Childminder in Worcestershire

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY413182 Inspection date 27/06/2011 Inspector Carol Johnson

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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 was registered in 2010. She lives in Birmingham with her partner and adult child. The whole of the childminder's home is registered used for childminding purposes but the childminder does not use bedrooms on the first floor. There is a fully enclosed garden for outside play.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and on both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She is registered to care for a maximum of six children at any one time, of whom no more than three may be in the early years age range. The childminder is currently caring for two children in this age group.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is a member of the National Childminding Association.

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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 happy and settled and enjoy access to a suitable range of experiences and activities that help them learn and develop. The childminder has a sound knowledge of the children in her care and values the information she gains from parents in relation to their children's individual needs and preferences. Satisfactory partnerships are in place with parents and others but some documentation does not include all required information. The childminder demonstrates a suitable capacity for improvement; however, self-evaluation systems are still in their infancy. Limited resources and experiences are provided to support children's knowledge and understanding of diversity and effective strategies for observation, planning and assessment are not in place.

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further?

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

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further?

 obtain written parental permission to seek any necessary emergency medical advice or treatment (Safeguarding and promoting children's welfare). 04/07/2011

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further?

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

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further?

 develop methods for continuous observational assessment to help form an accurate view of where children are in their learning and development and where they need to go next and explore ways of involving parents in the ongoing planning, observation and assessment process  support children's understanding of the wider world by expanding the range This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 of resources to reflect the diversity of children and adults within and beyond the setting and providing more experiences that help children to gain an awareness of the culture and beliefs of themselves and others  develop self-evaluation systems to ensure that the quality of children's learning, development and care continues to improve.

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the early years provision

Children are appropriately safeguarded. All adults living in the childminder's home have been suitably vetted and children are only released into the care of known individuals. Documentation is generally maintained well, however, the childminder has not obtained written parental permission to seek any necessary medical advice or treatment for their children. Consequently, children's welfare is potentially compromised in the event of an emergency situation. The childminder's home is secure and daily visual safety checks, together with written risk assessments, ensure that potential hazards are identified and suitably minimised. A range of safety equipment is in place and this includes smoke alarms, a safety gate at the foot of the stairs and safety catches that are fitted to low-level cupboards in the kitchen. The childminder demonstrates a good awareness of the possible signs and symptoms of child abuse and neglect and knows who to consult if there is a cause

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the early years provision

for concern. She ensures that parents are aware of her responsibilities in this respect and has attended safeguarding training.

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the early years provision

The childminder enjoys friendly relationships with the parents of children in her care. She regularly talks to parents about children's welfare and experiences and finds out information about home routines and parenting practices. The childminder has not yet cared for any children who also attend other early years provision. However, she has a sound understanding of the importance of partnership working to support children's continuity of care. The childminder has devised a collection of written policies and procedures that help support her inclusive practice and these provide additional information for parents.

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the early years provision

The childminder informally considers what she does well and the things she needs to improve. She describes her strengths as her caring attitude and the good relationships she has with the children. She has some plans for the future and these include attending additional training to support her role. However, clear systems for ongoing reflective practice are not in place and this reduces her ability to effectively identify her strengths and priorities for improvement. Children are at ease in the childminder's warm and welcoming home. They have plenty of space to play and rest and a satisfactory selection of toys and resources are available to them. The childminder has not cared for any children with special educational needs and/or disabilities or those who speak English as an additional language but shows a positive attitude towards doing so. She shows a satisfactory knowledge of local support mechanisms and is aware of the need to treat all children as

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the early years provision

individuals. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

Children are happy and making steady progress in their learning and development. The childminder demonstrates a sound working knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage and how children learn and develop. She is constantly observing children during play and can describe their individual personalities and some of things she is doing to help them progress. She uses her knowledge and experience to provide suitable resources and experiences for the children and talks to their parents about the various things she notices. However, the childminder does not record all of this information and this reduces her ability to plan effectively for children's next steps and to monitor their progress along the stepping stones towards the early learning goals.

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and outcomes for children

Warmth and affection is freely given and children are at ease to go to the childminder for comfort, reassurance and support. They giggle and laugh whilst playing 'peek-a-boo' and enjoy looking at books with the childminder. Established routines help children to feel content and secure and the childminder is intuitive with regards to understanding young children's gestures and body language. For example, she recognises when they are hungry and tired and responds appropriately. Young children enjoy a variety of experiences that stimulate them and help them to gain the skills that they will need in future life. For example, through role play they are acting out familiar experiences and developing language. The childminder is aware of the learning potential of everyday situations and during outings children are encouraged to notice the colours of cars and the various numbers that occur in the environment. They practice road safety and are

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and outcomes for children

learning about nature and the changes in the weather.

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and outcomes for children

Children's health is suitably promoted. All areas of the childminder's home used for childminding are very clean and tidy. The childminder has a current paediatric first aid certificate and this ensures that she is able to respond appropriately should the need arise. Children are learning about safe and healthy practices through everyday discussion and following the examples set by the childminder. Food provided by the childminder is healthy and nutritious and drinks are readily available. Children's physical skills are developing as they enjoy lots of opportunities to play outside and expend energy. The childminder's garden contains a variety of toys to promote children's balance and co-ordination and they go on frequent outings to local parks and soft play centres where there is a greater variety of equipment.

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and outcomes for children

Children are learning to behave appropriately because the childminder uses a positive range of strategies to manage their behaviour. Some house rules are rules in place and these are reinforced through discussion and gentle reminders from the childminder. For example, children are asked not to climb on the furniture and the childminder explains that this is to protect her furniture and stop them from hurting themselves. Children are treated as individuals and are encouraged to show care and concern for others. They have access to a few books that show positive images of diversity and are learning about the wider world through everyday experiences. However, additional strategies that help children gain an This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 awareness of similarities and differences and the cultures and beliefs of themselves and others have not been effectively explored.

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and outcomes for children

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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