Setting

Inspection report for early years provision

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EY272543 Unique Reference Number 26 March 2008 Inspection date Paula Jane Hayhow / Susan Ennis 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 two children aged ten and thirteen years in the North Brixton area of London. The ground floor of the childminder's house is used for childminding together with the lounge and play room on the first floor. There is a fully enclosed garden and two parks available for outdoor play. The local schools and shops are within walking distance.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of six children at any one time and is currently minding eight children, five of whom are under five years and all attend on a part-time basis. The childminder attends the local toddler group. There were no children present at the inspection.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. The childminder demonstrates a sound understanding of how children's good health is promoted. She has systems in place to gather information from parents regarding medical needs and

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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 dietary requirements. She described how children learn about their personal hygiene through their normal daily routines such as hand washing, before and after snacks and meals, after visiting the bathroom and coming in from school. She has provided signs in the bathroom to remind the children of the need to wash hands after using the toilet and a paper towel dispenser is available to prevent cross contamination of germs. From discussion the childminder shows that she has a good understanding of healthy eating, for example, cooking home made foods low in salt, fat and sugar. Drinking water is accessible at all times through the use of a water dispenser. She speaks of working with parents to ensure that children's individual needs, allergies or medical concerns are met and accommodated. However, the children's health could

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Helping children to be healthy

be affected as permissions for seeking emergency advice or treatment have not been consistently sought and this could possibly lead to valuable time being lost in a medical situation.

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Helping children to be healthy

The childminder talks of offering children a range of activities which contribute to their good health. For example, each day there are physical activities available for both indoor and outside play, enabling children to develop control of their bodies and improve their coordination skills. The childminder describes visits to the park so children can use climbing apparatus, play on their skates or kick footballs. On inclement days the children visit the toddler groups for music and movement sessions or have dancing competitions at home. They have opportunities to develop their fine manipulative skills through craft activities and board games and can skip or play with hoops in the garden. The home environment is clean and well maintained. The childminder shows an effective knowledge of how to promote children's good health. For example, she protects them from infectious diseases by ensuring parents fully understand that

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Helping children to be healthy

sick children cannot attend if they are poorly.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. The childminder has taken action to ensure that risks inside and outside her home have been minimised, so that children can play safely. She explains how she helps children learn about safety, through practicing road safety on walks, discussing stranger danger with the older children and the procedure she has adopted in case of a fire. She explains how children take part in safety routines such as learning about putting toys away to prevent accidents and holding hands on outings. However, children's safety could be compromised as they have access to the toilet block, uncovered sockets, iron and ironing board, trailing wires, unmarked glass, a broken stair gate, water and ivy in the garden. The fire blanket is not fitted in line with the manufacturer's direction and this could waste precious moments in the case of a real fire.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The childminder provides safe resources and equipment which are checked regularly to ensure they are safe for the children to use. She makes sure that they are stimulating and appropriate for the age and developmental stage of the children attending. She describes how she arranges the play materials for easy access and has set up a separate play room for the children to use. Through discussion the childminder shows that she promotes children's welfare because she has an effective understanding of child protection procedures and would know what action to take should she have a concern. However, current information relating to the new child protection board has not been acquired and this could possibly lead to a delay in contacting the appropriate agency.

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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. Play resources are attractively organised and displayed invitingly. Children have independent access to a wide selection of stimulating resources set out in their own play room. This helps to promote children's free choice and allows them to determine their own play. Discussion and written plans show that children’s learning is promoted through the childminder’s organisation of fascinating topics and themes to extend their knowledge and understanding of the world around them. For example, leaning about Spring, the children plant seeds, observe the local birds and collect leaves and make rubbings of them.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The childminder has a good understanding of the manner in which children learn. She has gained this through training courses such as the ‘Birth to three matters' framework. She explained how she supports children's learning through a wide range of play experiences. For example, she talks of the opportunities for creativity, role play, construction, and visits to the library to choose books and listen to stories. The childminder talks about how she encourages children’s interaction with other children through visits to local toddler groups where they can join in with music and movement sessions, play board games together or imaginative scenarios. The children set up pretend offices with key boards and telephones or play domestic games such as cooking and doll play. The childminder talks of how the children spend their time purposefully, enjoying playing with the toys provided, completing their homework and how

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

she responds to all their questions and hobbies such as reading and cooking. The children measure the cooking ingredients out and like to see the changes which take place when their cakes are cooked, thus encouraging them to learn about capacity and volume as well as enjoying the end result. The childminder talks of how she encourages their language and sensory skills through topics such as tasting various fruits such as mango, coconuts and African pineapples. The childminder records the children’s description of the differing tastes and textures of the fruit such as melons being 'soft and juicy' and coconuts are 'hard and strong like a bowling ball'. The children would therefore be receiving clear reasons, explanations and purposeful experiences to increase their understanding of their environment and the wider world.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. The childminder offers opportunities for children to develop an awareness of other cultures, equality and the world around them through projects linked to festivals such as Easter and Diwali and the exploring and investigating of the local project called ‘Black History Week’. The children gain an appreciation of the local community on visits to the supermarket, shops, toddler group, library, school or park. The childminder showed a good knowledge of behaviour management, giving examples of how she approaches the children, setting consistent and appropriate boundaries for all children. The children learn about sharing and being kind to each other by reminders of the house rules which does not permit swearing or aggressive behaviour. The childminder describes how the children show care and respect for each other, learning about sharing and turn-taking through board games, packing away toys and taking turns with

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Helping children make a positive contribution

favourite activities such as the computer.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

From discussion the childminder indicates that there is a good partnership with parents. She states that this is fostered through regular discussion and daily information sheets on how the children’s day has been. Documentation in the form of parents' portfolio and discussions with parents detailing children's individual needs and routines ensure that parents are conversant with the childminder's practice. There is a gentle settling in period with new children where

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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 they learn about their environment at their own pace, giving both parents and children time to gain confidence in the childminder and her practice. Children who have disabilities and/or learning difficulties have their requirements clearly identified as there is a practical policy relating to this. The childminder is skilled in implementing the policy and in identifying particular needs. She works sensitively with parents and other professionals such as the speech therapist to ensure that children are offered the most appropriate care and support.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. The childminder demonstrates that she has an organised approach to her childminding role. She shows that she supports children's individual needs by flexible planning which takes account of their interests, age and particular needs. Daily routines are in place but are amended appropriately to respond to the different needs of the children cared for, for example, balancing the day to include craft, imaginative games like the home corner, construction games with bricks for the younger children and homework and more interest based activities for the older children. Most required documentation and record keeping systems are in place, available for inspection and stored confidentially. However, children's welfare could be affected, as information relating to them such as the GP’s contact details are not consistently sought. The public liability insurance is overdue and the parents are not routinely informed that there is a

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Organisation

complaints log which they can see on request. This could possibly lead to misunderstandings between parents and the childminder. All persons living on her premises have been checked for their suitability and the childminder stated that she supervises the children at all times.

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Organisation

The childminder has established procedures for sharing information with parents on a daily basis. She understands her responsibilities for example, relating to child protection or behaviour management and if she has concerns she discusses these fully with parents. Children are kept safe and their welfare is generally safeguarded by the childminder's sound understanding of required policies and procedures being in place. Overall, the evidence suggests that the provision would meet the needs of the children for whom it provides.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The childminder was asked at the previous inspection to request written permission from parents for seeking emergency medical advice or treatment.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The childminder misunderstood this recommendation so it has therefore been requested again. This measure will further improve the children's safety and welfare.

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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): • obtain written permission from parents for the seeking of emergency advice or treatment for all children attending • ensure that hazards to children on the premises are minimised with reference to the iron and ironing board, uncovered sockets, trailing wires, broken stair gate, toilet block, unmarked glass shelf, water and ivy in the garden and make sure that the fire blanket is fitted in line with the manufacturer's directions • ensure that the child protection procedure complies with that of the Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) • ensure that parents have access to a complaints log • ensure that children's records contain sufficient details to promote their health and welfare such as the doctor's contact details and make sure that the public liability insurance is in place.

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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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