Childminder in Westmorland and Furness

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique Reference Number 317054 Inspection date 08 September 2005 Inspector Lesley Ormrod

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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 good. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The childminder was registered in 1998. She lives with her husband and two children aged five and eight in Endmoor, Cumbria. The whole of the ground floor and three rooms on the first floor are used for childminding. There are two fully enclosed areas for outside play. The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of 5 children at any one time and when childminding with an assistant may care for a maximum of 11 children at any one time. She is currently minding seven children under five all day and eleven children before school. The childminder regularly works with an assistant. She walks

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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 or drives to local schools to take and collect children. The childminder attends the local parent/toddler group. The family has two dogs. The childminder supports children with special educational needs. The childminder and her assistants hold appropriate early years qualifications. She is a member of the National Childminding Association.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children enjoy healthy snacks and lunches as the childminder provides a good variety of nutritious options and skilfully promotes their understanding of eating healthily. They discuss healthy food choices as they tuck into snacks of toasted teacakes and natural fruit juice, help to cut up the fruit selection of apples, bananas and oranges and add their cheese topping to their home-cooked lunch of pasta with garlic and tomato sauce. Older children know when they are thirsty and will ask for extra drinks as the childminder encourages their understanding that drinks are always available. Children's dietary and nutritional needs are met well as the childminder discusses in full with parents, records on the individual detail forms and has a good understanding of food hygiene procedures. Children have many opportunities to be active and can competently use the sit-and-ride equipment in the childminder's large outside play area. They eagerly

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Helping children to be healthy

explore their local area as the childminder understands the importance of providing regular exercise, such as walks to visit the horses in the nearby fields or watch the deer in the park. Children develop good physical coordination skills as they use the large apparatus in the local parks and enjoy the fun of ball games, such as tennis, in the open spaces. They are developing some understanding of why being physically active is good for them, as the childminder encourages them to know that it is important for their health, but do not yet explore how their bodies feel healthier after exercise. Children have a secure knowledge of the importance of good personal care routines as the childminder and her staff consistently encourage their good skills and practices. They can independently visit the toilet and competently wash their hands. Children know why it is important to wash their hands to prevent the possibility of

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Helping children to be healthy

germs harming them. Their health needs are met as the childminder discusses these fully with parents, follows correct procedures for the administration of medication and shares information about her sickness policy. Younger children's sleep and rest needs are provided for well as the childminder has agreed suitable arrangements with their parents.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. Children freely access a wide range of activities and resources in the spacious rooms

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 as the childminder has made good use of her available accommodation. They use the large playroom for their play with small world floor activities, enjoy story time and role play in the home corner in the other playroom and use the table-top room for art and craft activities. Children are proud of the photographs of their achievements, their individual art work and group topic work that the childminder has attractively displayed around the walls of the playrooms. They play safely with good quality toys, resources and equipment that the childminder makes easily accessible to facilitate their good choice making skills. Children enjoy the wide variety of creative activities that the childminder offers as she encourages their imaginative ideas through providing stimulating resources, such as the materials to make a lantern using

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

Perspex and stencils, shells collected from the beach and Hama beads for designing patterns. They show some understanding of tidying up one activity before moving on to the next, although their understanding of how this supports their safe play is not yet fostered. Children's understanding of safe practices is encouraged by the childminder as she guides them to put their shoes tidily on the rack to prevent others from tripping, shows them how to use utensils safely as they prepare their snack items and explains why it is dangerous to climb on the furniture. They have some understanding of the safe escape routes as the childminder regularly practises with them how to evacuate in an emergency. Their safe care arrangements have been considered by the childminder as she has risk assessed and made safe her interior areas, although some minor items in the outside play area require further assessment for safe access

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

by children. They enjoy outings safely as the childminder follows good procedures and teaches them about road safety skills. Children know that they walk with a partner in a line along the pavements and observe the stop points that the childminder identifies along the routes, to make sure that everyone is safely together. They understand why it is important to stop, look and listen before deciding that it is safe to cross over a road. Children's safe care needs in the event of an accident are provided for as the childminder and her assistants have first aid qualifications, although the wording of the accident recording sheets needs attention. Children have an awareness of how to stay safe when visitors call at the door as the childminder does not allow access by unauthorised persons. They learn about some aspects of protecting themselves as they are taught not to run up to or talk to strangers. Children are protected as the childminder and her staff have a sound

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

knowledge of child protection procedures and share their arrangements with parents, although they have not yet accessed further training.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children's interest in play and learning are effectively stimulated as the childminder and her staff make good use of topics for their planning of interesting activities each week. Children find out about the topic of 'air' as they participate in bubble painting and make kites. They learn the names of colours as they create a large display of items related to each colour name. Children confidently attempt tasks and activities independently and will ask for help when they need it. They readily relate to the

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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 childminder and her staff and enjoy the good interactions as they play together with a strong sense of fun and enjoyment throughout the sessions. Their delight in dressing up and discussing who has created the most unusual appearance is fully shared in by the staff as they also dress up. They persist for long periods with their play ideas, freely moving to the different rooms, making good use of the resources set out and easily accessing others to carry out their ideas, as the childminder sets out a wide range of free play items each day. Children decide to team up and cook in the home corner whilst others share ideas as to how they will create fields for their farm animals. Children have good design, creative and literacy skills as the childminder encourages their learning through a range of activities, such as designing their own kites or

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

creating funny faces for their display. They discuss their designs and share their ideas as they cut out decorative collage items, competently use mark makers to create patterns of lines and circles and write their names on their work. Children's writing skills are fostered as the childminder encourages their enjoyment of freely writing, drawing and painting and provides structured activities that promote their skills in forming letters. They have good mathematical skills and use these practically as they play and chat together. Children can count accurately and show understanding of number concepts as the childminder encourages them to compare quantities as they bake, use the language of size as they decide how big their farm field will be and correctly count the number of animals that they each have. Younger children are included in the activities as they enjoy exploring the small world people and vehicles and using the baby walker to move around independently, although

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

their progress is not fully supported through a more focussed use of developmentally appropriate strategies and sensory experiences, utilising resources such as the Birth to three matters framework.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children have a strong awareness of equality and play equally together with no discriminatory bias as the childminder provides well planned activities to facilitate their equal play. Younger and older children readily choose to share the vehicles and figures of their small world sets, play happily together building a long car-track slide and excitedly dress up in the excellent range of male and female clothes for their role play. They develop their understanding of diversity as the childminder provides a wide range of resources and books that promotes positive images of disability, racial heritage and aspects of cultural traditions. Children enjoy participating in a very good range of topics and activities over the year, such as the Japanese Boys and Star Wishes Festivals, the Chinese New Year, Halloween and Grandparents' Day, that promote their understanding of their own and others cultures and traditions.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

Children's individual needs are known and met as the childminder discusses these in detail with their parents, although the recording form needs updating to provide a specific section for this information. Their developmental progress is carefully monitored by the childminder and any potential special need is discussed fully with parents and possible sources of advice identified. Children with a special need are given good support as the childminder understands their needs and works very

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Helping children make a positive contribution

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000 closely with their parents. Children have good behaviour and show a clear understanding of what is right and wrong as the childminder and her staff use consistent strategies and approaches and share their code of practice for behaviour with parents. Children are given time to sit and think quietly, and discuss with staff what has happened if their behaviour is not what is wanted. They learn why some rules are necessary as the childminder provides fun activities that stimulate their understanding, such as teaming up together to write their own rules, placing each in a balloon and later popping the balloons and discussing each rule that they find. Children are encouraged to share and care for others as the childminder promotes their understanding of valuing each other. They confidently take responsibility as the childminder allocates tasks such as

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Helping children make a positive contribution

calling everyone in for snack or putting out the stools at the table for lunchtime. Their understanding of friendship and showing appreciation is fostered as the childminder encourages them to chat about their feelings, discuss how they might help someone else and assists them to create a wreath of thank-you hands as a reminder of their discussions. Their achievements are readily praised and celebrated as the staff are quick to respond to each child's successes. Children's experiences, routines and activities are shared with their parents as the childminder gives detailed verbal handovers daily. The arrangements for children's care and learning are discussed with parents as the childminder provides information about her policies and procedures and displays newsletters and documentation on the parents' notice board. The quality of the provision for children is praised by parents as the childminder has actively sought their written views to provide her with

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Helping children make a positive contribution

feedback that she uses as part of her ongoing development of her setting. Children's progress over the year is reported in additional detail to parents at Christmas time as the childminder gives time to prepare items such as a video that records the year's experiences and achievements for each child.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. Children settle happily in the setting and confidently go to join in the play with their friends as the childminder has effectively organised the use of her space and resources to support their independent choices. They are protected as the childminder ensures that all persons who have access are suitable. Children are appropriately cared for as the childminder and her staff have substantial experience in providing childcare, hold appropriate early years qualifications and regularly access training to enhance their skills further. Children's need to be safe and protected when a crisis occurs, such as the local school shutting without prior notice, is thought through competently by the childminder as she is able to effectively reorganise her arrangements and take necessary actions. Children receive an appropriate level of attention as the childminder maintains staff-to-child ratios although staff deployment does not always provide for effective

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Organisation

oversight of children at all times as they play in the various inside and outside areas. The arrangements for children's care are well documented and agreed with their

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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 parents as the childminder discusses completion of the required paperwork, obtains all necessary written parental consents and verbally discusses her policies and procedures. Children's individual information is kept confidential as the childminder makes suitable arrangements for secure storage. Overall the provision meets the needs of children who attend.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The last Children Act inspection made recommendations that the childminder obtained parental consent for children travelling in a vehicle, minimised an outside step hazard and developed her knowledge of child protection issues. The arrangements for children's safe care have been improved as the childminder has obtained written parental consents for children to travel in vehicles and reduced the height of the steps down to the outside play area although she has not yet accessed further training in child protection issues.

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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 good. The registered person meets 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 further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): • update the documentation for children's safe care by correcting the wording of the incident form to also specify accident recording, and include information on the children's detail forms about any special needs, cultural or religious observances • extend the opportunities for the under-three's play activities and developmental progress by considering the practical use of recent resources such as the Birth to three matters framework • support children's free choices for activities in the various areas by reviewing the staff supervision arrangements to provide oversight at all times.

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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 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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