Childminder in Hampshire

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique Reference Number EY253766 Inspection date 11 July 2005 Inspector Carol Patricia Willett

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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 has been registered since February 2003. She lives with her husband and young daughter in a house in a residential area of Tadley. The home is situated close to good local amenities. The family have a pet cat. Minded children have access to the whole of the downstairs including lounge, dining room and kitchen. Children also have access to a first floor play room and access to an upstairs bathroom. There is a secure garden to the rear of the property for children to play.

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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 The childminder is registered to care for five children under eight years. She currently cares for seven children on a part-time or occasional basis. She is able to provide overnight care. The childminder is a member of the National Childminding Association. She is part of the local childminding network and holds a current first aid certificate.

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children keep healthy because the childminder takes good steps to prevent the spread of infection and there are good cleaning routines in place. Children play in a warm clean home where they learn the importance of good hygiene and personal care. They are reminded to wash their hands after the toilet and before eating. The children know they should put sun-cream on before going outside to play on sunny days. They learn to dress themselves when they put on shoes to go out and undress to change into the dressing up clothes and their swimsuits to use the paddling pool. Children increase their understanding of the importance of a healthy lifestyle as they freely access drinks and make choices from healthy snacks. The childminder maintains a good range of documentation to make sure parents wishes and children's needs are taken into account. Children develop physical skills as they have very good opportunities to use the

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Helping children to be healthy

range of outdoor toys in the garden. Outings are made on a regular basis to soft play areas, ice tots and parks. They enjoy dancing to the music and follow instructions to stand up, sit down and wiggle and jump on one leg. Children develop fine motor skills as they have good opportunities to handle a range of tools and materials such as rolling playdough, exploring corn-flour, cutting and sticking, painting and drawing. They manipulate jigsaws and construction toys with increasing skill.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children choose from a wide range of good quality toys to enable then to make good progress in all areas of development. The childminder carefully monitors and supervises their use to make sure that they are safe and appropriate for their age and stage of development. Children freely explore as they have sufficient space and good access to the range of resources both inside and outside the home, using the living room, play room and the garden. Children stay safe because the childminder has a good awareness of most hazards and takes steps to minimise them. The childminder has a fire blanket and extinguisher in the kitchen. Safety gates and cupboard catches are in place to prevent children accessing dangerous cleaning materials. Older children could lock themselves in the toilet. The toilet and bathroom windows are open and unlocked which compromises their safety. Children develop a good awareness of keeping

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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 themselves safe as the childminder gives explanations of why they need sun-cream and hold hands to keep safe near the road. Children use resources such as books and the Tufty road safety game to increase their understanding of personal safety. The childminder has all the required procedures and documents in place including suitable car and personal liability insurance which makes sure the children’s welfare is safeguarded and promoted. She has a current first aid certificate and an easily accessible, suitable first aid kit. Children keep safe as the childminder has a secure understanding of child protection procedures in line with the local Area Child Protection Committee procedures.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are happy, content and secure in their relationships because the childminder has very good interactive skills. She is kind, caring and attentive, encouraging the children's play and maintaining their interest in activities. The childminder supports the development of younger children very well. They receive lots of cuddles and meaningful praise which contributes to their sense of belonging and encourages them to be increasingly independent. Children enjoy a wide range of activities that cover all areas of development as the childminder has a sound knowledge of child development. She is using the Birth to three matters framework to plan for children's development and record their progress and achievements. The childminder plans activities and responds to children's interests for example she further develops their interest in butterflies after reading the hungry caterpillar story. She obtained a butterfly farm for the children to observe the

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

caterpillars change into cocoons and then butterflies. The children play with natural materials such as sand and water and art activities, for example with playdough and paint which help them use their senses and develop creative abilities. Children play well together. They enjoy cuddles with the childminder as they listen to favourite stories on the sofa and excitedly run and jump and dance to music. The children are able to experience activities both indoors and out which contribute to the development of social skills as they have good opportunities to relate to a wider group of adults and other children and stimulates interest in the wider world.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. The children feel at home and secure in the well-organised environment. They confidently ask to do activities such as play the music to dance, have a story read or use the paddling pool, knowing their needs will be met. The childminder talks to parents daily so babies and children's individual needs are known and met. Children become aware of diversity and learn about the wider world as the childminder provides an excellent range of activities and resources including books,

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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 games and small world figures. Children care for each other with older children helping the younger ones for example to put on the bat wings and the mermaids costume when dressing up. They share and take turns using the resources. They begin to understand right from wrong as the childminder uses good age-appropriate strategies for managing behaviour, acting as a good role model to encourage positive behaviour. Children develop a good understanding why behaviour is not acceptable when the childminder uses distraction well and gives clear explanations. Parents see the written policy and ongoing discussions make sure there is a consistent approach. The childminder maintains good relationships with all the parents. Children benefit as this ensures consistent approaches and boundaries between their home and the

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Helping children make a positive contribution

childminder which helps children feel secure. The childminder gives parents useful information and written policies about her childminding service. Parents have regular feedback on their children's progress with informal daily discussions and through the sharing of the tracker book records. There is a daily diary sheet for younger children and each child has a scrap book with their paintings, drawings and photos of the children at play.

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Organisation

The organisation is good. Children play safely as the childminder organises the toys and environment well. Toys are rotated to maintain children's interest and are well-organised. Children go upstairs to choose in the play room which is also used for messy play activities. The garden is well stocked with suitable and safe age appropriate toys. Children benefit from the childminder organising outings to toddler groups and soft-play areas to increase their social skills and develop knowledge of the wider world. Children benefit from the childminders involvement with the local childminder network and her commitment to ongoing training. She uses visits from her network development worker and her own observations to monitor the quality of the provision. She uses a childminder chat room to share information and update her knowledge. The childminder maintains an excellent range of documentation with all appropriate

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Organisation

records in place that are stored confidentially to promote and underpin children's safety, welfare and learning. Overall the provision meets the needs of all the children.

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Improvements since the last inspection

The last Children Act inspection identified two areas for improvement; to devise a system for recording written permission from parents to seek emergency treatment; and to include Ofsted contact details as a point of contact for complaints. The childminder has made improvements to her documentation and has addressed both issues. Parents provide written consent to seek emergency treatment and the written complaints policy details the contact telephone number for Ofsted. She also displays the poster which details contact details for Ofsted on a notice board in the hallway for parents to see.

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Improvements since the last inspection

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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Complaints since the last inspection

There have been no complaints since the last inspection.

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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): • review and improve children's safety in the toilet and bathroom to prevent them climbing to the open window and to prevent them locking themselves in the toilet

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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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