Childminder in Leicestershire

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY410305 Inspection date 27/07/2011 Inspector Alison Edwards

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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

This childminder re-registered as a childminder in 2011. She lives with her husband, adult son and two younger children aged 15 and 14 years in a house in a small town in the Hinckley and Bosworth district of Leicestershire. Her husband is also registered as a childminder at these premises. Minded children use the ground floor of the house for play and have access to agreed areas of the first floor for rest. There is an enclosed garden for outdoor play. A dog and degus are kept as family pets.

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Description of the childminding

When working alone, the childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register to care for a maximum of six minded children aged under eight years, including three in the early years age range. When working together, she and her husband are registered to care for a maximum of nine minded children under the age of eight, including six in the early years age range. There are currently five minded children under the age of eight on roll, all in the early years age range. The childminder is also registered on the voluntary part of the Childcare Register to care for older children. The childminder holds a recognised early years qualification at Level 3 and has just completed a relevant foundation degree.

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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 settled and relaxed in this comfortable and busy family home, which is suitably maintained to underpin their welfare. The childminder and her husband provide a wide range of activities and experiences inside and outside the home, helping children to make good progress in their development and to establish a firm basis for their future skills. The childminder has a good understanding of how to work with other agencies to support children with a range of individual needs and backgrounds. She is keen to build on her existing experience and skills, for example, having just completed a relevant foundation degree. The childminder has started to reflect on her own practice to identify some strengths and opportunities for further development, but has not fully understood the legal requirement to comply with the conditions placed on her registration.

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further?

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

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further?

 review arrangements to ensure that animals do not pose a health risk, with particular regard to ensuring that children do not come into contact with animal waste  develop more consistent arrangements to seek and record information from parents to establish starting points for development  establish more rigorous and systematic self-evaluation processes to This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 accurately assess the current effectiveness of the childcare service against robust criteria and to identify clear priorities and targets for further improvements to the existing quality of provision for all children  review the use of resources and experiences to further challenge and extend children's understanding and awareness of individuality and cultural diversity.

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the early years provision

Overall, the childminding service is organised appropriately to meet children's needs. However, the childminder has not fully understood that the conditions placed on her registration and identified on her certificate of registration, are legally binding. Consequently, she and her husband have occasionally allowed children to use the large rear bedroom, although their conditions of registration do not permit this. This is an offence unless the provider gives a reasonable excuse. However, Ofsted does not intend to prosecute on this occasion. The childminder has a good understanding of her responsibility to protect children from harm. She is clear on the need to ensure that Ofsted is informed promptly of any change to adults living in the premises or other significant event, so enabling any required checks to be undertaken. Required records relating to each child's contact, personal and medical details are methodically and accessibly maintained, helping

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the early years provision

to ensure that any individual health or dietary needs can be safely managed. The childminder has undertaken the necessary paediatric first aid qualification required for childminding and obtains written parental authorisation to seek medical assistance in the event of an emergency, enabling her to manage any sudden illness or accident effectively. Systematic risk assessments are jointly undertaken by the childminder and her husband, helping to document a range of sensible measures to underpin children's security and safety. For example, safety gates are extensively used to manage children's access to different areas of the premises and careful precautions are in place to ascertain the identity of any callers and to ensure that children are only collected by authorised adults. The childminder has a good understanding of what child abuse and neglect is and of how to implement locally- and nationally-agreed procedures in the event of concerns about a child or

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the early years provision

allegations of abuse. Through her previous childcare work she has gained relevant experience of working with other agencies to support children at risk of harm.

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the early years provision

Children enjoy the use of a varied and interesting range of resources, both indoors and outside, helping to support their learning and development. For example, they extend their imagination and language as they play in a home-made cardboard pirate ship indoors and gain practical experience of size, shape and quantity as they fill and empty containers with sand and water outside. The childminder encourages children to learn about sustainability by involving them in simple recycling activities. Books and play materials reflect children's backgrounds and some aspects of the wider community, for example, through the provision of dressing up clothes that reflect different cultures. However, the childminder has not yet fully developed ways to consistently extend children's exploration and understanding of individual and cultural diversity. Prospective parents receive a range of useful information about the childcare service, helping to ensure there is

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the early years provision

a good shared understanding of arrangements for children's care. The childminder This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 talks with new parents about children's initial abilities and needs, although, does not yet consistently record such information in order to provide clearly- documented starting points against which to review children's subsequent development. Captioned photographs and short observational notes provide a good on-going track of children's changing abilities and the childminder uses these to prepare progress reviews which are shared with parents at regular intervals. The childminder has a clear understanding of the value of working closely with other early years settings that children attend, such as, pre-schools or reception classes, in order to help promote continuity and progression in the children's care.

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the early years provision

The recently re-registered childminder is currently arranging to complete the required introductory home childcare training within the legally-specified time- scale. She has built on her existing experience and skills through the very recent completion of a relevant foundation degree. She shows a ready willingness to participate in locally-available training to address areas for further development, identified by external agencies. The childminder is familiar with some methods to review aspects of her current practice, for example, by starting to identify strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats. However, she has not yet established the use of rigorous and systematic self-evaluation to accurately assess the current effectiveness of her provision against robust criteria and to identify clear priorities and targets for further improvements.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder encourages children to follow sensible hygiene procedures in their daily routines. For example, she reminds them to cover their mouths when they cough. Children engage in a range of physical activities, both indoors and out, helping to support their movement skills. For example, pre-school children use their coordination skills as they aim with a snooker cue, whilst younger children enjoy identifying different parts of their bodies as they join in with familiar action songs and rhymes. Meals, such as a lunch of chicken roll sandwiches and chopped tomatoes, are suitably balanced to contribute to a nutritious diet. Parents are informed in writing of the arrangements for the care of the family dog. However, on occasion these arrangements are not fully effective in ensuring that children do not come into contact with animal waste in the garden.

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and outcomes for children

Minded children are confident in their dealings with adults and with children of all ages within this busy and welcoming household. The childminder and her husband establish clear and positive expectations for children's behaviour. This helps them to understand how to behave safely and with consideration for others, for example, when using sand and water carefully and without throwing it. Children learn to use small implements safely and with growing control, such as, when using scissors to cut out pirate accessories or when using kitchen utensils, such as, pastry wheels in dough play. The childminder has established good systems to observe and record children's changing abilities and interests across each main area of their learning. Consequently, this helps her to plan and provide a varied range of worthwhile experiences, helping them to make good progress in their This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

learning. Children extend their vocabulary and communication skills as they talk about and list the ingredients and purposes of the spells they create in wizard pretend play. Children across the age range gain a good practical awareness of capacity, quantity and number as they purposefully empty different sized containers with sand and water or as they measure and weigh baking ingredients. Young children develop a good understanding of everyday technology as they use battery-operated toys, such as, pop-up cause and effect toys or light sticks. Children are interested and enthusiastic to find out more about small creatures that they find in the garden, such as snails. The childminder effectively builds on this by introducing books and stories linked to animal lifestyles and needs, for example, encouraging children to think and talk about whether and why frogs like rain. Children enjoy a stimulating range of pretend play experiences, helping them

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and outcomes for children

to use their imaginations to act out favourite stories and films, for example, through pirate or wizard play. The childminder encourages them to use a range of creative materials and small tools, such as hole punches, to express their own ideas in art and craft activities. 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 2 The effectiveness with which the setting promotes equality and diversity The effectiveness of safeguarding 2 The effectiveness of the setting’s self-evaluation, including the steps taken to promote improvement The effectiveness of partnerships 2 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 2

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 2 The extent to which children feel safe 2 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 3 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 2 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 2

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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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