Childminder in Dudley

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY416315 Inspection date 05/09/2011 Inspector Patricia Dawes

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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 with her husband, five adults and three children aged 15 years, 10 years and nine years in a house in Tividale, West Midlands. The whole ground floor is used for childminding. The family have a budgie, tropical fish, two rabbits, three guinea pigs and three large dogs as family pets.

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Description of the childminding

This provision is registered by Ofsted on the early years and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Registers. The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of four children under eight years at any one time. There are currently two children on roll in the early years age range. Older children are also cared for before and after school.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder makes use of local facilities, such as parks, shops and the library and also attends a toddler group on a regular basis. She is a member of the National Childminding Association (NCMA) and also receives support from the local authority.

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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 in the childminder's care. She is beginning to observe children's achievements and use some of this information to plan appropriate activities to help them to progress. She keeps parents informed about what their children are doing and obtains some information about their needs and routines. Some of the paperwork required for effective care of the children is not in place. The childminder has completed a self-evaluation of her practice and is committed to improving and developing her service.

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further?

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

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further?

 request written parental permission at the time of children's admission to the provision, to the seeking of any necessary emergency medical advice or treatment in the future (Safeguarding and promoting children's welfare). 06/09/2011

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further?

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

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further?

 update the record of risk assessment to include any assessments of risks for This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 outings to ensure children's safety  use observations and assessments to identify learning priorities and plan relevant and motivating learning experiences for each child  develop plans so that each child's learning journey is personalised to meet their individual needs and to extend their talents  improve the two-way flow of information with parents to promote a shared understanding of children's individual needs and involve parents in practical ways to support their child's learning and development.

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the early years provision

Children are effectively safeguarded from the risk of abuse or neglect because the childminder has a clear and detailed policy which explains her responsibilities. She has completed safeguarding training and is aware of her responsibility to refer any concerns she may have about children's welfare. She has all the necessary information to be able to take the appropriate action if necessary. Children are cared for in a safe and secure environment. A detailed written risk assessment has been carried out on all parts of the property; however she has not included in her own records, separate risk assessments for each type of outing she undertakes or methods used to transport children. The childminder conducts daily visual checks to ensure that the environment is safe for children. The childminder has written a comprehensive set of policies to cover many aspects of her service. These are detailed and well thought out. She is currently reviewing her contracts and other

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the early years provision

documentation and as a result paperwork is not particularly well organised or readily accessible. Some important paperwork is not in place, for example she is not keeping a register with an accurate record of children's hours of attendance and prior parental permission for emergency advice or treatment has not been obtained for all children. This is a breach of the welfare requirements.

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the early years provision

Resources are plentiful and in the main organised. The outside area is currently being developed to provide a paved area and is therefore temporarily out of use. Children are encouraged to share resources and develop an understanding of each other's needs. The childminder has some resources which reflect our diverse world and she introduces topics with older children about the wider world. The childminder exchanges information with parents on a daily basis, however children's learning journeys are not available for all children attending. They do not clearly show how activities are planned to meet their individual needs and to extend their talents. Parents are given the policies when they start to keep them informed and are encouraged to share details about their children's development. Systems are not yet in place to share information about children's learning and development when they attend other settings to ensure continuity. The

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the early years provision

childminder has already implemented improvements since becoming registered. She is committed to developing her service as detailed in her self-evaluation document which is a satisfactory reflection on her practice. She meets with other local childminders and a childminding advisor to keep up to date and improve her practice. 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 settled and contented in the childminder's care. They are provided with a suitable range of appropriate activities. Toys are easily accessible in the play room and craft and messy activities are provided at the kitchen table. Although the garden is currently out of use children go out every day to use the park. Regular visits to a local playgroup also take place. The childminder is beginning to make observations of children's play and writes down what they have been doing in a daily diary. She uses some of this information to plan activities to help children to progress, for example using walking frames to encourage a child to walk. However, observations are not very systematic and are not linked to the areas of learning to ensure that all areas of development are covered and planned for.

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and outcomes for children

Children are confident with the childminder and are beginning to find a voice and discover new words. The childminder talks to them sensitively to encourage their language development. Books are accessible and well used. Children develop manipulative skills as they learn to hold a paint brush, and puzzles and construction sets help children to problem solve. Children are able to express themselves as they play with small world play, and babies explore and examine different objects, such as a play car or a string of beads. Children are encouraged to be creative and experiment using different media, such as play dough or paint. Trips out teach children about the community and the wider world is promoted well. Children learn to play together and socialise and the childminder talks to them about sharing resources. Children develop independence skills as they are able to make choices and explore their environment independently. Babies are able

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and outcomes for children

to develop coordination and movement as they crawl around the play room and pull themselves up on the furniture. The childminder supports them as she walks them around the rooms, holding on while they learn to walk.

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and outcomes for children

Children's health is promoted as they go out for walks every day to get fresh air. This complements the opportunities for physical play in the garden which are currently limited as this area is being developed. Satisfactory hygiene procedures are in place to prevent the risk of infection. The childminder incorporates topics on health and hand washing so that children learn how to live a healthy life style. Children's drinks are easily accessible for them and parents provide snacks and meals which are generally healthy. Children learn to keep themselves safe as the childminder talks to them about issues, such as road safety, and gives explanations about safety when they play, for example reminding older children to keep small objects away from babies. A fire evacuation plan is in place and children will practise this, so they learn what to do in the event of a fire or emergency. Children have developed warm and trusting relationships with the childminder and so feel

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and outcomes for children

safe in the setting. They are learning to be independent and form relationships and so are learning skills for the future. 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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