Childminder in Wirral

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY399900 Inspection date 21/01/2010 Inspector Elizabeth Margaret Grocott

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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 0300 123 1231, 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: 0300 123 1231 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 2009 and lives with her husband and two children aged six and two years in the Greasby area of Wirral, on Merseyside. The provision is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The childminder uses the whole of the ground floor for childminding with the exception of the front living room. The first and second floors are not used with the exception of the bathroom on the first floor. There is a fully enclosed outdoor play area to the rear of the property. The home is accessible but there is only stair access to the first floor.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of four children under eight years and there are currently six children on roll in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), attending on a part time basis. The childminder walks or drives to nurseries and pre-schools to take and collect children and also attends local groups. The childminder is a qualified Nursery Nurse (NNEB) and works in term time only. She is supported by the local authority and is a member of the National Childminding Association.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is satisfactory.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Children play and learn happily in the welcoming environment with a varied range of toys and resources to suit the ages and abilities of the children attending. The childminder recognises the uniqueness of each child and ensures their individual needs are met. Friendly relationships with parents contribute to children's sense of belonging. The childminder is ambitious and has the capacity to maintain continuous improvement, and is starting to use the self-evaluation form to evaluate her practice. She has started to make observations of children, but as yet these are not used to plan their next steps. The childminder's home has insufficient fire protection equipment and some of the regulatory policies lack detail. Communication with other providers who deliver the EYFS is in its infancy.

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further?

To fully meet the specific requirements of the EYFS, the registered person must:

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further?

 ensure there is appropriate fire detection and control equipment, for example, a fire blanket and smoke detectors on each floor of the property, which are in working order (Suitable premises, environment and equipment). 21/01/2010

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further?

To further improve the early years provision the registered person should: This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006  develop observations across the six areas of learning to support continuous assessment to form a view of where each child is in their learning, where they need to go, and the most effective practice to support them in getting there  expand the complaint policy by providing details for parents for contacting Ofsted and an explanation that parents can make a complaint to Ofsted should they wish  work together with other practitioners and parents to support transition, both between settings and between setting and school, and develop reflective practice and self-evaluation to identify the setting’s strengths and priorities for development that will improve the quality of provision for all children.

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the early years provision

Children are protected while in the care of the childminder as she is aware of the possible signs of abuse and neglect, and her responsibility to report any concerns without delay to the relevant agencies. She attends training to increase her knowledge and understanding of child protection. Risk assessments are undertaken both inside and outside the house to reduce any potential hazards to children. She allows children to take measured risks, such as climbing onto the stool to wash their hands in the kitchen. This encourages children to take responsibility for their own safety. The childminder supervises the children as they play and makes sure her home is secure. However, the childminder's home has insufficient fire prevention and control equipment, such as a fire blanket in the kitchen. This is a breach of the welfare requirements. All adults in the home have undergone Criminal Records Bureau checks to ensure their suitability to be around

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the early years provision

The childminder is ambitious for the future and proactively seeks out training opportunities to improve her knowledge and understanding of child development and the EYFS. She has yet to attend an EYFS training course since her registration, but has attended a first aid course and safeguarding training, demonstrating her ability to improve. The childminder has started to evaluate her practice, but as yet has not used self-evaluation to identify areas for development.

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the early years provision

The childminder works well with parents trying hard to involve them in their child's learning. They are given a detailed daily diary outlining details of activities they have been involved in, outings and information about meals and sleep. Parents are given mostly well-written policies and procedures, however, the complaint policy does not give parents the address of the regulator or detail of how complaints will be dealt with. The childminder collects good information about children's needs so she ensures their individual welfare needs are met well. None of the children attend other settings and during discussion, the childminder demonstrated a weakness in her knowledge about her responsibility to work in partnership with other settings in supporting children in transition. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Children are happy and relaxed in the childminder's, family-orientated home. They enjoy warm relationships with the childminder and show they are settled and content. They have developed friendships with the childminder's own children and clearly enjoy their company. The childminder has a sound understanding of the requirements of the EYFS and encourages children's involvement and enjoyment in their play. She ensures that, by making her own initial assessment of each child's development, her plans are tailored to each individual. This means that children learn at their own pace and in their own style. The childminder goes to great lengths to offer children explanations about things during the time they spend with her. Children very much lead their own play, with the childminder providing opportunities to follow their interests. For example, they choose to paint but then get far more enjoyment out of getting more clean water for rinsing brushes and

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and outcomes for children

asking if they can wash some of the childminder's dishes while at the sink. The childminder engages in a board game at the request of the children. They are encouraged to develop independence skills as they make up their own sandwiches at lunchtime. They butter their own bread and make choices about fillings. This helps to boost children's self-esteem. Children's behaviour is good and they know when to say 'please' and 'thank you' at appropriate times. They readily help to tidy toys away before moving on to a new activity and respond positively to the praise received from the childminder for their efforts.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder encourages dialogue in order to promote children's language as they recall significant events or talk about the books they have chosen to look at. There are photographs displayed of the children engaged in various activities. This gives them a sense of belonging. The childminder records what children have done and in some instances has begun to link these to the areas of learning. Although regular observations are made, as yet these are not used to assess learning and plan children's next steps. Children enjoy den making, role play, story time, baking bread and sorting shapes. They enjoy feeding the animals at the urban farm, and walking through the woods kicking the leaves. The childminder encourages shape and colour recognition, as well as an understanding of number. Children have access to various educational games on the computer.

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and outcomes for children

Children's good health and well-being is supported and positive steps are taken to prevent the spread of infection. Children adopt healthy habits, such as good hygiene practices; they wash their hands after using the toilet and before meal times. They enjoy healthy snacks and meals, with water available to drink throughout the day. Children are encouraged to play outdoors in the childminder's garden, building large muscles in tree houses and on slides. They also learn about life cycles as they plant and grow flowers and vegetables. They learn about road safety when on outings or walking to school. The childminder helps children to value diversity and accept that all people are different, through her resources and activities. 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 3 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 2 The extent to which children feel safe 3 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: Met

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are: Met

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