Childminder in Norfolk

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 256065 Inspection date 12/05/2010 Inspector Melanie Calway

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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 1993. She lives with her three adult children in Thetford, in Norfolk. The ground floor of the childminder's home is used for childminding. There is currently no access to an outdoor play area. The family has two dogs.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of six children under eight at any one time, no more than three of which may be in the early years age range. She is currently minding three children in this age group. The childminder is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and on both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register.

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Description of the childminding

She walks to the local school to take and collect children and takes them on regular outings to local parks, the river, the museum and a toy library.

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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 premises are not maintained in a suitable state of cleanliness and repair and the risk assessment is not fully effective in identifying and minimising all hazards to ensure children's safety. Children are contented and settled in the childminder's care and a friendly relationship exists with parents, who exchange information regularly about their children's care. The childminder knows the children well and provides appropriate activities, but she is not using systematic observation to plan for them as individuals. The childminder has started self-evaluation, but the process is not effective as it has not identified some of the current weaknesses.

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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?

 ensure that outdoor and indoor spaces, furniture, equipment and toys are safe and suitable for their purpose with particular reference to the state of cleanliness and repair of the kitchen (Suitable premises, environment and equipment; also applies to the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register) 16/06/2010

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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 09/06/2010 This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 record the date of review and any action taken following a review or incident (Suitable premises, environment and equipment)  carry out a full risk assessment for each type of outing (Safeguarding and promoting children's welfare) 09/06/2010

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further?

 develop the educational programme by making systematic observations and assessments of each child's achievements, interests and learning styles and use these to identify learning priorities and plan relevant and motivating learning experiences for each child (Educational programmes). 23/07/2010

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further?

To improve the early years provision the registered person should:

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further?

 improve awareness of your responsibilities under food hygiene legislation including registration with the relevant Local Authority Environmental Health department  provide access to an outdoor play area to provide increased opportunities for investigative and physical play  carry out regular evacuation drills and record the details in a log book of any problems encountered and how they were resolved  develop the partnership with parents by maintaining a two-way exchange about children's learning and development  develop systems to share information about individual children's learning and development when children attend other settings.

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the early years provision

Children's welfare, care and safety are not adequately promoted. The premises are in a poor state of cleanliness and repair, particularly the kitchen. Although children do not play in the kitchen, they do go in there to fetch their drinks with the childminder, who uses the kitchen to prepare some of their meals. The childminder is unaware of her responsibility to register with the relevant Local Authority Environmental Health department to ensure that areas, where food is prepared, are suitable. The family dogs are generally kept separately from the children and are let outside when the kitchen needs to be used. However, the dogs' bed is kept in the kitchen, where the dogs stay at times, and as one dog is currently moulting the kitchen is full of dog hair. The childminder has carried out a risk assessment but it does not cover everything with which a child may come into contact and is ineffective in identifying all hazards, for example, the risk assessment states that

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the early years provision

the drawer where scissors and knives are kept is made inaccessible by the use of a catch, however, there is no catch on the drawer. Although the childminder always supervises children in the kitchen, this still presents a possible risk. Risk assessments do not include all the required information, such as who carried them out, the date they were carried out and the date of any reviews. The childminder ensures that she takes emergency contact details and a phone when going out, and talks to children about safety issues. However, she has not carried out a full risk assessment for each type of outing to ensure that all risks are identified and This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 minimised. The childminder does not practise the fire evacuation with children to ensure that they know how to get out of the premises safely in the event of a fire or an emergency. Children are adequately safeguarded from the risk of abuse or

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the early years provision

neglect. All members of the household have had the relevant checks to ensure that they are suitable to be in contact with children. The childminder has attended training on safeguarding and is aware of her responsibility to refer any concerns she may have about children's welfare.

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the early years provision

The childminder has an adequate range of resources, and supplements this by borrowing items from the toy library. Children can choose resources which are stored at their level in the living room. However, the garden is currently out of use, so the children have no regular access to an outdoor play area providing physical play equipment and messy play. The childminder takes them on outings to the river, parks and the toy library, where they benefit from organised activities to provide some of these opportunities, but the range of activities available to them while they are in the home, for example, messy activities and physical play, is very limited. The childminder has a friendly relationship with parents and carers, who are made to feel welcome. They exchange important information about children's care and the childminder is aware of how children are and how they have slept so that she can care for them effectively. She keeps attractive scrap books of their

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the early years provision

work and photographs of their play, with some brief observations. These are shared with parents, but there is no system to maintain a two-way exchange of information about children's learning and development. She also communicates with other providers when children attend other settings and discusses their progress but has not developed systems to exchange information about individual children's learning and development across all the areas of learning.

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and outcomes for children

Children's learning and development is not promoted effectively because the childminder is not using observation to plan and provide for their individual learning. As a result, the childminder is not identifying the next steps for their development so that she can help them to progress and therefore not providing them with challenging learning experiences across all areas of learning. She plans a range of activities based loosely around themes, such as 'people who help us'. Plans cover the activities she offers and show how they aim to cover the six areas of learning, but they are the same for all the children and are not based on her observations of children's individual interests, achievements and learning styles. Some brief observations are recorded, along with photographs and examples of children's work in their scrap books. These are attractively presented and children enjoy looking at them and showing them to others. She has also started to record

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and outcomes for children

some of the things children can do. Most organised activities take place during the regular visits to the toy library. While in the home the range of activities is very limited because there is no access to an outdoor or messy play area. Children play with books, puzzles, construction and musical instruments. There are few opportunities for play with natural materials or physical equipment in the home. Although the childminder takes children on regular outings, there is no ongoing access to an outside play area to provide a balance of indoor and outdoor play. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 The childminder knows the children very well and takes into consideration their interests, for example, using children's interest in horses to help them to learn to count. They can ask for items of equipment and often borrow resources they are interested in from the toy library. Children are settled in her care and she shows

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and outcomes for children

them plenty of affection and reassurance. They communicate with her confidently and have formed positive relationships with her. She supports them as they look at books, do puzzles or play with the bricks. She also talks to them about what they have done recently, for example, that they saw a squirrel on their walk. Children generally get on well together and have opportunities to socialise with other children at the many group activities the childminder takes them to. The childminder takes children to local parks for physical play as there is no physical play equipment in the home. Children are gaining some knowledge of the world around them through their outings and planned topics. They also take photographs and so experience some technological play. However, activities in the home are not sufficiently challenging because the childminder is not planning for children as individuals and as a result their play becomes disruptive at times.

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and outcomes for children

Children's health is not adequately promoted because the premises are not maintained to a high standard. Children are encouraged to use hand gel after they have used the toilet but they have no access to a hand basin to learn about good hygiene routines. Parents provide packed lunches and the childminder provides a cooked tea, such as fish fingers. Some discussion takes place with the children to encourage them to learn about healthy eating and the childminder tells parents what their children have eaten. The children walk to local amenities and so get some fresh air and exercise, although opportunities for physical play are limited. Children's safety is not assured because of weaknesses in the risk assessment. However, they have developed trusting relationships with the childminder so they feel secure in her care. They learn about safety rules when going out, but the fire evacuation is not practised to enable them to learn what to do in the event of a

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and outcomes for children

fire. Children learn to respect each other, and the childminder encourages them to learn about other cultures through planned topics. They are learning some manners and their behaviour is generally managed positively. However, as children are not provided with a challenging educational programme they are not developing all the skills they need for the future. 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 4 The extent to which children feel safe 4 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 4 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 3 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 4

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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 the early years section of the report (Suitability and safety of premises and equipment) 16/06/2010

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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 the children being cared for from abuse or neglect (Arangements for Safeguarding children; also applies to the voluntary part of the Childcare Register). 09/06/2010

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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 early years section of the report (Suitability and safety of premises and equipment) 16/06/2010

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

 take action as stated in the compulsory part of the Childcare Register (Arrangements for Safeguarding Children). 09/06/2010

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