Childminder in Norfolk

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique Reference Number 256168 Inspection date 01 June 2005 Inspector Lesley Gadd

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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 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 July 1999 and lives with her family in a village close to the town of Attleborough. She is registered to care for 5 children under the age of 8 years at anyone time and there are currently 11 children attending on a part time basis,. Children who attend have access to all downstairs rooms and an enclosed garden. The upstairs rooms are excluded from the registration.The family have a pet goldfish. The childminder is a member of the National Childminding Association.

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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

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children are learning to understand the importance of good personal hygiene, through daily routines such as wiping hands before eating. Children are suitably protected from the spread of infection as they play in the warm, clean home. Children's well being is considered and appropriate measures are in place to respond when children become ill because the childminder has parents' contact numbers and a first aid kit readily available. Children benefit from a varied and nutritious snack diet, such as fruit and yoghurts to support their growth and development. Through a healthy diet and growing their own food, such as strawberries and tomatoes, the children are starting to understand the importance of eating well. The younger children demonstrate their independence as they drink from their cups when needed. All children enjoy regular outdoor activity to develop their physical skills and promote

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Helping children to be healthy

their good health. They have opportunities within the day to exercise including walking, sliding and running in the garden. Children are able to rest when needed and the toddlers' individual sleep routines are followed from home, promoting a sense of security.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children's risk of accidental injury is minimised by the childminder because she constantly supervises the children in her care. She has evacuation routines in place, which she talks through with the children to foster their understanding about safety matters. Children enjoy a welcoming environment and independently select activities from an acceptable range of well maintained toys, which meet safety standards. Children are interested in the toys and the childminder carefully monitors the children's choice of toys to make sure they are appropriate for their age and stage of development. Children's welfare is promoted as the childminder has attended training in child protection, however contact details for social services are out of date, which could reduce the effectiveness of any necessary referral.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children of all ages are happy with the childminder, who is kind and warm in her approach towards them. Children are reassured and confident as the childminder makes time to listen and speak with them, offering a comfortable lap and a chance to

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 sit and complete a jigsaw when needed. Children are interested in a good range of developmentally appropriate indoor and outdoor activities. They demonstrate a range of skills such turning the pages in a book, marking paper with pens, designing and building a tower of bricks and counting up to 20 and playing imaginatively when taking a doll for a walk in a pushchair. The childminder has plans to develop her knowledge of the Birth to three matters framework, to ensure the younger children have a full range of activities to further promote their development. Children acquire new knowledge through some valuable questioning by the childminder such as,'do you know what number that is?'. Children's thinking and understanding is developed when they have discussions about healthy eating and exercise.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Children's interests are noted by the childminder, such as the child who likes play dough and she has a developing knowledge of how to foster children's individual capabilities.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. All children receive a warm welcome and are encouraged to take part in all activities, such as the toddlers sharing in the playdough fun. As a result children are developing their self esteem and sense of value as individuals. Children are able to make choices, be independent and take decisions within their play, such as choosing what toys to play. They are beginning to learn about their own culture through celebrations and there are some developing opportunities for them to extend their awareness of diversity and understanding of others, through discussion and resources. Children are well behaved and polite. They are beginning to develop skills in sharing, as a younger child gets a doll for another child. The childminder responds clearly and consistently to explain why behaviour is unacceptable, fostering the children's sense of right and wrong. Partnerships with parents are good. Children's welfare is promoted through the

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Helping children make a positive contribution

positive relationships that exist between the childminder and parents. Parents' wishes about individual feeding and sleeping routines are respected and the childminder makes sure she speaks with parents on a daily basis to keep them informed about what the children have been doing whilst in her care.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Children are secure and settled in the childminder's home where they can eat and sleep in comfort, however space and resources are not well organised to ensure the children can play effectively at all times. Children enjoy a range of activities during the day, with regular times to rest and eat to meet their individual needs and promote their sense of security.

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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 Children's welfare is promoted as the childminder maintains a comprehensive set of legally required documentation. A file is available for parents to view, giving some details about their children's care and to provide reassurance. Overall the Children are being well cared for and the provision meets the needs of the children who attend.

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Improvements since the last inspection

Since the last inspection, the childminder has improved a number of issues to ensure children's health and safety are well maintained. She has set up a range of individual records for each child to ensure accidents and any medications are recorded and countersigned by parents. In addition parents have given written permission for the childminder to seek any necessary medical advice or treatment in an emergency. Smoke detectors are in working order and the outdoor slide has been rebuilt to ensure children cannot injure themselves. Cleaning routines have been increased to ensure the toys and equipment remain in a suitable condition for use by the children. Parents are able to read the childminder's policy regarding managing children's behaviour before they start to attend and the childminder records any incidents to discuss with parents if necessary.

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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): • obtain the current contact details for the Social Services to fully comply with area child protection procedures • improve the organisation of space and resources to meet the children's needs.

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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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