Childminder in Lancashire

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY403068 Inspection date 05/05/2010 Inspector Angela Rowley

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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. She lives with her husband and two children aged four years and one year, in the town of Chorley in Lancashire. The whole of the ground floor, the bathroom and bedroom on the upper floor are used for childminding. A fully enclosed paved area to the rear of the home is available for outdoor play.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of four children at any one time, of these two may be in the early years age range. At present there are two children on roll in this age range who attend on a part time basis. The childminder is also registered on the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder holds a recognised Level 3 childcare qualification and is a member of 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

The childminder is in the early stages of childminding. Children's care and their learning are promoted satisfactorily through the childminder's developing understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage. The childminder establishes warm and nurturing relationships with children and cares for them in a sufficiently inclusive environment. She suitably manages her provision and basically keeps the required documentation to promote children's welfare. Children's needs are met successfully through positive links with parents as the childminder shares information effectively, ensuring children are offered appropriate levels of support and consistency in their care. Systems to reflect on and evaluate the practice, in order to maintain continuous improvement are not yet in place.

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further?

To further improve the early years provision the registered person should:

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further?

 extend the risk assessement to cover anything with which a child may come into contact and maintain a record of when checks have been conducted  use observations systematically and match them to the early learning goals in order to identify and plan challenging activities for children's individual progression accross all area's of learning  review the arrangements for helping children adopt healthy lifestyles, providing them with healthy, nutritious food and water to drink  develop systems to self-evaluate practice and provision in order to identify gaps in the provision for children's learning and target areas for future development which will improve all outcomes for children. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

The childminder demonstrates a basic knowledge and understanding of how to implement the procedures for child protection to ensure the safety and welfare of children. She understands her responsibilities and has adopted clear written procedures. She has conducted a basic risk assessment of her home and general outings and she implements some appropriate safety measures to minimise the risk of accidents to children. However, the assessments completed are narrow and as a result some potential hazards have not been fully considered. The childminder suitably considers fire safety within her home and tests smoke alarms routinely. She is trained in first aid and deals with medicines, accidents and incidents appropriately. The childminder uses her space adequately, so that she can supervise children at all times. Their free access to toys stored in the lounge, allows them to develop some early independence.

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the early years provision

The childminder is committed to developing quality childcare. Since registration she has purchased a range of additional resources and equipment to meet the needs of individual children. For example, she purchased an additional highchair to enable children of similar ages and stages of development to eat together and share a social mealtime experience. She has developed or obtained required records and documentation to meet the requirements. She acknowledges that further training will help improve her understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage. However, she has not devised a system for self-evaluation of her provision to identify and target areas for further development and consequently there are gaps in her provision for children's learning. She is not yet using her observations of the children systematically in order to identify or plan for future learning opportunities in all areas of learning.

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the early years provision

Children develop a clear sense of belonging within the childminder's home, which is warm and inviting. They are treated as unique individuals and a basic range of resources which reflect our diverse society are provided to help them develop a positive attitude towards difference. The childminder builds positive relationships with parents. She records information from them with regards to their children's needs and she discusses their routines before they settle with her. Effective communications with parents ensure continuity of care for children. They eat and sleep in accordance with their home routines and details of their day are shared through the completion of daily diaries. Verbal exchanges keep parents adequately informed of and involved in the basics of children's development. At present children do not attend any other settings, although the childminder is aware of the requirement to establish links with external agencies or other providers to ensure

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the early years provision

progression and continuity of care and education.

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and outcomes for children

Children are settled and content in the childminder's care. The suitably organised environment provides an appropriate range of toys and equipment, which children This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 enjoy and learn from. They develop some independence as they make toy selections from accessible storage in the lounge. They play creatively as they care for dolls, pretend to make cups of tea using the play kitchen, and push toy prams. A range of electronic, cause and effect toys, gives children a basic introduction to information and communication technology. The childminder provides an outside play area where children are able to access a range of equipment, such as sit 'n' rides and a slide. More regularly, children are taken out to planned activity groups, which focus on children's social and physical development. They enjoy toddler group play sessions and vigorous play in soft play centres. Children learn about

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and outcomes for children

caring for their bodies through good personal hygiene routines. They contribute to nappy change procedures and put away wipes and the mat after use. However, they have fewer opportunities to develop healthy eating habits. The childminder provides a varied menu which includes some basic fruit and vegetables each day. However, many meals contain processed items, such as sausages, burgers and smiley faces. Children are provided with access to drinks, however they are not routinely provided with access to water.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder demonstrates how she helps children develop basic skills for the future. Using her experience of working in early years settings she instinctively promotes children's early understanding of number through her natural play and interactions with them, such as counting children's shoes. She encourages children to post the shapes into shape sorters and encourages them to think through problems, such as lifting the pram 'higher' so it will go over the step. Children's personal and social skills are developing suitably. They learn to be independent and attempt to put on their own coats and shoes. They learn to self-feed, as they are given their own spoon and are encouraged by the childminder. They learn about the importance of good behaviour and its association with learning through explanations, for example, turn-taking and not playing with the internal doors so they don't trap their fingers. They use good manners, modelled and promoted by

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and outcomes for children

the childminder. They generally behave well, although, at times children lack focus because generally the activities are unplanned. As a result the range is narrow and does not challenge them continuously.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder is beginning to implement suitable systems to monitor children's progress. She observes what children can do, and records and evaluates what children have achieved. However she is not doing this systematically. As a result there are gaps in observing and assessing what children can do in some areas of learning. 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 3 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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