Setting

Inspection report for early years provision

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EY284103 Unique Reference Number 31 October 2007 Inspection date Angela Howard 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 2004. She lives with her husband and two children aged four and six years. The family live in Woodlands, a large suburb in the borough of Doncaster, which has easy access to the Great North Road and A1. The whole of the ground floor of the premises is used for childminding. There is a secure garden available for outside play. The family has a dog and two rabbits.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of four children at any one time when she works alone and six children when she works with a her husband, who is registered as a co-childminder. She currently has six children under eight-years and three children over eight-years on roll. Both full and part-time placements are offered.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The childminder is a member of the National Childminding Association and has a level three qualification in childcare and education.

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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 cared for in an environment that is very clean and well maintained. They are appropriately protected from illness and infection as they follow appropriate hygiene procedures. They are encouraged to learn the importance of personal hygiene through appropriate practice and daily routines. For example, children wash their hands after using the toilet and before eating lunch. However, there are inconsistencies in the washing of hands before eating snack. The childminder maintains clear and detailed records of any accidents and any medication administered to ensure children's medical needs are met appropriately.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children thrive due to the highly effective procedures in place to promote children's good health. For example, the childminder successfully implements policies and procedures which meet children's physical, nutritional and health needs. She provides a balanced, nutritious range of snacks and meals which consist of fruit and steamed vegetables on a daily basis. Meals are freshly prepared and take into consideration children's individual dietary requirements. For example, children enjoy chicken korma, roast dinners or fresh fish. This contributes significantly to children's understanding of a healthy lifestyle.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children thoroughly enjoy worthwhile physical activities and benefit positively from access to a very well-equipped outdoor play area. They ride wheeled toys, balance on skate boards, climb steps, walk on stilts, use swings, rock on sea-saws and kick balls, which are all vitally important to promote children's physical well-being. For babies, there is a good range of everyday objects to be sucked, pulled, squeezed and held to encourage exploration and development of physical skills. The access to a good range of physical activities contributes to children's good health in an extremely positive manner.

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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 warm, vibrant and welcoming environment. The equipment is set out in a very attractive manner, which encourages children to make choices and develop decision-making skills. The space available is used very well to provide children with an extensive range of play opportunities. The childminder has significantly enhanced the safety of the home with rigorous safety assessments. All necessary safety precautions are in place. For example, safety socket covers are in place, low-level cupboards have locks fitted, there are no trailing wires, and sharp knives and scissors are out of children's reach. Good fire precautions are in place. For example, smoke alarms are in working order, the fire blanket is wall mounted and exits are kept free from obstructions. The childminder shows particular vigilance to fire safety in the home. She has a well written, informative evacuation plan which is regularly practised

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Good quality resources are easily accessed allowing children to make choices in a safe manner. The children's toys and equipment are very carefully monitored to make sure they remain safe and appropriate for the children's age and stage of development. This gives children the opportunity to self-select equipment and enjoy a wide variety of different play experiences safely. It is thoughtfully presented at a low-level, which encourages independent play and self-selection.

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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 Children are well protected as the childminder is very clear about her role in child protection matters. She has good knowledge about the signs and symptoms of abuse and has no reservations about putting the procedures into practice. However, although the childminder records any injuries children may arrive with from school she does not routinely record existing injuries children arrive with from home.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children love coming to the childminder's. They are eager to attend and relish the time at the childminder's. She shares an extremely warm and caring relationship with the children. For example, babies and young children enjoy lots of cuddles and physical closeness, so that they feel secure and content. This helps to successfully enhance children's sense of trust and self-confidence. They have an extremely strong sense of belonging and are familiar with daily routines. They help with the preparation of snack and wash the crockery once they have finished. Children are learning good social skills and have formed good friendships with the childminder and other children. This results in them being able to build meaningful relationships.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children's individual needs are met through well-planned organised activities. Planned activities encourage children to participate, explore and have fun. For example, they paint pictures on glass, draw pictures, play on the games console and lap top and complete word searches. The childminder has a good understanding of how to meet the needs of young children. She ensures that their overall development is promoted through such activities as singing, naming colours and shapes, counting and imaginative play. Children of all ages have good concentration skills as they are totally absorbed in the glass painting and caring for dollies. This ensures they are interested and motivated and are able to access a good range of opportunities to ensure they develop physically, socially and intellectually.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children have a strong sense of belonging; they are familiar with the routines and expectations of the childminder. They enjoy trusting relationships with the childminder and her family. She obtains plenty of relevant information from parents to help children settle in her care. This ensures each child is treated with equal concern and their individual needs are met successfully.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The childminder uses the local community well to support children's awareness of the wider world. She plans a wide variety of outings to such places as the park, shops and carer groups on a daily basis. Children have access to appropriate resources which reflect diversity and promote inclusion. They learn to respect differences as they identify their own differences, for example, they study their own hair and eye colour as they draw self-portraits, which are displayed in the play area. Children enthusiastically take part in planned activities which increase their knowledge of festivals and celebrations around the world. For example, they make Chinese dragons for Chinese New Year. As a result, children's awareness of the world around them and other people is successfully promoted.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children have a clear understanding of boundaries and expectations and therefore behave well. The methods for managing behaviour are sensitive and take into account each child's level of understanding. The result is that children understand responsible behaviour and respond well to secure boundaries. Children show care and concern for each other and play harmoniously.

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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 Very successful relationships with parents ensure children are well cared for and their individual needs continue to be met. Information is shared with parents and carers verbally and in written form daily. Children benefit from the two-way sharing of information. This ensures that all children are cared for in an environment which is sensitive to their individual needs.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children are well cared for in an environment which is well organised, child orientated and comfortable. They feel very much at home and at ease in their surroundings. This means they are confident to initiate and extend their own play and learning.

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Organisation

Documentation is presented in a very professional manner, fully meets requirements and is stored with regard to confidentiality. However, the system to record complaints is basic, and therefore lacks sufficient detail. Policies and procedures work well in practice and fully support outcomes for children. Space and resources are well organised to meet the needs of all children. They can participate in a wide range of worthwhile activities to develop their confidence and independence.

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Organisation

The childminder has extensive experience in caring for children. She is fully committed to improving her practice by attending a vast amount of training courses and makes good use of observations and assessments to monitor children's progress. This ensures she is able to continue to successfully meet the needs of the range of the children who attend. 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 one recommendation was made. This was in relation to managing children's behaviour appropriately. The childminder now has a written policy which she implements successfully. Therefore children behave well.

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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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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): • improve children's awareness of good hygiene practice • develop further the system for recording existing injuries • develop further the system for the recording of complaints.

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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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