Childminder in Staffordshire

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique Reference Number 223809 Inspection date 10 August 2005 Inspector Juliette Jennings

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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 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 lives with her husband and their 2 children aged 18 and 15 years in Shropshire. The whole of the ground floor, which includes the lounge, the playroom, the hall and the downstairs toilet, in addition to the main bedroom and bathroom upstairs are used for childminding. There is a fully enclosed large garden available for outdoor play. The childminder attends local childminder groups and toddler groups on a regular

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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 basis. She is a member of the National Childminding Association, is registered to provide care for 7 children when working with an assistant and is currently minding 15 children all on a part-time basis.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. Children are enabled to be independent with their personal hygiene. They can access the toilet independently and are supported to wash their hands before lunch or after visiting the toilet. They are developing an understanding of hygiene through these routine activities. Children are supported and encouraged to have regular drinks, all in individual cups. They have a choice of lunch, if the childminder is providing food. Otherwise they bring their own packed lunches. They know about what is healthy to eat to give them energy for their play. Children benefit from good access to the outdoor space, which is well organised with a wide range of activities, resources and games which they enjoy. They have good opportunities to revisit and extend their play in the outdoor space, for example role play with the small world toys or inventing a car race game with the ride-on toys.

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Helping children to be healthy

There are procedures in place for recording children's accidents and medication administration. However, parents must sign the medication record to acknowledge that medication has been given. In addition, written parental permission to seek emergency medical advice or treatment must be obtained for all children.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children are cared for in an environment which is safe and secure. The childminder has a good awareness of safety issues in her home and has addressed these, for example locking the garden gates and keeping the front door bolted so that children are always secure in the home and in the garden. In addition, the childminder has thought about what would happen if there were an accident or an emergency and has developed a written plan to follow which would allow her to keep the children safe. In relation to the use of the trampoline, the childminder has discussed this with parents, however it would be beneficial to obtain written authorisation from parents as to whether they want their children to access it or not. Children's welfare is promoted appropriately through regular access to first aid training to enable the childminder to be able to deal with accidents and emergencies,

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

thus helping to maintain children's safety. In addition, she has access to current documentation about what to do if she had a concern about any child in relation to child protection. However, it would be beneficial for her to update her knowledge and understanding of current child protection issues, guidelines and procedures so that she is fully aware of how to use this documentation effectively.

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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 able to easily access a good range of resources which are mainly stored at low level or are otherwise made available by the childminder or her assistant. The downstairs space is organised so that children can move around the homely environment with independence and ease, thus helping them to feel comfortable and secure.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are happy, comfortable and confident in the environment. They happily engage with each other, developing role play games and extending their play over periods of time, particularly in the outdoor area. Children enjoy this outdoor space and choose to eat their lunch outside too whenever they can. In addition, they look forward to walks in the local countryside which they can easily see from the garden which has an open countryside outlook. Younger children have good opportunities to explore and find out about the space around them. The childminder is good at encouraging all children's independence, allowing them to make decisions about what they want to do and supporting them to do what they can for themselves. Toys and resources are age appropriate and stimulating, with the childminder also providing activities which encourage development in all areas. The whole environment and feel of the setting is one which is a homely, secure, child friendly

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

space in which children obviously enjoy being.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. Most documentation is in good order and helps to ensure that children are cared for in line with their parents' wishes. The partnership with parents is satisfactory with effective procedures in place for ensuring that they are informed about their child's day and any other issues, for example through daily verbal feedback and discussion. The childminder has a sound awareness of the importance of promoting positive images in resources and in activities to help children to develop an understanding of diversity. The childminder employs good procedures for managing unwanted behaviour, which are age appropriate and work well to distract children onto something else. Children's self-esteem is encouraged by praising positive behaviour and encouraging independence. They behave well and are busy and occupied with activities that they choose and enjoy.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Documentation is mostly in line with requirements, stored confidentially and in good order, with some policies in place for parents to see. This helps to ensure that children are cared for in line with parental wishes. However, some consents are still

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Organisation

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 required with regard to children's health and safety. The childminder continues to access the required training in first aid on a rolling programme, though finds it difficult to attend other training sessions due to her location and the times the sessions run. She keeps up to date with childcare issues by reading any information that is sent to her by her support organisations. The space for children is organised well, particularly the garden area so that children have good access to fresh air and sunlight. The indoor space also allows space for quieter play and enables children to be independent in what they choose to do. Overall the needs of all of the children who attend are met.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the previous inspection, the childminder was asked to obtain written permission from parents to allow their children to be left with an assistant for short periods of time such as school runs. This is now in place for every child and is available within the children's details.

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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 parental permission to seek emergency medical advice for all children • make sure that parents sign the medication record to acknowledge that medication has been administered • obtain written parental permission for children to use the trampoline • update knowledge and understanding of current child protection issues, guidelines and procedures so that it is clear what should be done in the event of a concern about a child.

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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 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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