Childminder in Cumberland

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique Reference Number 317171 Inspection date 09 June 2005 Inspector Valerie Block

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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 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 first registered as a childminder in 1996. She lives with her husband, who occasionally assists in the care of the minded children, and 5 daughters, who are 5, 13, 16 and 22 years of age. They live in a 4 bedroomed detached bungalow in the village of Crosby, near to the town of Maryport. The childminder uses her car to reach local amenities and to take children to and from school. In the house, the play room, lounge, kitchen, hall and two bedrooms are used. There is no garden currently available to minded children as it is not secure.

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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 registered to care for a maximum of five children at any one time when working alone and up to eight when working with her assistant. She is currently minding six school aged children on a part time basis, before and after school and sometimes in the school holidays. The family has a dog and two cats.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children enjoy a satisfactory range of activities which contribute to their good health. Each day there are outdoor activities to help them develop control of their bodies, for example visiting nearby parks and fishing in local streams. Children become increasingly aware of the way activity affects their bodies and know when they need a drink or a rest. Children playing outside have their drinks nearby so that they can help themselves to drinks as necessary. Children are cared for in a warm, clean home where they learn the importance of hygienic routines and personal care. When playing outside they are encouraged to clean their hands before eating their picnic. The childminder explains to them the importance of eating with clean hands. The childminder has a current first aid certificate and a satisfactory first aid box. Records are kept appropriately. This means that children's health needs are met.

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Helping children to be healthy

Children begin to understand the benefits of a healthy diet. The childminder takes account of the wishes of parents and the children’s choices to provide nutritious meals and snacks that appeal to the children and meet their dietary needs.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is inadequate. Children are cared for in a spacious, welcoming home. However, risks to children's health and safety have not all been identified or minimised. Children are at risk of harm and injury as they use an insecure garden which has a small wall that children could climb over leading to a drop onto a road where there is no pathway for pedestrians. Also, children use the garden freely and sometimes without the childminder present in the garden with them. Unsupervised children use free standing slides. This practice could lead to the slide falling over and a child being hurt. The premises are not kept secure when children are in the garden and also when they are in the house. This means that children could leave the house and grounds unsupervised and be unsafe. Children are able to access all parts of the house without supervision when they independently visit the toilet and other parts of the house. This means that they can

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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 access some rooms that are not to be used and are not safe. The childminder uses her car to transport children to and from school and to places of interest and ensures that her vehicle is in good order and that appropriate seat belts are used. This means that children's safety needs are addressed when out in the car. Children benefit from being able to independently select activities from a wide range of satisfactory toys and equipment, which meet safety standards. There is a room set up as a playroom where children have good access to a good variety of play equipment. Children's work is displayed well and children are pleased to show work that they completed earlier. The childminder carefully monitors and supervises most of the play equipment to make sure that it is safe and appropriate for their age and

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

stage of development. The childminder has some procedures and documents in place to ensure children's welfare is safeguarded and promoted. For example, the childminder holds a current first aid certificate and has a satisfactory understanding of child protection procedures in line with the local Area Child Protection Committee procedures.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children settle well at the childminder's house. They enter confidently and make themselves at home. They relate well to each other and socialise with other children in the childminder's home. In summer they occasionally attend holiday play sessions where they mix with children from the community. The childminder also takes children to groups to pursue special interests such as dancing lessons. Children feel comfortable and at home. The childminder is very warm to the children in her care and they show affection to her. School children are given a range of activities to choose from. The children learn independence as they are given freedom to contribute to the planning of activities. They enjoy the activities on offer. Children play with dressing up clothes in the garden setting up a hospital with the help of the childminder. Children are interested in seeing if their plants have grown and they water their seedlings carefully, learning to

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

nurture their plant and taking an interest in its development. Children spend their time purposefully. They enjoy exploring a wide range of activities which contribute to their creativity, such as making objects which are then sold in their make believe shop. Children enjoy visiting a range of interesting places such as the local aquarium and the nearby beach and gain an understanding of their world.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. The childminder provides an adequate range of resources to promote a positive view of the wider world and increase children’s awareness of diversity and their

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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 understanding of others. Children are valued and respected as individuals. Their needs are met well as they follow their normal daily routine as discussed with their parents. Children show care and concern for each other, and play together harmoniously. The childminder is aware of children's needs and ensures that any special need is met. Children benefit from a good partnership between parents and childminder. Parents are made very welcome and show a good level of satisfaction with the services of the childminder. The childminder ensures that there is a satisfactory level of information exchange with the parent. For example, she keeps scrapbooks for children and parents with photos of children enjoying different activities. Children behave well. The childminder helps children to understand right from wrong

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Helping children make a positive contribution

and learn social skills. For example, she reminds children to make their excuses and wait when they interrupt others' conversations. She ensures that children are praised effectively for good behaviour.

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Organisation

The organisation is inadequate. Activities are well provided and there is a good range of suitsble, accessible equipment. However, the safety of the home has not been considered sufficiently and children are unsafe. The childminder has well organised the activities available to children and their access to a suitable range of play equipment. The childminder ensures children are well cared for and settled by receiving a satisfactory amount of information from parents and discussing their children's needs and progress regularly with them. Records are, in the main, kept satisfactorily and shared with parents to ensure children's needs are understood and met. However, the attendance register does not include all the names of the people who are looking after the children. Overall, the provision does not meet the needs of the children who attend.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Since the previous inspection, the childminder has improved some aspects of children’s safety. She has ensured that unsafe glass within the access of children has been made safe and that unsafe, accessible scaffolding has been removed. The childminder was required to make her house and garden secure so that children could not leave unsupervised. The childminder advises that part of the garden boundary was made safe but the fencing was blown down. She thought it was alright to not replace the fencing as all the children minded were now over the age of five years. This means that children continue to be unsafe in the garden. The house has also not been made secure so posing a threat to children's safety.

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Improvements 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 At the last inspection, it was recommended that the childminder keep a record of the name of the assistant looking after children and the dates and times the assistant was working with minded children. The childminder has not ensured that this procedure is followed. It was recommended that pet feeding bowls be kept out of the reach of children. The childminder now keeps them out of doors so that they are not accessible to children. It was recommended that a first aid box be provided and an incident book be kept. A first aid box is now in place and there have been no incidents to record. This ensures children's health needs are met.

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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 a daily record of the names of children looked after on the premises, their hours of attendance and the names of the persons who looked after them are kept on the premises. • ensure that children do not have access to restricted areas of the house. • ensure that the premises are secure and that children cannot leave them unsupervised. 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

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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