Childminder in York

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique Reference Number EY232327 Inspection date 12 December 2005 Inspector Rosemary Beyer

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Type of inspection Childcare Type of care Childminding

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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 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 has been registered since July 2002. She is registered to care for six children under 8 years, of these not more than three may be under 5 years, and of these, not more than one may be under 1 year. At present she cares for eight children between the ages of 1 year and 8 years, all on a part time basis. She lives with her family in a house in the Hull Road area of York, near the university and has easy access into the centre of the city. The whole of the ground floor of the premises is used for childminding purposes. There is a large rear garden, with grass and patio areas, which is fully enclosed for outdoor play.

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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 The childminder is a member of the National Childminding Association and the local childminding network. She continues to undertake training to widen her knowledge and further improve her practice.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. The childminder has good hygiene procedure and practice in place to prevent the spread of infection and the premises are clean. Children remove their shoes when they arrive to ensure floors are kept clean for crawling babies. Children know they must wash their hands after personal care, play in the garden and before food. Posters are displayed in the kitchen showing good hygiene habits and the childminder has the Basic Food Hygiene certificate. A list of snacks is posted on the wall for parents to see and the packed lunches they provide are stored either in the fridge or the children's food cupboard. Children are encouraged to eat healthily and know they need to have a good diet to grow fit and strong. Children are protected from infectious diseases and illness by the written sick child policy which is made available to parents. The childminder has a current first aid certificate and has a well stocked first aid kit readily available. A travel kit is by the

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Helping children to be healthy

door ready for outings. She has the appropriate permissions from parents and records accidents and medication after administration.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. The premises are well maintained and clean. The childminder has produced her own risk assessments and reviews them regularly. She uses safety equipment appropriately to protect the children including safety gates and high security devices. The premises and garden are secure, while the toys and resources are regularly checked and cleaned. The emergency plan is posted on the wall in the hall, with the location of the fire blanket and smoke alarms, which are checked regularly, and the fireguard is in place. Access to the kitchen is restricted by the half door when meals are being prepared. Children know they need to use toys safely and do not run in the house in case they fall. The older ones ensure younger children do not have access to small pieces of toys which they could swallow. Children are also protected by the childminder's sound knowledge of child protection. There is a written policy and procedure in place for lost children. Persons who have

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

not been cleared are not allowed unsupervised access to the children.

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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

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. The childminder has started to use Birth To Three Matters to guide the activities she provides for younger children and plans informally what they are to do each day. This varies depending on the weather and any special learning opportunities which may arise, such as a fall of snow or the new machinery on the building site. The activities for older children need to be more organised to ensure they cover all the areas of learning, with guidance such as the Foundation Stage. Children enjoy a wide range of resources and activities which support their learning both in and out of the home. The childminder has good relationships with the children who are comfortable and settled with her. They choose from the resources available and ask for anything they cannot see. Craft work is undertaken and a wide range of photographs in the hall and the album provides evidence of the children's achievements.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Older children enjoy using the construction toys and are able to choose what they wish to do, some do homework and they have recently made Christmas calendars. Their art and craft work is very imaginative. Younger children like to role play, dressing up or using puppets to tell stories. The doctor and nurse puppets in particular are very popular. They also enjoy the home corner and the large cardboard boxes used to make a shop or house. They are starting to enjoy stories and songs, using books correctly with guidance and anticipating what will happen in favourite tales. They like to sing with the childminder and do action songs. Children have a wide range of outside toys and equipment to develop their physical skills in the garden and also at the local park and the university park, where they feed the ducks. They use the ride on toys and the climbing frame with confidence and control.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. The children are settled and comfortable with the childminder, making themselves at home on arrival. They behave very well. They share, take turns and are considerate of each other. The older ones ensure younger children do not have access to small pieces of construction toys and put resources away when they have finished playing with them. The children are developing good manners and treat each other well. Some of the school age children completed questionnaires prepared by the childminder prior to the inspection. They are all happy with the care they receive, particularly the snacks. One child would however like to move the furniture round. Parents are very happy with the support and care their children receive. They value the childminder's flexibility when they have shift problems. The necessary written

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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 permissions are provided prior to minding commencing, for outings, use of the car, to seek medical help in an emergency and photographs. Parents value the opportunity to see the policies and procedures file and they like the daily verbal feedback they receive. A complaints policy and procedure is also made available to them. No children with English as an additional language or with special needs are being cared for at present but the childminder has a range of resources to increase children's knowledge of diversity and equal opportunities. These toys include puppets, dolls, books and dressing up clothes. The childminder is willing to care for any child and would undertake training if necessary to provide the correct support.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The childminder has her certificate on display for parents to see and has also created a policy file for them. This includes information about her family, any regular visitors, and the care she provides. The parents complete information sheets and contracts to ensure the children's needs and their wishes are met. Records are stored securely and confidentiality is respected. Parents know they have to keep the childminder informed of any changes and give her the necessary permissions before minding starts. The childminder has achieved the Introduction To Childminding Practice and is a member of the local childminding network. She is to complete further training in the New Year. She understands the importance of maintaining the conditions of registration. Overall the setting meets the needs of the children who attend.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The childminder has increased the resources available to promote equal opportunities and diversity.

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Complaints since the last inspection

There are no complaints to report. The provider is required to keep a record of complaints made by parents, which they may 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

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

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • continue to develop resources and activities to support the development of older preschool children.

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The quality and standards of the care

procedures set out in the leaflet Building better childcare: Compliments and concerns about inspectors' judgements 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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