Childminder in Leeds

Inspection report for early years provision

p.1

Unique Reference Number 320027 Inspection date 25 August 2005 Inspector Liz Whitehead

p.1

Type of inspection Childcare Type of care Childminding

p.1

This inspection was carried out under the provisions of Part XA of the Children Act 1989, as inserted by the Care Standards Act 2000

p.1

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.

p.2

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.

p.2

THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE

On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

p.2

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.

p.2

WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The childminder has been registered since 1996. She lives with her husband and 2 children aged 7 and 10 years, in Leeds. The ground floor of the property is used for childminding and there is a garden available for outside play. There is a park, library, soft play area and shops within walking distance. The children have access to the carer and toddler group and playgroup and are taken and collected from the local nursery and school. The childminder is a member of the National Childminding Association.

p.2

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

p.2

Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children are developing a sound understanding of the needs of their own bodies. They each have colour coded drinks to independently access and know that they need to drink or they will get poorly. The childminder provides a very good range of well balanced, home cooked meals with lots of fruit and vegetables. Each week they all go shopping. Children have their own small shopping list to encourage them to select their favourite fruit and vegetables. Children really enjoy this activity and enthusiastically talk about it. The childminder actively encourages the children to try new foods including those from other cultures. Children have recently tried kiwi fruits and after lunch choose these when offered a choice of fruits. To promote healthy eating the children are able to freely access fruit from the fruit bowl. They are fully aware that vegetables grow in the ground and that eating them will make them

p.3

Helping children to be healthy

strong. Children greatly benefit from mealtimes being a social occasion as they all sit and eat together at the table, chatting happily to each other. There are many opportunities for physical activities incorporated into the daily routine. This includes walking to school and groups, playing in the garden, going to the park, to play gyms and the childminder takes the children to ballet classes. To raise children's awareness of the effects that sun can have on their bodies the childminder ensures that they know why they must always wear sun cream and hats when playing outdoors in the summer. To help prevent the risk of cross infection the childminder has a written disease exclusion and sick child policy which she makes all parents aware of and rigidly implements. She keeps herself fully informed and up to date with current information as she has a list of the infectious notifiable diseases and many leaflets to refer to.

p.3

Helping children to be healthy

The childminder always follows consistent routines to promote good hygiene practice especially with regard to hand washing. The children are very familiar with these routines and eagerly flush the toilet and then wash their hands often without prompting.

p.3

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children are kept safe at all times both indoors and outdoors as the childminder is fully aware of how to minimise risks and takes all reasonable precautions. She has the required safety equipment in place and securely fastens the gate when children are playing outdoors. This ensures that they cannot leave the premises unaccompanied. She carries out informal risk assessments and continually reviews the safety steps that she implements. She has recently moved the fruit bowl as she highlighted that this could be a potential hazard for children when they reach up to access the fruit. Very effective systems are in place to raise children's awareness and understanding of fire safety. Regular emergency evacuation practises take place and the children are fully informed of the procedure and are familiar with the location

p.3

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 of the fire blanket. There is a good selection of toys and equipment which are kept safe and in good order. These are appropriate for the ages of children, are well organised and are stored in boxes on the living room floor to ensure that children are able to independently access them. To ensure that they are always safe for the children to use, the childminder regularly checks and cleans the equipment and is fully aware of the importance of the safety standard and buying from reputable companies. The childminder has a good understanding of her responsibility regarding child protection and is aware of the basic signs, symptoms and procedure to follow. She has attended training, has a written child protection policy and has literature to refer to which protects the children in her care.

p.3

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are very familiar with everyday routines as they follow a very similar timetable for eating, sleeping and playing. This is based around school times and the groups that they attend. This helps children to feel very settled and secure within the childminder's home and to look forward to their day. Very good interaction takes place with lots of cuddles. The children obviously share a warm and trusting relationship with the childminder. She continually encourages them to choose activities and to make decisions by offering them simple choices. She skilfully combines this with their learning and promotes many areas of developments such as mathematics. At lunch time she asks the children "what colour spoons they would like to use". They all count the biscuits on the plate and the childminder asks "if I take one away how many can you have each?". The child only hesitates momentarily and

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

replies with the correct answer of two. The childminder provides a wide range of planned and spontaneous activities which fully promotes children's learning in all areas of development. Their language is well developed and the eldest child confidently and spontaneously sings along to a nursery rhyme tape. All the children recall a wide variety of songs that they are very familiar with. A large selection of fact and fiction books, such as an atlas, are readily available for children to freely access. These are used to develop children's interest in reading for pleasure and as a valuable source of information. Two of the children are soon to go on holiday, they talk about this excitedly and the childminder skilfully introduces a book called "Going on a plane", which provides vital links with their home life. One child spends a long time sitting on the childminder's knee looking at books. She is able to name many objects in the pictures including more difficult ones,

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

such as, peppers. This is due to them being fully involved in the putting away of the fruit and vegetables and they excitedly talk about it being the day that the man brings a delivery. The children thoroughly enjoy making jelly fish using equipment from a well stocked creative table. The childminder fully supports them in this activity and encourages them to find solutions for themselves. She asks them questions, such as, "how do you think that we can fasten the legs on?", and offers suggestions when the child is

p.4

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 not sure. Children's recollection skills are good and they enthusiastically talk about a recent trip to Tropical World. To ensure that activities are relevant and of interest to the children they all talk about what they would like to do, especially during school holidays. This allows the childminder to complete any necessary preparation but remains flexible for spontaneity and children's choice. They plan many outings and often visit the library where the children enjoy choosing their own books. They are very familiar with visiting the library and role play this at home. The childminder has a sound understanding of how children learn and develop. She is fully aware of the value of improvised play and day to day activities that children can help with and what they can learn from these. The children enthusiastically talk

p.4

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

about helping with the washing. They know that they put it into the dryer as it was raining outside and would not dry. They enjoy helping to match pairs of socks and hanging them out. This conversation is then extended as the children choose to iron. The childminder is happy to set this up and quickly intervenes to help hang the clothes on hangers before the child becomes frustrated with this.

p.5

Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Children are beginning to develop a good understanding of responsible behaviour through the consistently applied behaviour policy. One young child has recently begun biting when she becomes frustrated and does not have the appropriate language to communicate effectively. This happens today and the childminder remains calm and manages the situation well. She ensures that the child who has bitten does not receive negative attention instead she comforts the injured child and applies a cold compress. She then discusses this appropriately for the child's age and level of understanding and encourages the child to say sorry. Throughout the visit the children continually receive meaningful praise and encouragement to support them in their play. The childminder is courteous to the children and she encourages them to say please and thank you to each other. Children understand about being

p.5

Helping children make a positive contribution

kind to each other and they share pieces of fruit without being asked. The childminder treats the children with equal care, concern and respect. She follows the children's own routines, works with the parents and regularly consults with the children to enable her to fully meet their individual needs. She actively develops their awareness of the diversity of the local community and the wider world and the uniqueness of people and cultures. She has a positive attitude towards equal opportunities and answers children's questions openly and honestly. An appropriate selection of equipment promotes positive images to children, this includes play people, dolls, dressing up, books and food. Successful relationships have been developed with the parents. They are kept fully informed of the service that the childminder provides and their child's care and development in a variety of ways. A file of relevant information is in place and is

p.5

Helping children make a positive contribution

available for parents to view at all times. Children regularly take their pictures and creative work home and daily discussions take place. Recently the childminder

p.5

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 planned a trip out with the children and to ensure that they were adequately prepared she sent the parents a text message asking them to bring the children's Wellington boots. To enable parents to be able to contact Ofsted, a written complaints procedure is in place.

p.5

Organisation

The organisation is good. Children are cared for in a very warm and welcoming environment with many examples of their art work proudly displayed on the walls. This includes paintings, collage pictures and drawings. The childminder is fully committed to caring successfully for children and in addition to completing her self evaluation form she also has written an account of how she meets each of the outcomes. She continually updates and increases her knowledge and skills through accessing relevant training courses. To further improve her already good practice the childminder has accessed an introduction course relating to Birth to 3 matters and is awaiting a place on a more detailed course. She holds a valid first aid certificate. All the required records are in place, are regularly updated and confidentiality is effectively maintained. However, the childminder is currently caring for two sisters whose attendance is recorded on one page of the register. To ensure that this is

p.6

Organisation

maintained accurately she is willing to detail this separately. The childminder is extremely organised and has implemented written policies and procedures which are unique to her setting. To effectively provide the children with as wide a range of resources as possible the childminder regularly shares toys and equipment with other childminders. Therefore, overall, the provision meets the needs of the children who attend.

p.6

Improvements since the last inspection

Since the last inspection the childminder has updated and implemented the requested documentation to ensure that children are cared for in a safe and organised environment. She now requests written parental consent to seek emergency medical advice and treatment and has obtained a list of the infectious notifiable diseases. Written documentation makes parents aware of her responsibility regarding child protection issues and how to contact Ofsted in case of complaint. To increase children's awareness of fire safety an emergency evacuation procedure has been devised and is regularly practised. Children's attendance is recorded although this requires a slight amendment.

p.6

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 On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection:

p.6

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.

p.7

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): • implement a system to individually record children's attendance.

p.7

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

p.7

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

p.7