Childminder in York

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique Reference Number EY249248 Inspection date 16 December 2005 Inspector Elizabeth Patricia Edmond

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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 inadequate - notice of action to improve. The registered person does not meet the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The childminder has been registered since January 2003. She lives with her partner and one year old daughter in a town house on the outskirts of York. There are shops, parks, childcare groups and schools within walking distance. The ground floor and the upstairs bathroom is used for childminding. There is a fully enclosed garden available for outside play. The childminder may care for up to three children under eight years at any one time. There are currently three children on roll who attend part time. Older children rarely

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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 attend. The childminder is a member of the National Childminding Association.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is satisfactory. Children are cared for in a warm clean home where they learn to manage their own personal hygiene; they capably lather and rinse their hands after using the toilet. The childminder does not provide meals but the children learn about healthy eating by choosing a banana or tangerine for their snack and they are proud of peeling their own fruit. Although they enjoy a biscuit or cake as a treat, they benefit from a generally healthy diet and they have unlimited access to drinks throughout the day in their named cup. Children develop a positive approach to being active in the outdoors. They chat happily about recent walks out to feed the ducks and how they like to play in garden on the bikes or slide. The use of the outdoor play equipment aids their physical development in better weather.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. The children are able to play freely indoors and out because the childminder identifies and minimises risks, sensibly revising measures in preparation for a forthcoming baby care arrangement. An audible alarm alerts the childminder if anyone enters or leaves the building and the patio area is separately fenced from the rest of the garden. This provides a secure environment for the children. There are suitable emergency evacuation procedures in place, displayed for all to see. They have not yet been practised with the children. This could hinder the speedy evacuation of the premises. The children choose from a suitable range of age-appropriate equipment. They are in good condition which means that children can play safely. The childminder has done basic child protection training and has a satisfactory awareness of how to protect children from abuse. She keeps her notes from the

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

training for reference but does not have the local Area Child Protection Committee procedures or the government booklet "What To Do If You're Worried A Child Is Being Abused - Summary." This could hinder the effective handling of any concerns about the children.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is satisfactory. The children settle well at the childminder's house, they are relaxed in her care and

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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 make themselves at home. They help themselves from the range toys accessibly stored in the lounge, rummaging confidently for their favourite cars to push around the carpet and enjoying the sounds that this makes. Although the childminder is not aware of the Birth to three matters framework, she instinctively provides a range of activities which promote the children's intellectual development satisfactorily. The children learn about colour and shape because the childminder talks to them about their pictures and the colours they need and the children smile proudly as they complete their pictures. The children develop a good level of imagination. The childminder encourages their imagination by subtly joining in their play. She suggests how they can extend their play; the children then absorb

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

themselves pretending that the crayons are spanners and the large bricks are nuts to mend the car. The television is on much of the time at the childminder's house but the childminder makes sure that the programmes are appropriate and from time to time she talks to the children about what is happening. This sparks off conversations about what the children themselves feed to the ducks at the park, and about when they last had the paints out, or they talk about what shapes the presenter is using for a collage. This means that they are aware of their environment and learn to make connections between the abstract world of television and their own experiences.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is satisfactory. The children attending are valued and respected as individuals; the childminder gets to know them well and talks fondly about their preferences and personalities. They are relaxed and confident in the childminder's care and behave very well. The childminder shows a good understanding of how to keep children positive by using praise and encouragement and by chatting to them about their play. This develops their self-esteem and makes them feel valued. They show great concern for each other as they hear the others upset. The children do not demonstrate an acceptance of diversity within the community because there are no resources showing positive images of others for them to enjoy. The children benefit from the sensible liaison with parents, the childminder talks to parents every day as they collect their children. The childminder is developing more formalised ways of sharing information about the care of babies. There are suitable

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Helping children make a positive contribution

arrangements in place to record important information for parents, for example, about accidents and medication. The childminder was not aware of recent changes to the national standards and therefore did not have a system for logging any complaints from parents.

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Organisation

The organisation is inadequate. The organisation of the childminding is generally effective in some, but not all areas.

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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 The children are relaxed and confident in the homely environment. The property and resources are suitably organised for children to find their favourite toys which are stored in boxes at floor level. The low number of children attending means that they have a high level of one-to-one adult support in their care and learning. Most aspects of documentation are well organised; records of attendance and the children's details are clear, up to date and stored appropriately. This means that the childminder can easily locate the children's details should she need them. However, the childminder has not maintained her first aid certificate. Additionally she has not notified Ofsted of an important change in circumstances which affects her conditions of registration and she did not have her registration certificate displayed at the time of

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Organisation

the visit. Therefore overall the provision does not satisfactorily meet all the needs of the children who attend.

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Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection the childminder was asked to develop her resources to interest the children and help them to appreciate and enjoy diversity of our culture. The children now enjoy helping themselves to a suitable range of play equipment, appropriate to their level of development. Resources and activities which promote equality of opportunity have not been developed. In response to a further recommendation the childminder has devised and displayed emergency evacuation procedures and a carbon-monoxide detector has been fitted. This has improved aspects of the children's safety.

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Complaints since the last inspection

There are no complaints to report. The provider is required to keep a record of complaints made by parents, which they can see on request. The complaints record may contain complaints other than those made to Ofsted.

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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 inadequate - notice of action to improve. The registered person does not meet 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, the registered person must take the following actions:

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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 • provide an action plan notifying Ofsted when first aid training, which includes training in first aid for infants and young children, will be updated within three months • notify Ofsted, in writing, of any significant changes which affect the conditions of registration. These actions are set out in a notice of action to improve and must be completed by the date specified in the notice.

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The quality and standards of the care

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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