Childminder in Lancashire

Inspection report for early years provision

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307953 Unique Reference Number 19 June 2006 Inspection date Ferroza Saiyed Inspector

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Childcare Type of inspection Childminding Type of care

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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

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The key inspection judgements and what they mean

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 1985. She lives with her husband and her adult daughter in Kirkham, near Preston. The home is close to the park, schools, library and shops.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

Minded children have access to the whole of the ground floor of the house, which includes the front and back lounge, the dining area and the kitchen. Toilet facilities are also located on the ground floor. Children have access to a fully enclosed outdoor area.

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WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

There are currently four children on roll, all under the age of eight years, who attend on a part and full time basis. The childminder is a member of the local childminding support group and is a mentor for other childminders.

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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

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Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children's health is promoted because the childminder has a good understanding of simple hygiene practices. She makes sure children can play in a clean environment, which prevents cross infection. Their well-being is maintained because the appropriate documentation is in place, for example, medication and emergency medical treatment consent. The children have regular opportunities to exercise their growing bodies through outdoor play and frequent outings to the parks and on walks. They enjoy outdoor play opportunities to promote their physical development. They learn the importance of personal hygiene through daily routine, such as washing their hands before snack times and after Play-Doh activity.

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Helping children to be healthy

The children's dietary needs are met because the childminder has a good understanding of a balanced diet. The childminder introduces new food to develop children's taste for healthy options, for example, they bake bread to sample taste. She ensures parents' wishes are followed for children's diets and their individual needs are met. The children are provided with healthy options for drinks to enable them to make good choices. The children's physical needs are met because the childminder follows the child's routines for sleep and feeding to ensure consistency of care.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is satisfactory. The premises are warm and welcoming. As a result, children are very happy, secure and have a sense of belonging. The children can access a selection of age appropriate toys and activities in a safe home environment. They independently select activities from a wide range of good quality toys and equipment, which meet safety standards. The childminder carefully monitors and supervises children’s choice of toys to make sure they are safe and appropriate for their age and stage of development.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The childminder helps children to understand how to keep themselves safe by discussing the need to hold hands when outside. She further promotes safety when children are on outings by using appropriate restraints. However, drain covers were missing and this compromises children's safety. Young children are taught to keep safe by simple instruction, for example, she asks children to help tidy up before next activity so they would not hurt themselves. There are opportunities for children to learn about fire safety by practising the emergency evacuation procedure. However, the practice is not evaluated and this jeopardises children’s safety.

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Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The childminder has a working knowledge of child protection, for example, signs and symptoms of abuse. She also understands how to report a concern using the child protection procedures. However, she is not aware of what procedure to follow if an allegation was made against her or a member of her family. Therefore, children’s safety and well-being is compromised.

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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

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. The children have an extremely positive relationship with the childminder. They engage the childminder in their activities, laughing and making gestures with the childminder, which develops their self-esteem and gives them a sense of belonging. They are provided with a broad range of resources from which they can self select and make decisions about their play. The children are independent as they choose from a variety of stimulating and exciting toys, dressing up, and activities. For example, children made food items from Play-Doh. They are very proud of their achievements and eager to share their success with others. This promotes their creativity, development and enjoyment. As a result they become confident to extend their knowledge in a creative and meaningful way.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The children are interested and play purposefully with activities, sometimes for extended periods of time, which helps with increasing concentration. For example, children made father's day cards using a range of textured craft material. They are encouraged to choose activities for themselves and are highly supported by the childminder, who acknowledges their success by giving them praises at appropriate times. For example, children dress up in costume, promoting their imagination for role play and one child asked the inspector to help them put the 'Peter Pan' costume on. Indoor space, the garden, visits to community groups, and trips to places of interest all allow children to discover new environments and promote highly stimulating experiences. This provides them with opportunities to develop social and intellectual skills.

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Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

Young children and infants are stimulated through an extensive range of activities, including musical and interactive toys as well as a treasure basket for them to explore. This promotes imaginative opportunity for infants to explore sound, movements and touch senses, for example textures. The infants form strong bonds, which promote their emotional well-being contributing to their sense of belonging and happiness.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. Books, activities and discussion extend the children’s awareness of other people’s similarities and differences. A wide range of resources to reflect diversity are available to extend children’s understanding. For example, children had an 'Indian' awareness day where they dressed up in various Indian outfits to celebrate India day.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The children effectively learn about good behaviour through positive reinforcement and excellent role modelling by the childminder, who is calm and caring. She makes use of praise to encourage children to learn about behaviour boundaries and manners, such as using 'please' and 'thank you' through everyday play situations. The children's understanding of other people’s feelings is well developed and strengthened as they learn to share and to be kind. For example, one child took the toy off another, and the childminder talked to the child and explained why it was not nice and to share.

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Helping children make a positive contribution

The childminder ensures documentation and information is obtained from parents, prior to the child attending. This enables the childminder to follow the child's home routine ensuring

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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 consistency of care. She encourages parents to contribute to their child’s development and well-being, by making them feel welcome within the setting and spending time discussing their child with her.

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Organisation

The organisation is satisfactory. The childminder has most required documentation in place. However, previous accident records were not available for inspection and the emergency evacuation procedure is not evaluated, which means children's well-being is compromised. Documentation is appropriately shared to enhance the quality of care each child receives. Confidentiality is acknowledged and maintained.

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Organisation

The organisation of the setting is effective with room for children to move freely and self select resources. The childminder has an informal routine in place, which is based on the children's needs thus enabling them to gain maximum enjoyment from activities provided. The childminder is proactive in improving her service by attending childcare courses and looking to develop her childcare skills to further meet the needs of all children.

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Organisation

Overall the provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend.

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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 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): • amend the child protection policy to include the action to be taken should a member of the family be implicated in a child protection issue • make all drains safe to ensure children's safety is not compromised

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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 • ensure that the emergency evacuation is recorded, and relevant documentation relating to accidents are available for inspection any time to promote children's safety.

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The quality and standards of the care

set out in the leaflet Complaints about Ofsted Early Years: concerns or complaints about Ofsted's role in regulating and inspecting childcare and early education (HMI ref no 2599) 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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