Setting

Inspection report for early years provision

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EY356266 Unique Reference Number 12 February 2008 Inspection date Debra Davey 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 inadequate - notice of action to improve. The registered person does not meet 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 2007. She lives with her three children aged 16, 10 and eight years, in a three bed-room, second floor flat in Peckham, South London. The living-room and hallway are used for childminding. There are no pets on the premises. The childminder is registered to care for three children under eight years at any one time and is currently caring for three children aged three years and under. The childminder is a member of the National Childminding Association. She holds an NNEB qualification in childcare.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. There are systems in place to ensure that children are healthy in the childminder's home. Risks to health are minimised because the childminder has a hygienic approach, for example, wearing gloves when she changes children's nappies, to prevent cross infection. Children are further protected because documents are used well to record accidents and the administration of medications, and relevant permissions are obtained from parents. Children enjoy healthy meals

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Helping children to be healthy

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 because a planned menu is prepared for them which includes fresh fruit and vegetables and they are well hydrated through regular drinks of water or diluted fruit juice.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children are taken to local playgroups twice weekly where they have access to outdoor play and develop their physical skills, as they play with large equipment, such as slides and soft play. However, space used for the age range of children attending is limited which impacts on children's ability to enjoy physical activity, such as music and movement when playing indoors.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is inadequate. Children benefit from safety equipment in the home which prevent accidents. For example, the childminder has fitted new locks to the windows, safety gates are used on the staircase and there are smoke detector systems in place. The childminder has a written emergency evacuation procedure which states that the emergency exit involves climbing over the balcony to next door and exit through the neighbours flat. This does not adequately protect young children in the event of an emergency.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Children are protected from the harm or possible abuse because the childminder is trained in safeguarding children guidelines and has an understanding of the correct procedure to follow should she suspect that a child is at risk. Children are further protected because the childminder is trained in emergency first aid and has all relevant documents and information. The childminder has a good understanding of how to protect children when she takes them on local outings, which means that they learn appropriate rules, such as to hold the childminders hand and road safety.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is inadequate. At present, the childminder cares for one more child under two years than her conditions of registration allow. As a result, she is not able to consistently meet their demands when they cry for attention, for example, if she has to go downstairs to the front door. Children do not have access to sufficient physical play indoors, as the space is not available to them. A small area in the lounge is used for play, as well as nappy changing, baby feeding and children's snacks. There is an area reserved in the hallway for children which has a child sized table and bench, used for drawing and colouring. The childminder has a reasonable selection of toys and materials for young children and they enjoy looking at the books and playing with the toy computer. However, limited space means that children become frustrated in their play, showing distressed behaviour such as throwing toys. This is because the range of activity is not good

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

enough to engage the children and support their learning.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The childminder is aware of the importance of maintaining records of children's routines and their progress and she does this using a variety of methods, such as daily diaries and child profiles. Information gathered from her observations of the children is shared with parents. They are given details of their child's daily activity through written records, samples of their drawings and photographs. This ensures that parents are kept informed about how their child spends their time in the childminders home.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

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 make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Children attending benefit from the childminders experience of caring for children from different racial backgrounds. For example, she is able to provide support for a child attending for whom English is not their first language because she speaks the same language as the child. In this way, the childminder provides a positive role model and the child is able to feel included and valued. In addition, some books and puzzles in the home provide positive images of culture and gender which helps children to learn about the wider World. The childminder also has some experience of caring for children with learning difficulties and is open to caring for children with disabilities in her home.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The childminder interacts well with babies, nurturing them with cuddles and gentle handling to help them feel secure. She encourages older children to be kind to one another and behave well, but there are times when this is not successful, as she tries to manage the demands of the three young children. As a result, they sometimes squabble over toys and upset each others play, becoming quite tearful as the childminder attempts to divide her time.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Partnership with parents is satisfactory. The childminder has systems in place to gather useful information from parents about each child's routine, needs and dietary requirements. Details of her service are collated in a folder and made available to parents. Business arrangements are clear in the form of contracts and child record forms support the care of children as they enable the childminder to share information relating to child progress, and development with parents and carers.

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Organisation

The organisation is inadequate. Children's care is undermined by the childminder's limited understanding of the regulatory framework in relation to childminding. For example, she is currently caring for one more child in the younger age range than permitted on her conditions of registration certificate. This has an impact on the quality of care. The childminder has her mother staying with her for six months. She has overlooked her responsibility to ensure that adults living in the household and over the age of 16 years, undergo checks including a police check. As a result she has failed to secure the safety and wellbeing of minded children.

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Organisation

Since her registration in 2007, the childminder has attended required training in childminding practice, as well as first aid training for babies and young children. She has also developed a range of policies and procedures to support the care of children. Documents are organised and stored securely. However, a record of child attendance has not been properly maintained to ensure that dates and times of attendance are documented. This compromises child safety. The setting does not meet the needs of the range of children for whom it provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Not applicable; this is the first inspection since registration.

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Complaints since the last inspection

Since registration 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

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 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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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 inadequate - notice of action to improve. The registered person does not meet 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, the registered person must take the following actions: • ensure that the ages and number of children attending are within the conditions of registration at all times • ensure that all persons over the age of 16 living in the household undergo checks, including a criminal record check. • assess the risks to children in relation to emergency evacuation and take action to minimise these • improve knowledge and understanding of the requirements set out in regulations and set in place a procedure to ensure that the child attendance register is maintained. • ensure that children are provided with activities and play opportunities that support their learning and developmental needs. These actions are set out in a notice of action to improve and must be completed by the date specified in the notice.

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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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