Setting

Inspection report for early years provision

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EY284063 Unique Reference Number 05 October 2007 Inspection date Sandra Patricia Jeffrey 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 daughters who are 11 and 16 years of age. They live in Sanderstead within the London Borough of Croydon.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The whole of the ground floor of the home is used for childminding, as are the bathroom facilities on the first floor. There is also a fully enclosed rear garden for outside play. The childminder takes and collects from local schools and nurseries, attends parent and toddler groups, the local library and takes children to the local parks and places of interest. The family have no pets.

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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. There were seven children on roll at the time of the inspection, all of whom attend on a part-time basis. One child was present during the inspection process. The childminder is also registered to care for one child over night.

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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. Minded children learn about good hygiene practices through the effective every day routine. The childminder encourages them to wash their hands after using the toilet and before eating. Children are cared for in a clean and welcoming home environment.

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Helping children to be healthy

The procedures in place for administering medication to children are effective, this safeguards children's health and welfare. Medication records however, do not always contain the children's full names. Whilst the childminder was able to clearly identify which child the entry related to, from the parental signature, it is good practice to ensure children's details are clearly recorded.

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Helping children to be healthy

The childminder has clear and effective policies in relation to caring for sick children and acts in the children’s best interests if they are ill, advising the parents to keep them at home if necessary. Children are cared for appropriately if they have an accident because the childminder has attended relevant first aid training and has suitable first aid equipment to hand. Records of accidents are generally well maintained.

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Helping children to be healthy

The children enjoy a varied range of physical activities each week, which includes attending local toddler groups, parks and a local recreational ground. Younger children also enjoy attending the Purley Children's Centre, where they can play safely in a contained play area specifically designed for younger children. The childminder described a good understanding of the benefits of visiting other environments with the minded children to broaden their experiences and to ensure younger children's physical developmental skills are encouraged.

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Helping children to be healthy

Minded children benefit from a varied wholesome diet that the childminder ensures meets their nutritional needs. The childminder prepares the main meals; including a vegetarian option, the previous evening ready to be reheated. This ensures that she is free to spend quality time with the children during the day. Parents are shown a sample menu when they first visit the childminder and are advised what the children have eaten at the end of each day. This ensures continuity of care for the children.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children benefit from playing in a welcoming and well-organised home environment. This allows them to move around and play safely. They have a good range of appropriate toys and play resources that are made easily accessible to them. This helps the children feel at home in the setting and encourages them to make choices and decisions for themselves in their play. Children are encouraged to take responsibility for their own safety, when they are reminded to pick toys up off the floor, so they do not trip over, for example. This promotes their own awareness of safety issues.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children's risk of accidental injury in the home is minimised because the childminder takes generally effective steps to identify and reduce hazards. She has carried out a room by room and garden risk assessment, checking for hazards which she has then removed or reduced. As a result of this, the childminder ensures that children are fully supervised whilst using the garden, which poses some risks to younger children as a result of it's design. An exposed electrical socket in the lounge poses a risk and was discussed during the inspection. Safety

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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 gates are in place at the foot of the stairs and across the kitchen to prevent young children from gaining unsupervised access to these areas. This promotes the children's safety.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

There are generally effective fire safety arrangements in place. Including the presence of a fire blanket in the kitchen and regular emergency evacuation practices, which helps children become familiar with the routine in the event of an emergency. Only one smoke alarm is in place however, this does not fully promote the children's safety.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The childminder has a good understanding of child protection issues and knows how to proceed if she has concerns about a child in her care in line with the latest government guidance. The childminder has attended training in Safeguarding Children (child protection), this supports children’s wellbeing.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are encouraged to make themselves at home and have a warm and secure relationship with the childminder. Children receive lots of affection from the childminder and respond well to the attention given to them. Consequently children are happy and confident in the childminder's care, indicating that trusting relationships have been formed. The childminder is responsive to children's needs and interacts positively with them, enabling them to feel valued and at ease within the home.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The childminder sits on the floor with the children and spends time talking to and playing with them. She joins in with their activities with enthusiasm, such as when reading the story 'We're going on a bear hunt'. Children enjoy a good range of activities that are stimulating and well balanced for all ages. The activities are planned around the weekly trips to other venues such as the toddlers groups and the Purley Children's Centre, to ensure that the children get the benefit of indoor and outdoor activities. A varied balance of indoor and outdoor activities helps children to make progress in their learning.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

When at home, the children can independently choose from a range of resources that are made easily accessible in the play room. Children benefit from playing in an environment where bright displays of posters, photographs and samples of children's artwork make a very welcoming environment for the children.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. All children are welcomed into the home. The childminder values each child as an individual and makes sure she finds out about their needs, likes and interests before they start, for example, she is aware that some children can only eat certain foods in relation to their religious beliefs.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The childminder has a written equal opportunities policy and encourages the children to take part in all the activities she provides. The children have access to a suitable range of toys and resources that reflect people from different backgrounds and with different beliefs, including a good selection of books.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The childminder has not cared for minded children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities but displayed a positive attitude to caring for children with such needs.

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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 Young children are treated with respect by the childminder, who uses praise and encouragement to promote their self-esteem. Children receive verbal re-assurance and cuddles, which helps children to feel valued and welcome and contributes to the children’s sense of well-being. Appropriate strategies, according to the age and stage of development are in place to help children understand right from wrong. The childminder is aware of the benefits of the value of praise over negative behaviour. For example, children are reminded to 'play nicely and look after the toys' when playing.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Parents are welcomed into the home and effective two way communication through daily discussions ensures continuity of care for the children. The childminder gives parents questionnaires to complete about the service that they and their children receive from the childminder, in order for her to improve the service she offers. This fosters good working relationships and shows that the childminder values the parents' opinions and feedback. Written policies and procedures guide the childminder in her daily routine and ensure that parents are kept well informed about most aspects of the service provided.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Minded children benefit from being able to play freely in a home environment that is organised around their needs. For instance, there is sufficient space to play and the children can easily reach toys and play materials. Children can also move safely around the home because there are effective safety precautions in place, such as safety gates to prevent access to other areas of the home. These considerations help children to make the most of the play and learning opportunities provided.

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Organisation

The childminder ensures that she attends training on a regular basis, and is currently completing a Diploma in Home-Based Childcare. Ongoing training underpins the childminders work with children. Most of the records are up to date and generally include the necessary details, although the daily attendance records do not contain parental signatures to confirm the entries. All children's details are stored in a way which promotes confidentiality. The childminder treats all information relating to the children and their families in a sensitive manner. This ensures the safe and effective organisation of the setting in order to promote the children's welfare. Overall, the childminder meets the needs of the range of children for whom she provides care.

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Improvements since the last inspection

During the previous inspection, the childminder was asked to update her knowledge on current child protection guidance. The childminder has attended child protection training and has updated her paperwork to reflect the recent change to the Safeguarding Children Guidance. This promotes the children's safety and general wellbeing.

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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. 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 then 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 record keeping:ensure medication records contain children's full names • provide smoke alarms, which conform to BS EN standards, at every level of the house and assess the risks to children in relation to accessible electrical sockets and take appropriate action to minimise such risks • improve record keeping: obtain parental signatures in daily attendance records.

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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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