection of age appropriate resources. For instance, books, sewing and games including the children's current favourite game of chess. They are confident to ask for help or equipment, for example, to bake or to use the computer or digital camera to take photographs. Regular visits into the community are arranged for the children. These include regular attendance at toddler groups, library and gymnastics club. Older children are encourage to suggest outings they would like to go on in the school holidays which have recently included Bentham Pottery and a nearby theme park.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. The childminder has an excellent understanding of equality of opportunity for all children and anti discriminatory practice and has a written policy in place. There are currently no children attending with a learning difficulty or disability but the childminder demonstrate a good knowledge and would work with parents to ensure children are sensitively supporting to reach their potential. The childminder and the co-minder adapt activities to include children who otherwise would be unable to participate. Children learn the wider world and diversity from a range of purposeful resources and activities including, books, poster, dressing up clothes and games. Further more, children enjoy trying foods from different countries such as hummus,

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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 couscous and pita bread. Rongoli pictures are attractively displayed in the playroom after the children enjoyed learning about Diwali. However, play resources reflecting positive images of disability are very limited and as a result, their understanding of equality of opportunity is not fully addressed.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children are all encouraged to be polite and well behaved. They have clear boundaries and the childminder uses positive behaviour strategies which focus on the things children do appropriately and not on what they do wrong. The children receive regular age appropriate praise and encouragement which helps develop their confidence and self assurance. The childminder also acts as a positive role model by always saying 'please' and 'thank you' to the children. As a result, children play harmoniously together and share and take turns.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The childminder and co-minder have established very effective and warm relationships with parents. They provide a very flexible service to meet the needs of families. Parents receive a comprehensive information pack which include the polices and procedures prior to starting. This helps build good working relationships from an early stage. The sharing of information continues with daily diaries, photographs and daily feed back. Parent's comments from questionnaires and thank you card are very positive and reflect on the progress their children are making and the exceptional care and activities provided. Several parents have independently contacted the regulator so their positive views about the service could be voiced prior to the inspection. Comments in these letter have emphasis the 'stimulating environment' the children greatly benefit from, and how the childminders always 'go the extra mile' to meet children's

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The childminder has an extremely effective partnership with the co-minder. They are both deeply motivated and committed to developing their skills and knowledge to further enhance the care and education of children who attend the setting. Further more, she has recently successfully completed the 'North Yorkshire Quality Assurance Scheme' and is passionate about providing quality childcare in a stimulating home environment.

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Organisation

The childminder dedicates her time to playing and interacting with the children to ensure their individual needs are met. As a result, children's playing and learning is maximised. The childminder has established effective routines which ensure children feel secure and valued. The childminder has an appropriate first aid certificate to ensure she up to date knowledge of what to do in the event of an accident or injury.

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Organisation

The childminder and co-minder work together to develop the policies and procedures. They both have the opportunity to input their own ideas into these. The vast majority of these are very detailed and comprehensive and work well to promote positive outcomes for children. The children have individual records which the childminder effectively uses to inform her practice. These are securely stored to ensure the children's individual confidentiality is strictly maintained. However, at the time of inspection several policies, including the child protection policy, lost child policy and special needs policy still need updating in line with local and national guidelines.

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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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Organisation

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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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection the childminder agreed to ensure that all children have access to regular drinks. This has been successfully addressed. A jug of fresh drinking water is available for older children to independently access. Whist younger children are routinely offered drinks which are also available from the work surface. This ensure children remain hydrated. Further more, the co-minder has devised a new style daily attendance record which is rigoursly completed when children arrive and leave the setting. Consequently the children's welfare is now protected.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since 1 April 2004 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): • continue to develop resources which reflect positive images of disability • ensure all policies and procedures are updated in line with local and national guidelines.

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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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