Setting

Inspection report for early years provision

p.1

EY260880 Unique Reference Number 08 January 2008 Inspection date Rachel Ayo Inspector

p.1

Childcare Type of inspection Childminding Type of care

p.1

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

p.1

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.

p.2

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

p.2

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.

p.2

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

p.2

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.

p.2

WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The childminder was registered in 2003. She lives in a property in the Eccleshill area of Bradford, West Yorkshire. The childminder has three children aged 15, 12 and 10. The whole of the ground floor of the childminder's house is used for childminding along with the first floor toilet. Children have access to an enclosed rear garden for outside play.

p.2

WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of five children under eight years. She is currently minding five children under five years during the day and one child over five years who attends before and after school. Children attend on a full and part time basis. The childminder is caring for children over eight years. The home is in close proximity to local shops, schools and transport links and the childminder attends local toddler groups. The childminder is a member of the National Childminding Association and is quality assured through the Bradford Childminding Network.

p.2

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

p.2

Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. Children are satisfactorily protected from infection because the childminder generally follows appropriate health and hygiene procedures. For example, anti-bacterial soap is used to wash her hands in the kitchen before preparing food, children have individual towels and the policy for illness states that children are excluded if they have an infectious illness. However, the childminder does not have suitable facilities for changing nappies to effectively minimise cross-contamination.

p.3

Helping children to be healthy

Children learn to understand some simple good health and hygiene practices through generally suitable routines, discussion and activities. They take part in topics, for example, about the importance of brushing teeth. The childminder explains that she provided toothbrushes and toothpaste as part of the topic, which children then took home. Children are supported in washing their hands after using the toilet, however, they do not wash their hands before they eat.

p.3

Helping children to be healthy

The childminder obtains consents to seek emergency medical treatment and maintains a current first aid training certificate. This promotes children's welfare as the childminder is aware of how to respond to an accident or emergency. However, some of the contents of the first aid box have expired and so minimise the effectiveness of first aid, and existing injuries are not recorded as part of accident procedures.

p.3

Helping children to be healthy

Children are sufficiently nourished because the childminder provides a generally satisfactory range of meals and snacks, such as beans on toast, crackers, sandwiches, fruit and biscuits. Children have a more substantial meal if they stay for tea. A jug of juice is readily available to children and younger children are offered a drink regularly throughout the day.

p.3

Helping children to be healthy

Children take part in regular physical activity either through the use of the garden or outings, such as to the park. A range of equipment is available to help children develop confidence in their physical skills, such as wheeled or rocking toys. Indoors, children dance and march around the room to a children's television programme and babies confidently pull themselves up against furniture, while the childminder stays close by for support. The childminder ensures that babies are well rested because she recognises their signs of tiredness and responds by gently rocking them to sleep in her arms or the pram.

p.3

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children are cared for in a suitably warm and welcoming environment where photographs, for example, are displayed on the kitchen wall at children's height. The childminder offers a friendly greeting to parents and children on their arrival. Space is generally organised satisfactorily to meet children's individual needs. For example, children sit at the kitchen table to eat or engage in a painting activity and use the lounge for more general play. Children sleep in prams in either the kitchen or the lounge. Children use suitable and safe equipment to promote their development. For example, they develop independence in the bathroom as they stand on a foot step to reach the sink and wash their hands.

p.3

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The childminder reminds children to be careful and slow down as they giddily walk quickly in a circle around toys in the lounge. Such explanations help children to learn to keep themselves

p.3

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 safe. Children have additionally taken part in a 'beep, beep' day as part of a group where they learnt about road safety.

p.3

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are cared for in a safe and secure indoor and outdoor environment because the childminder has identified and minimised hazards well. For example, radiators are guarded, electrical sockets are covered, the stairs, cleaning materials and sharp implements are inaccessible and the childminder uses the rear gas rings on the oven when cooking. Babies are securely fastened in prams and highchairs to promote their safety and satisfactory supervision levels are observed. Fire safety is implemented well to ensure children's welfare.

p.4

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are safeguarded because the childminder understands her role in child protection. She demonstrates a satisfactory knowledge of possible signs and symptoms of abuse or neglect and of the procedures to follow in the event of a concern of this nature.

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. Children are settled and appear happy in the setting. They readily say goodbye to their parents; babies stretch out their arms to the childminder while smiling and older children confidently go off to play.

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children are involved in a generally satisfactory range of activities, which support their development and learning, including attending a variety of groups during the week. However, the childminder is not using the 'Birth to three matters' framework effectively to plan and provide good quality activities for young children, in particular babies. This means that their development is not being fully supported. Additionally, the organisation of resources is not effective in enabling young children to make choices, explore and investigate.

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

When the childminder asks the children if they would like to paint, they enthusiastically say that they would and readily respond to the childminder's request to tidy up first. They clearly enjoy the activity as they feel the texture of the paint as they use the brush to cover their hands and fingers before making prints on the paper. Older children make patterns as they fold the paper over and younger children attempt to copy this.

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children relate well to others, for example, as they talk about their painting or play with the role play resources, such as the cooker and food. Older children pretend to feed babies with the plastic spoon. Children respond well to the childminder who shows interest in what they say and do and demonstrates a caring manner. She helps children to count the fingers on the handprints, speaks warmly to babies, for example, as she changes them, and children readily approach the childminder to give a list of items to buy from their pretend shop.

p.4

Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. All families are welcomed positively into the setting and children have their individual needs met suitably because the childminder satisfactorily works in partnership with parents. Settling visits are encouraged to develop positive relationships, which helps children to feel a sense of belonging. Babies' emotional well-being is clearly being fostered because of the close, warm and supportive relationship held with the childminder.

p.4

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 childminder obtains sufficient information about children from parents before placement to enable her to offer appropriate care and obtains all necessary consents. Although parents complete and sign contracts, they are not effectively informed about the childminder's policies, such as behaviour management and illness. Satisfactory systems are in place for the regular exchange of information. This is done verbally at the end of each day and the childminder maintains a file containing photographs for each child.

p.4

Helping children make a positive contribution

Children adequately learn to respond to appropriate expectations for their behaviour because the childminder uses satisfactory strategies to manage any incidents of unwanted behaviour, such as explanations. Children develop self-esteem because the childminder acknowledges their achievements. She praises children's paintings and encourages children to eat their lunch, saying, 'well done' to them after they have finished.

p.5

Helping children make a positive contribution

The childminder has a satisfactory range of resources to help children learn about diversity, such as books. She plans activities around different festivals, to help children learn to value and appreciate the similarities and differences between themselves and others.

p.5

Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. The childminder demonstrates a good commitment to continual improvement and has a very positive attitude towards training. Along with updating required training a wide range of additional courses have been attended, although the knowledge gained from these is not reflected in some aspects of the practice.

p.5

Organisation

Documentation is suitably organised and a good range of written policies and procedures work suitably in practice to promote satisfactory outcomes for children. Record keeping systems, such as the daily attendance record, are used appropriately to promote the efficient and safe management of the setting, promote children's well-being and meet their individual needs. Although information was offered to Ofsted prior to the inspection, the childminder was in breach of the conditions of her registration by caring for more children that she is registered for. A variation to allow the childminder to care for four children under five years was considered, from evidence observed and information gathered, and agreed on the inspection.

p.5

Organisation

Children are helped to feel secure because of consistent routines and the childminder organises her time suitably to ensure that children take part in an overall satisfactory range of play opportunities indoors, outdoors and on outings. Children receive adequate levels of individual attention and support.

p.5

Organisation

Overall, the provision meets the needs of the range of the children for whom it provides.

p.5

Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection a recommendation was raised with regards to the resources that reflect all aspects of diversity. Children's awareness of diversity is satisfactorily enhanced because the childminder has extended her range of resources, for example, by including books that reflect disability.

p.5

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. The provider is

p.5

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 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.

p.5

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

p.6

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.

p.6

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 the contents of the first aid box are checked regularly and replaced as necessary and keep a record of existing injuries • improve the arrangements for sharing information with parents about the childcare practices • adhere to conditions of registration at all times with regards to the number of children cared for • improve hygiene arrangements with regards to hand washing and nappy changing • develop a suitable range of activities for the younger children as explained in the 'Birth to three matters' framework and review the organisation of resources.

p.6

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

p.6

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

p.6