Setting

Inspection report for early years provision

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EY361610 Unique Reference Number 08 July 2008 Inspection date Rachel Ruth Britten 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 2007. She lives with her husband and three children aged 10, six and one in Litherland, Merseyside. The whole ground floor of the childminder's house is used for childminding and there is a fully enclosed garden for outside play. The childminder walks or transports children in a vehicle to places of interest and the local toddler groups. There are currently five children on roll.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children's health is good because the childminder employs good routines for maintaining hygiene and minimising cross-infection. She ensures that floors and surfaces are cleaned with anti-bacterial solutions and involves school age children in learning to keep toys clean and hygienic. Fresh air and exercise are offered each day regardless of the weather because they walk whenever possible and play frequently in the garden or at local parks and playgrounds. Throughout the day, the childminder's approach to health is good. She ensures that children have hats and sun cream applied for playing outside when it is sunny and she has obtained

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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 parental permission for this. She encourages children to wash their hands before meals and after using the toilet and involves them in wiping the table and clearing up after snacks and meals.

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Helping children to be healthy

The health of babies is carefully attended to in partnership with parents. The childminder employs hygienic nappy change procedures and follows detailed daily routines given by parents to ensure that babies' health and hygiene routines are consistently maintained. She has also devised a detailed consent for the administration of any non-prescription medications to ensure that children's health and parents' wishes are both properly met. Individual sleep arrangements are followed for each child so that they rest safely and comfortably according to their routines and parent's wishes. A sample menu is given in the childminder's portfolio and the childminder is flexible for parents to supply food for babies if they prefer this. She carefully records daily intakes for babies, along with the times and lengths of sleeps and nappy changes so that parents have a full daily record about their baby's care.

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Helping children to be healthy

All children have good opportunities to learn about healthy eating because the childminder provides a healthy menu of snacks and meals with an emphasis on plenty of fruits and vegetables. Processed, salty or sweet foods, such as crisps, are only given as Friday treats. On the day of inspection the one-year-old enjoys a lunch of spaghetti Bolognese followed by banana and orange. Children are encouraged to manage their own food from an early age with appropriate cutlery and support in a high chair or at the table. Procedures and training to prevent children from becoming ill and to support children's health needs are robust. The childminder has food hygiene and paediatric first aid certificates and first aid supplies are ready to use indoors and to take out on every trip. All parents have signed their consent for the childminder to obtain emergency medical advice or treatment should their child require this. Any medication is given

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Helping children to be healthy

with written parent permission and the record sheet is completed with a parental signature of acknowledgement afterwards.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are kept very safe and secure indoors and outdoors because the childminder is vigilant, well organised and dedicated to providing and maintaining a safe environment. She follows her 'keeping children safe' policy and also has procedures for lost and uncollected children. The childminder employs safety precautions appropriate to the ages and stages of development of children attending, for example, using a mattress with a lip edge on the playroom floor for a one-year-old to have a sleep where she cannot fall and is safe and visible. Similarly, the child is strapped into a high chair to eat her meal and is carefully assisted to use the tunnel and slide outside. Children use a good range of suitable toys and equipment which are accessible and kept clean and ready for use in the conservatory and lounge. Toddlers have a good range of push-along, construction and soft activity toys which are used in addition to sand, water,

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Procedures to ensure safety in the event of an emergency are very good. The childminder has smoke detectors and a fire blanket accessibly mounted in the kitchen. She has a back-up childminder and has written, displayed and practised an emergency evacuation plan with all the children who attend. She keeps emergency numbers for each child programmed into her mobile 'phone and makes sure that this and a small first aid kit are with her at all times. Outside, the childminder teaches children to walk and cross roads safely and she adopts safe practices when transporting children in the car.

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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 Children are well protected from abuse because the childminder is confident that she is able to put appropriate child protection procedures into practice if necessary. She keeps a comprehensive policy and displays a flow chart showing what to do if worried that a child is being abused. This ensures that parents understand the childminder's responsibilities in this area.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are very happy and secure, developing strong relationships with the childminder and her children. Their enjoyment and achievements are good because the childminder is warm, caring and involved, providing play and real experiences for children. For example, school age children bake, make smoothies, make up dances to favourite songs and are taken to play football or to visit the squirrel park. Throughout all the activities of the day the childminder talks to children and helps them to develop their creative and physical skills. For example, she plays with a one-year-old, using a board book, sketcher board, soft toys and her own voice and expressions to help the child to recognise certain animals and facial features and link these with the sounds they make and the words by which they are named.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The childminder devotes her time fairly to each child and provides one to one and small group time too. For example, she helps a one-year-old to improve her physical coordination, balance and strength as she assists her with using the small slide, see-saw and play tunnel in the garden. The child is delighted with what she achieves and laughs as she crawls through the tunnel towards the childminder. As a result of the childminder's input, children enjoy new experiences, learn to concentrate and persist with activities and develop their communication and social skills as they play.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The childminder has a good grasp of the 'Birth to three matters' framework and the Early Years Foundation Stage. She is making daily written observations and records of what children aged under two do and she is taking photographs to illustrate all children's play experiences. Individual progress files for each child have not yet been started however. The childminder has a clear routine for each day and attends a number of relevant toddler groups to extend young children's social skills. In addition, she plans with school age children for what they would like to do the next day so that any necessary preparations can be made and children's particular enjoyments are built upon.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children in the setting have quickly developed a good sense of belonging and feel included in all aspects of the family because the childminder equally shares her attention between the minded children and her own. Child minded children have access to all the resources and their art work and photographs are displayed together too. Children enjoy a range of books and stories, role play equipment, dressing up and dolls which promote other cultures and disabilities and the childminder displays various posters which further reinforce equal opportunities themes. School age children have also made a scrapbook of pictures which represent African culture.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The childminder is skilled at getting to know children's individual needs and gives them plenty of activity choices balanced with clear and consistent boundaries. Long introductory periods are used where this is appropriate to enable anxious parents to be reassured and very young children, who have not been separated from parents, to settle. School age children are given

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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 plenty of choice about what they do and are encouraged to be open about any issues, such as footballs going over the fence. As a result, children understand how to behave in the setting and are settled from the outset. The childminder also has clear behaviour, equal opportunities, disability and partnership with parents policies which reflect the way she practices and these are shown to all families. However, she is unclear about the difference between accident and behaviour incident records and is not presently differentiating these.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children’s needs are met through good partnership with parents. The childminder is professional, well organised and prepared, and communicates warmly both verbally and on paper with parents. She makes sure parents know in detail about their baby's day through completing a daily record. She also makes the details of her service clear to parents through a detailed and well presented portfolio of information and policies about how she operates, including how complaints will be managed. In addition, the hallway is used to display all her childminding insurances and certificates as well as photographs of trips and details about how to contact Ofsted.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. The childminder has a high regard for the well-being of all children and uses her organisational skills to the full in her childminding. She continues to make reference to her childminding practice training by organising the reference materials into the 'Every child matters' outcomes agenda so that documents are easy to refer to. She keeps essential contracts, consents and child details from parents to enable her to give individual care according to parents' wishes and each child has a separate file with these documents inside for quick reference and the maintenance of confidentiality. The childminder maintains a daily register of attendance, but has not been completing this as children arrive and depart. This means that it cannot presently be relied upon to show exactly who is in the household at any one time.

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Organisation

The childminder's procedures work well in practice to promote children’s safety, enjoyment, achievement and ability to make a positive contribution. Documents, risk assessments and procedures are in place for all aspects of the service and are followed. For example, the childminder uses written daily and weekly routines to make sure that each child's opportunities to learn and develop are maximised. The childminder's portfolio and notice board are well organised to show parents what it is like for children here. They demonstrate the childminder's commitment to provide a professional service based upon comprehensive and suitable policies, tailored to her provision.

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Organisation

Overall, the provision meets the needs of the range of the children for whom it provides.

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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

The provider is required to keep a record of complaints made by parents which they can see on request. The complaint 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 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): • ensure that accident and incident records are used appropriately and clearly differentiated • ensure that the daily attendance register is always accurate and up to date as children arrive and depart.

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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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