Childminder in Croydon

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY386126 Inspection date 18/12/2009 Inspector Marcia Robinson

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Type of setting Childminder to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It rates council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 08456 404040, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way.

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Royal Exchange Buildings St Ann's Square Manchester M2 7LA

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T: 08456 404040 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under Sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of the registered early years provision. ‘Early years provision’ refers to provision regulated by Ofsted for children from birth to 31 August following their fifth birthday (the early years age group). The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children’s learning, development and welfare, known as the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Introduction

The provider must provide a copy of this report to all parents with children at the setting where reasonably practicable. The provider must provide a copy of the report to any other person who asks for one, but may charge a fee for this service (The Childcare (Inspection) Regulations 2008 regulations 9 and 10).

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Introduction

The setting also makes provision for children older than the early years age group which is registered on the voluntary and/or compulsory part(s) of the Childcare Register. This report does not include an evaluation of that provision, but a comment about compliance with the requirements of the Childcare Register is included in Annex B.

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Introduction

Please see our website for more information about each childcare provider. We publish inspection reports, conditions of registration and details of complaints we receive where we or the provider take action to meet the requirements of registration. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Description of the childminding

The childminder was registered in 2008. He lives with his adult brother in a house in Thornton Heath, in the London borough of Croydon. The childminder works with his mother, who is also a registered childminder at the premises, although she resides at a different address. His brother acts as their assistant. Two reception rooms on the ground floor are used as playrooms for the children. There is direct access onto a rear garden which is currently not used for outdoor play due to safety reasons. Children do not use the first floor, except for access to the toilet and bathroom facilities. The family pet is a dog.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The childminder works with his mother, who is also a registered childminder as well as his brother who is registered as his assistant. When working on his own, he is registered to care for a maximum of six children under eight years at any one time, of whom no more than three may be in the early years age range. When working with his co-childminder and assistant, he is registered to care for a maximum of nine children under eight of whom no more than eight may be in the early years age group. The childminder is currently minding five children in this age group who attend a variety of sessions. He also offers care to children aged over five years to 11 years. The childminder is a member of the National Childminding Association (NCMA).

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is inadequate.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

The childminder offers a warm and friendly welcome to all children and their families. He provides an adequate range of activities for the children to participate in, which encourages them to enjoy their time in his care. The childminder demonstrates a positive attitude to providing an inclusive environment and demonstrates some awareness of children’s individual needs. However, children are not fully safeguarded as the childminder is not totally secure in his knowledge of issues surrounding child protection and he has overlooked some hazards on the premises. As a result, there are breaches in the welfare requirements. The childminder's limited understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage and the requirements he must adhere to, results in him not maintaining continuous improvement.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall, the early years provision requires significant improvement. The registered person is given a Notice to Improve that sets out actions to be carried out.

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further?

To comply with the requirements of the EYFS the registered person must take the following action by the specified date: This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006  improve knowledge and understanding of the educational programme and undertake sensitive observational assessments in order to plan and provide experiences which are appropriate to each child's stage of development as they progress towards the early learning goals (Organisation) 07/01/2010

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further?

 ensure all necessary information is obtained from parents in advance to children being admitted, including parents' and carers' full work address and children's health details (Safeguarding and promoting children's welfare) (also applies to the compulsory part of the Childcare Register) 07/01/2010

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further?

 conduct risk assessments for the premises and outings and take all reasonable steps to ensure that hazards to children are kept to a minimum with particular regard to the container containing dog food (Suitable premises, environment and equipment) (also applies to both parts of the Childcare Register) 07/01/2010

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further?

 introduce a rigorous system to monitor and evaluate the quality of the provision and ensure that any weaknesses that are identified are promptly acted on to improve outcomes for children (Organisation) 07/01/2010

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further?

 develop knowledge and understanding of safeguarding procedures in particular regard to the signs and symptoms of abuse (Safeguarding and promoting children's welfare) 07/01/2010

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further?

To improve the early years provision the registered person should:

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further?

 ensure that the fire blanket is located in a suitable place for easy access  further develop links with the local nursery, to ensure successful delivery of the Early Years Foundation Stage  ensure details are kept of the times children are in the care of the childminder's assistant.

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the early years provision

Children benefit from some aspects of the childminder's organisation. The childminder, who works jointly with his mother and with one assistant, takes individual responsibility for preparing the meals and snacks. The childminder has an appropriate safeguarding policy in place which sets out what steps he will take if he has any concerns about the welfare of the children in his care. He shares the policy and procedure documents with parents so that they are aware of his responsibilities. Checks for suitability for adult members of the family were made at the time of registration. However, arrangements to safeguard children are not totally secure. This is because the childminder is not clear about the signs and symptoms of abuse in fully promoting children's welfare. The daily visual safety checks carried out by the childminder have failed to identify the risks and hazards This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

to children on the premises. These include easy access to pet food storage containers and the fire blanket in the kitchen which is not suitably fitted for easy access in the event of an emergency. In addition to this, the childminder does not ensure children are fully protected because he has not obtained written parental permission for children to take part in outings or to travel by car. In addition to this, risk assessments for the premises and outings are not recorded, which are breaches of legal requirements. The childminder has some of the required records and documentation in place but does not currently have all the necessary information for each child in his care. For example, child record forms are available but not all important details such as parents' and carers' places of work and children's immunisation records are kept to ensure children's health care and individual needs are met effectively. Suitable records are kept including a register

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the early years provision

showing the times children are in the care of the childminder, although details are not showing when the assistant is present or in sole charge of children to ensure accountability.

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the early years provision

The childminder has not developed an effective partnership with parents and carers. For instance, parents do not have access to a written complaints procedure so they are fully informed about the provision. Although parents receive information about the childminder's written policies and procedures and information about their child's care through feedback at the end of each day this is not supported by a two way flow of information and knowledge about children's individual needs and home routines. For instance, the childminder does not ask further questions to support his knowledge of children and their families. In addition the childminder liaises in a limited way with other agencies, such as teachers. He does occasionally pass messages between the nursery and parents. However, besides this he does not have strong links with the setting. Consequently, it is difficult for him to complement the curriculum they are

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the early years provision

The childminder provides a welcoming environment and makes appropriate use of space. He provides a satisfactory range of equipment and toys, including a selection of resources that reflect positive images of different cultures, disabilities and gender. This is complemented with outings in the local community and activities where the children learn about their own cultures and backgrounds such as painting flags that represent the countries they come from. Systems for self- evaluation however, are underdeveloped and do not effectively identify strengths and key weaknesses of the provision. As a consequence, there is little impact on outcomes for children's overall care, learning and development.

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and outcomes for children

The range of resources available ensures each of the areas of learning is covered. Most toys are stored at the children's height to encourage free choice and independence. The childminder rotates the boxes of resources to inspire children to play. He does some very basic planning of activities and experiences taking into account children's interests. However, this is not structured or recorded. Simple informal observations also take place, which are adequately used to inform the This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 planning. Again there is no structure to this process and they are not recorded to show that children are making progress. The children benefit from a flexible routine, including a balance of child-centred and adult-led activities. They have some opportunities for creative and exploratory play, as they have access to paint, play with sand and manipulate play dough. Children's mathematical thinking is

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and outcomes for children

encouraged as they count when walking up and down the stairs and count the spoonfuls of ingredients when participating in simple baking such as rice crispy cakes. The childminder supports children's learning adequately as he talks about the colours and how many pieces of the track they will need when playing with the train track. Children's communication skills are promoted through the childminder who listens, talks and responds to children's requests. This is further extended with access to books in the home and regular visits to the local library for selecting books. Appropriate use is made of the local area to give children a breadth of opportunities, for instance, when they visit local shops and the library. The childminder is keen to ensure children are happy and settled. He is friendly, approachable and sensitive to their individual needs. Consequently, they feel secure.

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and outcomes for children

Children benefit from playing in a clean and spacious environment where the childminder has adapted the space by removing excessive furniture so that children can move around and play freely. Systems are in place to gather information with regard to special dietary needs, which ensures children's individual requirements are appropriately met. They are encouraged to enjoy generally healthy snacks and meals. These include fruit and pasta dishes although occasionally children are provided with convenience foods such as chicken nuggets, mashed potatoes and baked beans. Children develop sound attitudes to healthy living as the childminder regularly takes them for walks in the park where they can use a range of large and small equipment. Children are learning how to keep themselves safe when offsite because the childminder talks to them about the dangers of the road and encourages them to hold hands when out walking.

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and outcomes for children

Children behave well and are familiar with the daily routine because the childminder has clear boundaries in place which are appropriate for each child’s level of understanding and maturity. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Annex A: record of inspection judgements

The key inspection judgements and what they mean

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Annex A: record of inspection judgements

Grade 1 is Outstanding: this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality Grade 2 is Good: this aspect of the provision is strong Grade 3 is Satisfactory: this aspect of the provision is sound Grade 4 is Inadequate: this aspect of the provision is not good enough

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children in the Early Years Foundation Stage?

The capacity of the provision to maintain continuous improvement

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and managed?

The effectiveness of leadership and management in embedding ambition and driving improvement The effectiveness with which the setting deploys resources 3 The effectiveness with which the setting promotes equality and diversity The effectiveness of safeguarding 4 The effectiveness of the setting’s self-evaluation, including the steps taken to promote improvement The effectiveness of partnerships 3 The effectiveness of the setting’s engagement with parents and carers

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Stage

The quality of the provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage 3

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 3 The extent to which children feel safe 4 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 3 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 3 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 3

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Stage

procedures set out in the guidance available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are: Not Met (with actions)

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are: Not Met (with actions)

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The registered provider does not meet the requirements of the compulsory and or voluntary part/s of the Childcare Register.

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

To comply with the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register, the registered person must take the following action/s by the specified date:

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

 take action as specified in early years section of the report 07/01/2010

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

 devise and implement a written statement of procedures to be followed in relation to complaints which relate to the requirements of the Childcare Register and which parents make in writing or by email (also applies to the voluntary part of the Childcare Register) 07/01/2010

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

 make available to parents copies of the written statements of the complaints procedures (also applies to the voluntary part of the Childcare Register) 07/01/2010

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

To comply with the requirements of the voluntary part of the Childcare Register, the registered person must take the following action/s by the specified date:

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

 take action as specified in early years section of the report 07/01/2010

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