Childminder in Central BedfordshireOfsted inspection, 12 Sept 2005

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique Reference Number 259789 Inspection date 12 September 2005 Inspector Paula Jane Hayhow

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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 has been registered since 1995. She is registered to care for a maximum of 5 children under 8 years, of whom only 3 may be under 5 years and of these only 1 may be under 12 months of age. The childminder does not provide overnight care. The childminder lives with her husband and three children aged fifteen, twelve and eight years. The family live in a property in the town of Houghton Regis. The local shops and schools are within walking distance. The ground floor is used for childminding. The

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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 garden is fully enclosed. There are four parks close to the family home. The family has a cat and two guinea pigs. The childminder regularly attends local toddler groups. She is currently minding four children, two of whom are under five years and attend on a full time basis. She also cares for a child over five during the school holidays and an over eight year old after school on a part time basis. She can care for children during the school holidays.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. Children are cared for in a comfortable, clean home. They are suitably nourished and their health is generally promoted due to the childminder's knowledge and understanding of healthy eating. The childminder encourages wholesome options at snack time, such as fruit, to promote healthy eating and discourage foods high in salt or sugar such as sweets and crisps. The childminder discusses individual dietary requirements with parents and keeps a record of these so that the needs of all children can be met. However, the children's health could be compromised as the childminder does not have parental permission for seeking emergency treatment or advice and the accident book is not consistently countersigned by parents and this could lead to misunderstandings between parents and the childminder. Children participate in a wide range of physical activities, contributing to their good

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Helping children to be healthy

health. The childminder ensures that there are regular opportunities for indoor and outdoor activities. These include dancing and music sessions indoors and enjoying the well equipped garden outside, where the children have access to a go cart, bikes, balls, skipping ropes and skittles. These play sessions are helping the children to develop control of their bodies and improve their coordination skills. The children are beginning to understand their own physical needs, for example, they know when they need a drink or a rest. The younger children are able to fully participate in the activities because the childminder has a sound knowledge of child development. She provides appropriate activities and supports the children so that they have confidence to try out new skills and experiences.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children are cared for in a welcoming and safe environment and are therefore able to move around independently and freely. The childminder is aware of risks, both in and out of the house, and has taken positive steps to minimise these. For example, she has taught the children about the fire evacuation procedure and they know what they would do in case of a fire. The children's safety is promoted particularly well on outings as the childminder has a good transporting procedure, she checks for potentially hazards, takes a basic first aid kit and her mobile telephone contains all contact numbers.

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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 independently select activities from a range of quality toys and equipment. They use safe play resources and equipment and the childminder generally makes sure that these are interesting and appropriate for the age and developmental stage of the children. The children's welfare is promoted as the childminder has all the required procedures and documents in place. For example, she holds a current first aid certificate and has a good understanding of child protection procedures.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. Children are confident, settled and interested in their play. They happily choose activities and resources independently. They enjoy a wide range of activities that cover all areas of development and encourages them to explore and learn about their environment. These include imaginative scenarios such as shopping and feeding babies and outdoor activities such as regular visits to library and local parks. The childminder plans daily for the children and ensures that all activities are suitable and easily accessible. The children have a good relationship with the childminder who uses her knowledge of child development to adapt activities so that they are appropriate and promote children’s learning, ensuring that all children spend their time purposefully. When participating in craft activities, older children are encouraged to do as much for themselves as possible, whilst younger children are given more support from the

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

childminder. However, the children's learning could be enhanced by more open questioning. This will encourage their intellectual thinking processes and problem solving skills.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children are valued and respected as individuals. The childminder makes sure that she is aware of their individual needs and is able to meet these. She has a clear understanding of children's special needs through her career as a childminder and through relevant training courses she has attended. She works hard at keeping parents informed of their child's progress through daily dialogue. She ensures that the daily routine allows time for the children to play, relax and interact with other children at the local toddler coffee mornings. The children's behaviour is good and they are learning about playing together, sharing and taking turns. For example, when playing at shopping they readily take turns with favourite bags and baskets. The childminder sets consistent boundaries so that they know what is expected of them. The childminder has a very good understanding of behaviour management and

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Helping children make a positive contribution

appropriate methods to use. The children's awareness of society and the wider world is actively promoted. The childminder appreciates the importance of providing a range of activities and play resources to promote positive images of our society and increase children’s

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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 this. For example, the younger children learn about their local community on routine outings to local parks, school, library and visits to the village shop.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Overall, the needs of the children who attend are met. The childminder organises most aspects of her work efficiently, helping the children to feel comfortable, relaxed and at home. They are confident and can therefore initiate their own play and learning. She ensures that the space available is well managed providing areas for them to play, rest, and exercise. The individual needs of all children are met by the childminder through her procedures to ensure that she has relevant information on them. She regularly discusses and reviews this with the parents. The children's emotional and physical development is suitably promoted through the childminder's knowledge and understanding of the children who are present. She plans and organises her daily work, which ensures that children are offered a range of interesting activities and opportunities and that all are able to participate.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The childminder was asked at the previous inspection to ensure that the attendance record is kept up to date, and that all persons over 16 years in the house holds a current CRB clearance. She was also asked to make sure children could not exit the play area or garden unsupervised and to protect them from the debris in playroom and garden. The childminder regularly fills in her attendance record and will be vigilant in her daily recordings. All persons living in the premises have cleared police checks through the local authority. The debris has been removed from the garden and playroom and there are sturdy locking devices on the back gate and the inner hall doorway.

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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

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

To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • ensure that the health of the children is promoted by ensuring that there are permissions for the seeking of emergency treatment or advice in place and the accident record is consistently countersigned by parents • ensure that children's intellectual development is encouraged through the use of open questioning.

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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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