Childminder in West Sussex

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY274510 Inspection date 07/06/2010 Inspector Rosemary Musgrove

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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 2002. She lives with her husband and two school aged children in Worthing, West Sussex. The ground floor of the property is used for childminding and there is an enclosed garden for outside play. The family has two pet dogs, a hamster and some goldfish. The childminder is within walking distance of local schools, parks and shops.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder 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 group. She is currently minding five children in this age group who attend on a part-time basis. She also offers care to children aged over five years to 11 years. This provision is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register.

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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's limited knowledge and understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage means that children do not have all their welfare needs met. However, the childminder knows about individual needs, and suitable activities mean that children make progress in their learning and development. The organisation of the environment and resources is appropriate; however, there are weaknesses in safeguarding and keeping children safe and these are breaches of the regulations. Partnerships with parents support the continuity of the children's care. Self-evaluation is weak and does not clearly identify strengths and areas for future development which will improve the outcomes for children.

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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:

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further?

 conduct a risk assessment and record when it was carried out and by whom, regularly review the risk assessment, at least once a year, and include in the record the date of review and any action taken following a review or incident (Suitable premises, environment and equipment) 09/07/2010

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further?

 implement an effective safeguarding children policy and procedure (Safeguarding and promoting children's welfare) 09/07/2010

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further?

 ensure adults looking after children have appropriate 30/08/2010 This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 qualifications, training, skills and knowledge (Suitable people).

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further?

To improve the early years provision the registered person should:

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further?

 develop a robust system for self-evaluation and quality improvement in order to improve the outcomes for children  ensure information on individual children is maintained confidentially  carry out regular evacuation drills.

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the early years provision

The childminder does not have a satisfactory knowledge and understanding of safeguarding children and this means that children's welfare is at risk. Although she has some awareness of the signs and symptoms of child abuse, she does not have effective policies and procedures to report concerns about the children's welfare to the key agencies. The childminder has some of the required procedures and documentation for running the early years provision; however, the accident records are not confidential. Although the childminder does some safety checks in her home she does not conduct, review and maintain a record of the required risk assessment and this means that some hazards are not identified and these pose a risk to the children's safety. The childminder holds a current first aid certificate and has written parental permission to seek emergency medical advice or treatment.

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the early years provision

Play areas support learning and development and children can move around the childminder's home because resources are suitable for the developmental stage of the children; they are interested to play, for example, with an interactive toy.

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the early years provision

The childminder aims to provide a service that is inclusive for all children and makes sure they can join in. She has a satisfactory knowledge of child development and helps children when they need support or guidance. Children see some positive images of people's differences when they do dressing up activities and play with dolls from other cultures. The childminder understands the value of working alongside parents to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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the early years provision

The childminder works in partnership with parents and carers. Before a child starts, they visit the childminder for short sessions and the childminder discusses their favourite activities and food preferences with their parents. The childminder and parents talk about the children each day and this supports the continuity of the children's care. Parents indicate some positive aspects of the setting, for example, they have not had any concerns or problems about their child's care and feel that the childminder is a warm, caring person who communicates well about their child's day. The childminder understands the importance of working in partnership with other providers if a child also attends another setting.

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the early years provision

Although the childminder has improved limited aspects of her provision since the last inspection, she does not have a clear idea of her strengths and weaknesses, This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 nor does she have a robust system in place to self-evaluate her practice in order to improve the outcomes for children.

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and outcomes for children

Children are settled in the childminder's home and take part in outdoor and indoor activities that help them to make progress in their learning and development. Although the childminder does not have a secure knowledge and understanding of the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage, she has made a start on using observations to plan activities, for example, when she observes the children's counting skills she encourages songs and games that help them to make further progress. The childminder responds to the children's interests and her interaction helps them to learn colours and to extend their vocabulary. When they are enthusiastic to play a game with other children, she helps them to set the game up and shows them how it works. Children do creative activities, for example, they sing songs and explore the texture of paints.

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and outcomes for children

Children behave well in the setting and enjoy interacting with other children, for example, during a ball game in the garden and when constructing a track. The childminder's praise helps them to develop a positive self-esteem. Young children learn to develop social skills as they play alongside older children and show that they learn to respect others. The childminder helps children to learn about traditions in other countries, such as, the different food that people eat.

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and outcomes for children

The systems for protecting children from hazards are inadequate, for example, a pond, water butt and some plants pose a potential risk in the outside area. Although children indicate they feel secure in the childminder's care, because she has not identified all potential hazards they do not learn how to keep themselves safe. Inside the home, the childminder has some safety equipment, such as a fire blanket and smoke detectors. The childminder can describe some aspects of her evacuation procedure; however, this has not been practised with the children and compromises their safety in the event of an emergency. Inside the home, children have space to move around and request their preferred resources, for example, the road track. Children have opportunities to learn about road safety awareness and the childminder has written parental permission for routine outings. Through discussion, the childminder indicates she knows some aspects of keeping children

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and outcomes for children

Children begin to learn about healthy routines. They wash their hands after visiting the toilet and before eating their lunch. The childminder provides their food and offers them a choice of sandwich; this means children begin to think about their food preferences. They regularly help themselves to fresh fruit and have sufficient drinks. Children engage in physical activities and these help to develop their coordination skills, for example, they practise their bat and ball skills in the childminder's garden.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder helps children develop their skills for the future. Babies begin to use words to communicate their wishes and the childminder responds to their talk. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 Children enjoy playing with the interactive toys and watch what happens when they turn the wheel or press a button. The childminder encourages them to find out about the local environment and wider world when they visit the shops or beach. 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 4

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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

 keep and implement a written statement of procedures to be followed for the protection of children, intended to safeguard children being cared for from abuse or neglect (Arrangements for safeguarding children) (also applies to the voluntary part of the Childcare Register) 09/07/2010

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

 ensure that the premises and equipment used for the purposes of childcare are safe and suitable (Suitability and safety of premises and equipment) (also applies to the voluntary part of the Childcare Register) 09/07/2010

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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 the compulsory part of the Childcare Register section (Arrangements for safeguarding children)(Suitability and safety of premises and equipment) 09/07/2010

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