Childminder in Derbyshire

EYL413 V1_20090122 Ofsted National Business Unit St Ann’s Square Manchester M2 7LA Telephone: 08456 404040 Fax: 08456 40 40 49 Minicom: 0161 6188524 Email: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk Web: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Outcome of monitoring visit for provision judged as inadequate

Thank you for the help which you gave when we visited your setting with the above registration number on 14/05/2009. This monitoring visit follows your inadequate inspection.

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Publication of this letter

This letter will be published on our website. Please contact us on 08456 404040 or by email to the above address within 24 hours of the receipt of this letter if there are any factual inaccuracies within it. Please note we will not include your name and address when we publish the letter.

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Outcome of the visit

As a result of the inspection on 06/01/2009, you were sent a welfare requirements notice.

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Outcome of the visit

The notice required you to ensure that you submit an enhanced Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) form for you and every person living on the premises aged 16 or over having regular contact with children and to obtain public liability insurance.

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Outcome of the visit

In addition to the welfare requirements notice you were also issued a notice to improve that required you to: ensure fire detection equipment is in working order; improve knowledge of safeguarding issues and ensure that an effective safeguarding policy and procedure is implemented; ensure that records of risk assessments and children's daily attendance are accurate and up to date; obtain all necessary information to safeguard and promote the welfare of children including written parental permission to seek emergency medical advice or treatment; plan and provide a daily balance of adult-led and child-initiated activities and experiences which are appropriate to each child's stage of development and undertake sensitive observational assessment in order to plan to meet young children's individual needs;

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Outcome of the visit

The notice of action to improve also required you to make improvements in relation to the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. This required you to: implement a written statement of procedures to be followed to safeguard children and make a copy of it available to parents; implement a written statement of procedures to be followed in relation to complaints and which a parent makes in writing or by e-mail and make a copy of it available to parent and to take action as specified in the Early Years section of the report in relation to risk assessments, CRB forms, records of children's attendance and public liability insurance.

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Outcome of the visit

Having considered all the evidence, the inspector is of the opinion that at this time the childminder is making good progress in some areas with satisfactory improvement overall.

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Outcome of the visit

Having considered all the evidence, the inspector is of the opinion that at this time you are making satisfactory improvement overall.

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Overall effectiveness of the improvement and outcomes for children

The childminder has now made satisfactory progress towards addressing the actions contained within the welfare requirement notice. At the previous monitoring visit on 23 February 2009, the childminder had not taken appropriate action to meet the welfare requirement notice in relation to ensuring CRB disclosures were in place for members of the household. The childminder attended an interview under caution to discuss the reasons for failure to meet the welfare requirement. This interview informed Ofsted's action to issue a formal warning letter. The childminder has now taken appropriate action and has obtained enhanced CRB disclosures for family members aged over 16 who live on the premises. Adequate insurance is in place should an accident occur as public liability insurance continues to be active, meeting the remaining aspect of the welfare requirement notice.

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Overall effectiveness of the improvement and outcomes for children

Children are generally safeguarded. The childminder has significantly improved her knowledge of child protection. She has attended a safeguarding course which enables her to further recognise signs of abuse and she is familiar with procedures to follow should she have any concerns about a child's welfare. The childminder has used her increased knowledge to write a child protection policy which is readily shared with all parents, so helping to form an ethos of working together to safeguard children. Risk assessments are beginning to identify and reduce hazards in the home. Fire detection equipment is now in working order with a battery fitted within the downstairs smoke alarm. This means that children and the childminder will be appropriately alerted to any potential risk of fire, so helping them to follow the childminder's written fire escape plan. The childminder has improved the accuracy and detail within most documents, policies and procedures which ensures children's

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Overall effectiveness of the improvement and outcomes for children

wellbeing is largely promoted. For example, she now keeps an accurate record of children's attendance and shares a well-written complaints policy with all parents. However, written parental permission to seek emergency medical advice or treatment is still not in place. This compromises children's safety overall.

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Overall effectiveness of the improvement and outcomes for children

Planning and assessment for all children is progressing very well. The childminder now completes three monthly written plans for each child to ensure learning activities are individually challenging and yet achievable. She readily adapts daily learning experiences such as jigsaws and story telling to capture and extend each child's learning. The childminder provides warm, secure and yet, lively and interesting story times. She builds on children's interests by listening to them sing songs and asking questions relevant to the individual child whilst leafing through books. This helps children to develop critical thinking skills and furthers their passion to learn. The childminder is starting to use observational assessments to inform future learning experiences. She tailors the balance of adult-led and child-initiated activities and experiences to meet the needs of children on the day. For example, if

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Overall effectiveness of the improvement and outcomes for children

children are a little tired and in need of comfort she provides one-to-one activities. During other time periods, children self-select activities and follow their own ideas, accessing resources with ease. Children make satisfactory progress towards the early learning goals.

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Overall effectiveness of the improvement and outcomes for children

The local authority continue to visit regularly to offer support to the childminder and these visits are showing real benefits to the childminder and children. The childminder is beginning to show a capacity to sustain and monitor improvement through self-evaluating her own practice. For example, she has recognised that her initial risk assessment does not fully meet the legal requirements and as such has begun to complete more comprehensive assessments of risk. However, quality improvement processes are not yet fully successful as not all shortfalls have been recognised and consequently acted upon.

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Overall effectiveness of the improvement and outcomes for children

Overall, these further measures taken to improve children's learning, development and welfare and the leadership and management of the provision have improved outcomes for children. The childminder has made satisfactory improvement overall. The next visit will be a monitoring visit.

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Next steps

Having considered all the evidence the inspector is of the opinion that at this time:

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Next steps

 The childminder has made satisfactory progress in addressing the points for improvement. The next visit will be a further monitoring visit. I hope that you have found the visit helpful in promoting improvement in your childminding service.If you have any further queries please contact us on the number at the top of this letter.

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