Setting

Inspection report for early years provision

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EY271068 Unique Reference Number 17 March 2008 Inspection date Mauvene Burke 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 satisfactory. 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 2003. She lives with her husband and four children, of which two are adults and two are school age. Also living on the premises is the childminder's mother-in-law. They live in a three bedroom maisonette on a large estate in Walworth, in the London borough of Southwark. Children have access to the living/dining room and to the garden. The premises is in easy walking distance to a local park and the shops.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of three children from age one to under eight years old at any one time and is currently minding one child under five and who attends on a part time basis and a seven year old who attends before and after school during term only.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The childminder attends the local childminding drop-in group on a regular basis. She is a member of the National Childminding Association.

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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's health is promoted by the childminder's appropriate practice and systems that are in place to maintain a suitable standard of hygiene and care in her home. A healthy environment is provided where hygiene procedures prevent the spread of infection, for example, children have their own towels and flannels with which to dry their hands and have individual sleep blankets. The childminder encourages and helps young children to wash their hands, whilst older children are reminded to wash their hands after using the toilet.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are protected from cross infection and illness by the childminder's clear information and policies to inform parents that children will not be minded when infectious. Children's health and welfare are promoted by the effective systems and records kept to take appropriate action in the event of an accident and the administration of any necessary medication. The childminder has written permission from parents to seek emergency medical advice and treatment.

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Helping children to be healthy

Most parents provide food for their children and the childminder works closely with parents to ensure that a balanced diet is provided overall. Healthy snacks are available and suitable drinks are usually within easy reach to promote independence.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children benefit from daily outings as they are taken to the local park and to the childminding drop-in group where they play on large physical equipment. They relax and sleep according to their needs because the childminder plans her home and routines to offer opportunities for rest.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children have access to the living room and garden where there is adequate space for children to move around freely and become more independent. There is a satisfactory range of toys, books and equipment which for younger children are stored in deep boxes which enables children to access what they want easily. Older children's equipment such as crayons, paper and puzzles are stored in drawers, whilst board games are stacked on top of one another, again making access to them easy so that they can choose their own activities. The toys and equipment are in good condition and suitable for the different ages of the children.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The childminder has identified most risks within the home and taken appropriate action to minimise these, such as the positioning of safety gates at the bottom of the stairs and at the entrance to the kitchen. However the lock on the toilet door is positioned quite low which means children could quite easily lock themselves in and hazards in the garden which compromises children's safety was noted. A fire evacuation procedure is in place to help keep children safe. Although the childminder stated that the emergency evacuation procedure has been practised with the children, there was no evidence of this.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The childminder has a satisfactory awareness of her child protection responsibilities. She has a copy of the recommended booklet 'What to do if you're worried a child is being abused'. Nonetheless, she may not always be able to act in the children's best interests because she is not yet fully aware of the procedures of the Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) and

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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 does not have a secure understanding of possible signs and symptoms which may indicate child abuse.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. Children are happy and relaxed in this environment. They are able to make choices and make decisions about their play when they select items from the toy boxes stored in the living room and in the hallway. Children are gaining confidence because they have a warm and caring relationship with the childminder and plenty of cuddles are given by the childminder.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children's vocabulary and language is developing as the childminder talks to the children. She asks them age appropriate questions and introduces them to new words such as the name of different shapes. She extends their learning by counting the stars as they place them on the stand and tells them what colour the shape is which children are happy to repeat.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Although the childminder has started to make vague observations of the children, these are not used effectively when planning activities in order to build on what children can do. The childminder has recently attended an introductory Early Years Foundation Stage course and is aware that her understanding of how children learn through play requires some development so that activities planned will have clear learning intentions.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Children have settled into the family environment because the childminder gets to know the children well from the start. She obtains relevant information from parents to enable her to support children's individual needs. Children are encouraged to bring comfort items from home to play with because the childminder recognises and understands that this may help young children move between home and a new setting.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children learn about the wider world because they have access to books with positive images that reflect diversity, however, resources reflecting disability is limited. The childminder has not cared for children with learning difficulties and/or disability and demonstrates limited understanding of how to manage the situation positively when recognising any health, learning difficulties and/or disabilities of a child.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

There is a behaviour management policy in place which the childminder shares with parents. She uses praise and encouragement wherever possible to help children to be well behaved and co-operative. Younger children are taken to groups to help children to socialise and to help them to learn to share. Her calm manner ensures that she is a good role model for children and they follow her good example and learn to be polite.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children benefit from the friendly and helpful relationships formed between parents and the childminder. There are clear contracts regarding the business arrangements, consent agreements are signed and verbal feedback is given at the end of each week including written information about what their child has eaten. Parents are made aware of how to make a complaint if they so wish to do so.

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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

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Children are happy and secure in the childminder's care. They receive sensitive support and attention to help them feel comfortable and settled. The organised family home allows children to play, eat and sleep in comfort. The daily routine is efficiently organised around taking children to and from school each day and allows for the individual needs of all children to be taken into account and met accordingly. The childminder attends relevant childminding training organised by the early years department in the local authority. She has attended first aid training as required and intends to continue to up-date her understanding of childcare relating to areas such as children with disabilities and/or learning difficulties.

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Organisation

Children are protected in the setting because the childminder ensures that they do not come into unsupervised contact with people who have not been vetted. All of the adult members of the household have been vetted and Ofsted are kept informed of any significant changes to the service.

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Organisation

The childminder ensures that documents and records necessary for the efficient and safe management of the provision are maintained. However the childminder has not kept fully up to date with some changes in legislation and adapted her policies accordingly, such as with child protection. Children's health and safety are mostly promoted because the childminder has taken appropriate steps to promote these however, there are hazards that must be minimised to ensure children's complete safety.

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Organisation

Overall, the provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection, the provider was asked to ensure that she obtains written permission from parents to seek emergency medical advice or treatment. The provider now has written permission from parents to seek emergency medical advice and treatment which means that in the event of an accident, children's health and welfare is safeguarded.

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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 satisfactory. 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): • assess the risk to children in relation to the hazards in the garden and the lock on the WC door and take action to minimise these • develop knowledge of possible signs and symptoms which may indicate child abuse and ensure that the procedures followed when reporting concerns are in line with those of the Local Safeguarding Children's Board • continue to develop knowledge and understanding of how children learn through their play to ensure that they are provided with more challenging activities as they get older • develop understanding of the needs of children who have learning difficulties and/or disabilities and ensure that resources positively reflect this.

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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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