Childminder in Blackburn with Darwen

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY103110 Inspection date 29/03/2011 Inspector Diane Turner

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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 assesses 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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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 has been registered since 2002. She lives with her husband and three children aged 15, 12 and two in the Ewood area of Blackburn. All of the ground floor of the childminder's home, apart from the lounge, is used for childminding purposes. Toilet facilities are situated on this level. The outdoor area is not registered for childminding use; however, children are taken to local amenities, such as parks for outdoor play opportunities.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register to care for five children under eight years at any one time, two of whom may be within the early years age group. The childminder is also registered on the voluntary part of the Childcare Register. There are currently four children on roll, three of whom are within the early years age group. They all currently attend on a part-time basis.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is satisfactory.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Children are cared for in a welcoming environment where their safety is promoted effectively overall. They enjoy participating in a range of age-appropriate activities which promote their learning successfully and all necessary documentation is in place. However, this is not always updated when necessary. Positive relationships are fostered with all parents ensuring information regarding children's individual needs is shared effectively but the links with providers of other settings the children also attend are not fully developed. The system for monitoring and assessing the quality of the provision is not fully effective in ensuring areas for future development are accurately targeted and continuous improvement promoted.

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further?

To meet the specific requirements of the EYFS, the registered person must:

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further?

 ensure the record of the risk assessment is updated following any review or incident (Documentation) 05/04/2011

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further?

 ensure a risk assessment is carried out for each type of outing and that the assessment is reviewed before embarking on each specific outing (Safeguarding and promoting children's welfare). 05/04/2011

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further?

To further improve the early years provision the registered person should:

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further?

 develop the system for self-evaluation This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006  develop links with providers of other settings the children also attend to promote a shared approach to their care and learning.

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the early years provision

The childminder's arrangements for safeguarding children are satisfactory. For example, through attending training she has a sound understanding of the possible indicators of abuse and neglect and she knows the correct procedure to follow, should she need to refer any concerns. Her home provides a safe environment for the children to play and learn because assessments are undertaken to identify any hazards and effective action is taken to minimise these. However, the childminder has not updated the record of her assessment to show how she is managing the possible risks associated with her temporary arrangements for preparing meals whilst her kitchen is out of action. In addition, the childminder does not carry out a formal risk assessment before outings are undertaken, both of which are breaches of the welfare requirements.

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the early years provision

The childminder has clear policies and procedures to show how her service operates and she provides children with a suitable range of easily accessible toys and resources, enabling them to make independent choices in their play. For example, they enjoy choosing books that interest them from the low-level book rack. The childminder has made some improvements to her service since her last inspection. For example, she has purchased a low-level table with bench seats to enable the children to take part in activities comfortably and has attended some training courses, such as food safety and communicating through signing, to update her practice and extend her knowledge. However, she does not have an effective system to enable her to evaluate the quality of her service on an ongoing basis in order to identify and prioritise areas for future improvement.

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the early years provision

The childminder promotes equality and diversity effectively. For example, prior to the children starting, she discusses their individual needs with their parents and establishes how these can be met. She enables the children to learn about the diverse society in which they live, for example, through celebrating festivals from around the world, such as Diwali and the Chinese New Year, with craft activities and food tasting. The childminder is an active member of the local childminding group which demonstrates her ability to work in partnership with others. However, she has not made effective links with providers of other settings the children also attend, to promote a shared approach to their care and learning. The childminder engages well with all parents and ensures they are fully informed of all aspects of her service. For example, she goes through all her policies and procedures with them prior to the placement beginning. The provision of photographs of the

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the early years provision

children at play and daily chats keep them informed of the activities they have been involved in and their care routines on an ongoing basis. Written testimonials show parents are very satisfied with the service they receive. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

The childminder has a sound understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage and how children develop, offering them opportunities to learn in different ways. For example, the children initiate their own play as they freely choose toys that interest them, such as musical instruments, when they enjoy exploring the sounds of shakers, toy guitars and key boards. Alongside these activities the childminder also enables the children to learn about topics, such as the seasons, through planned activities she leads herself. The childminder interacts well with the children as they play. For example, she encourages them to express their creativity and develop their small muscles as they decorate a cup with sequins and shiny shapes to hold their tissue paper flowers to give to their mother on Mothers day. The childminder has effective systems in place to track children's progress, including completing regular summative assessments to ensure all areas of

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and outcomes for children

The children clearly feel safe in the childminder's care and in their surroundings. For example, they keenly welcome visitors to the home and are confident to introduce themselves and discuss what it is they enjoy about the setting. They behave well overall and have good levels of self-esteem. This is evident as they state 'Look what I can do' as they take part in the activities. In return the childminder acknowledges their efforts with lots of praise. The children enjoy singing activities and clearly have their favourite songs and they show an interest in books. For example, they look at these independently and also enjoy sharing them with the child minder, which promotes their communication, language and literacy skills. The children have valuable opportunities to socialise with others at the local childminder group they attend each week and they enjoy outings further afield in the school holidays. For example, they discuss the animals they see at a

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and outcomes for children

The childminder ensures the children have opportunities to learn about what contributes to a healthy lifestyle. For example, they enjoy attending a weekly physical activity session at the local leisure centre and visits to the local parks to use the large play equipment and to have a picnic lunch. This enables them to develop their physical skills and to benefit from fresh air. The childminder helps the children to learn about what food is good for them and she ensures they can access their drinks at all times to quench their thirst. The children know to use a wipe or the hand sanitizer gel to clean their hands after personal care and before eating and the childminder encourages them to follow responsible practices to keep themselves safe. For example, she practises the evacuation procedures for the home with them so they know what to do in the event of a fire. She also encourages them to put the toys away after use to prevent trips and falls and

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and outcomes for children

teaches them how to cross the road safely when out in the community. 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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Early Years Foundation Stage

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 3 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 3

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 3 The extent to which children feel safe 3 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 3 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 3 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 3

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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: Met

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are: Met

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