Childminder in Oxfordshire

Inspection report for early years provision

p.1

Unique reference number 133377 Inspection date 20/07/2011 Inspector Jan Leo

p.1

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.

p.1

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

p.2

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.

p.3

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).

p.3

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.

p.3

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

p.3

Description of the childminding

The childminder registered in 1993. She lives with her husband, two adult children and two school aged children in a small village near Abingdon. Children play on the ground floor of the childminder's house and rest or sleep in a bedroom upstairs. There is a fully enclosed rear garden for outside play. The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She may accept a maximum of five children under the age of eight years at any one time; of whom three may be in the early years age group. The childminder works with an assistant at times in order to increase the number of children in the early years age group. She currently cares for a total of nine children; seven of whom are in the early years age range and one older child. All children attend on a part-time basis. The family has a variety of large and small pets.

p.4

The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is inadequate.

p.4

The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

The childminder is not meeting a number of legal requirements and therefore fails to meet the needs of the children in her care. She forms satisfactory relationships with the children and their parents, but makes no links with their other carers when care is shared. The childminder lacks knowledge of current safeguarding procedures and does not have all of the required policies and procedures to support safety; nor does she take the necessary steps to preserve children's health and wellbeing. Supervision arrangements are unclear, compromising safe play and exposing children to unacceptable behaviour management techniques that do not help children develop skills for the future. The childminder has no formal systems in place to standardise her service or monitor children's learning and developmental progression. She has also failed to identify and address areas of weakness in order to meet the requirements of registration or demonstrate a

p.4

The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall, the early years provision requires significant improvement. The registered person is given a Notice to Improve that sets out actions to be carried out.

p.4

further?

To comply with the requirements of the EYFS the registered person must take the following action by the specified date:

p.4

further?

 take all reasonable steps to ensure hazards to children are kept to a minimum by improving supervision of children's play (Premises, environment and 21/07/2011 This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 equipment)  develop and implement an effective behaviour management policy, making sure children do not hear the threat of corporal punishment (Behaviour management) 10/08/2011

p.4

further?

 take the necessary steps to prevent the spread of infection by improvement of hygiene regarding sleeping arrangements (Promoting good health) 21/07/2011

p.5

further?

 inform parents of the procedure to be followed if they fail to collect their child at the appointed time; and the procedure to be followed if a child goes missing (Safeguarding and welfare) 27/07/2011

p.5

further?

 keep a record of the names of all children who looked after on the premises and details of when they are present (Documentation) (also applies to the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register) 21/07/2011

p.5

further?

 extend risk assessment records to include the date they were completed, by whom, date of review and any action taken following a review or incident (Documentation) 27/07/2011

p.5

further?

To improve the early years provision the registered person should:

p.5

further?

 develop an up-to-date understanding of safeguarding children issues to be able to implement the safeguarding children policy appropriately, in line with local guidance and procedures  develop an effective system to monitor and assess children's individual progression towards the early learning goals, ensuring all areas are covered equally and gaps in learning are addressed.

p.5

the early years provision

The childminder is aware of who to contact if she has safeguarding concerns about a child, but is reluctant to act if concerned about parental care. She completes acceptable risk assessments for many aspects of her service, but fails to recognise the need for close supervision when several children are present, leaving children of different ages to play unseen in the garden. The childminder has access to an assistant to increase her numbers but sometimes she cares for children from her own family with little extra adult help, resulting in her overseeing too many children. As a result, she manages the day rather than actively helping children learn. The risk assessment record does not have the necessary detail to comply with legal requirements and the register of attendance does not include details of every child and when they are present. The childminder has a set procedure to follow if parents fail to collect their children, but she does not tell parents what this

p.5

the early years provision

is. In addition, there is no procedure in place to inform parents of the action to be taken should a child go missing. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 The childminder includes all children on equal terms and she tries to get to know them well to cater for their needs. However, all receive the same type of instructions to control their behaviour, with no variation to allow for their different level of understanding and stages of development. The children rarely hear a reason for doing things to help them learn about the consequence of their actions and this hampers their ability to make sensible decisions as they play. The childminder generally attempts to include all children in the activities but she then oversees what they do rather than actively promoting development at an individual level.

p.5

the early years provision

Parents value the service and the opportunities their children have to play together and help with the animals. The feel they have an opportunities for good two-way communication about their children, but the lack of well defined policies and procedures results in no evidence as to the quality and consistency of the information they receive. Despite three children attending other settings, there are currently no links with their other carers to enhance what they do elsewhere and help develop a consistent approach to their learning and development.

p.6

the early years provision

The use of resources is variable, with some being used well to help develop a caring approach to other creatures, while many are not used effectively to extend skills and interests. The childminder has no systems in place to monitor the effectiveness of her service and lacks confidence in delivering the Early Years Foundation Stage framework. She welcomes input from parents to help lead improvement but fails to keep up to date with requirements.

p.6

and outcomes for children

The children play reasonable well together, choosing what to do and where to play as they become more independent. Some receive suggestions about what they could do, being told, for example, 'you could get plates and make dinner'. The children take up this idea and develop their own game successfully, but there are missed opportunities to develop learning while they play. For example, there is very little interaction to question children about what they do to develop their thinking and reasoning skills; no new words or concepts introduced to extend their knowledge of the wider world; little counting, and when one child tried to fit a rectangular box into the play oven she was simply told 'it's too big; try the round one'.

p.6

and outcomes for children

The children are allowed freedom to try things for themselves within the relatively safe environment. One child tried to lift a younger child helping them to climb a pole in the garden. Some show signs of inquisitiveness, opening the pet enclosures and leaning inside for a closer look. However, there are few increased challenges to feed their interests forthcoming; hampering their individual progress. The childminder sometimes positions the children carefully to help all feel included and they feel comfortable in her care. However, they sometimes hear threats of smacking, relating to family members, impacting on their feeling of security. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 At times the children experience valuable snippets of good practice, confirming the childminder's skills in this area. However, the quality of learning and development is inconsistent and the level of support children receive is insufficient to help them

p.6

and outcomes for children

reach their full potential. The children organise themselves well, help tidy away, albeit reluctantly at times, and they know what to expect. They are developing an understanding of kindness and gentleness through helping with the animals and they have an appropriate range of books to help develop their interest in the printed word. Children enjoy the attention they receive from the childminder when she questions them about the pictures they see, but the attention is short lived due to the demands on her time when family members are also present.

p.7

and outcomes for children

Children have frequent opportunities for outdoor play to help keep them healthy. They follow satisfactory hand washing routines cleaning hands, for example, after touching the animals and before eating. The childminder clears away animal faeces as children play in the garden and cleans children's bare feet promptly if they become dirty. Children sleep according to their needs but do not have individual bedding when put to rest, risking the spread of infection.

p.7

and outcomes for children

The childminder talks about colours and numbers at times throughout the day to reinforce children's creative and counting skills, helping children to a minimal extent to develop skills for the future. All children show evidence of making progress, but some are learning from each other rather than because of specific aims identified and promoted by the childminder.

p.7

and outcomes for children

The childminder keeps notes on what children do to share with parents and help them stay informed about the day. She relies on her memory to monitor coverage of the curriculum and children's participation in the activities, having no effective system to ensure all areas are covered equally and gaps in learning are addressed. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

p.7

Annex A: record of inspection judgements

The key inspection judgements and what they mean

p.8

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

p.8

children in the Early Years Foundation Stage?

The capacity of the provision to maintain continuous improvement

p.8

Early Years Foundation Stage

The effectiveness of leadership and management in embedding ambition and driving improvement The effectiveness with which the setting deploys resources 4 The effectiveness with which the setting promotes equality and diversity The effectiveness of safeguarding 4 The effectiveness of the setting’s self-evaluation, including the steps taken to promote improvement The effectiveness of partnerships 4 The effectiveness of the setting’s engagement with parents and carers

p.8

Stage

The quality of the provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage 4

p.8

Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 4 The extent to which children feel safe 4 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 4 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 4 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 4

p.8

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

p.8

Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are: Not Met (with actions)

p.9

Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are: Not Met (with actions)

p.9

Annex B: the Childcare Register

The registered provider does not meet the requirements of the compulsory and or voluntary part/s of the Childcare Register.

p.9

Annex B: the Childcare Register

To comply with the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register, the registered person must take the following action/s by the specified date:

p.9

Annex B: the Childcare Register

 ensure that no person caring for children, or living or working on the premises where childcare is provided, uses corporal punishment (Welfare of children being cared for) (also applies to the voluntary part of the Childcare Register) 21/07/2011

p.9

Annex B: the Childcare Register

 keep and implement a written statement of the procedure to follow to help safeguard children from abuse or neglect (Arrangements for safeguarding children) (also applies to the voluntary part of the Childcare Register) 27/07/2011

p.9

Annex B: the Childcare Register

 take action as specified in the early years section of the report (Records to be kept) 21/07/2011

p.9

Annex B: the Childcare Register

To comply with the requirements of the voluntary part of the Childcare Register, the registered person must take the following action/s by the specified date:

p.9

Annex B: the Childcare Register

 take action as specified in the early years section of the report (Records to be kept) 21/07/2011

p.9

Annex B: the Childcare Register

 take action as specified in the compulsory requirements for the Childcare Register (Welfare of children being cared for) (Arrangements for safeguarding children) 27/07/2011

p.9