Childminder in Somerset

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY435388 Inspection date 20/01/2012 Inspector Sara Bailey

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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 registered in 2011. She lives with her two-year-old child in Taunton, Somerset. The entire house is used for childminding except the bedrooms. There is a small, enclosed rear yard for outside play. The family has two guinea pigs, which minded children have supervised access to. The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. She is registered to care for five children under eight years, two of whom may be in the early years age range, of which one may be under one year of age. There are currently five children on roll who attend on a part-time basis, all of whom are in the early years age range. The childminder is not registered for overnight care. She has a Foundation Degree in Early Childhood Studies and is an experienced nursery practitioner.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is good.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

The childminder is an experienced, caring professional. She has implemented most aspects of the welfare requirements within the Early Years Foundation Stage effectively. However, a specific legal requirement has not been met as a fire blanket is not in full working order; there is limited impact on children. Children's learning and development is strongly promoted and the childminder values partnerships with parents and other professionals in meeting children's individual needs. She shows a strong capacity to improve through her positive attitude to the inspection and already having identified minor areas for improvement, through her own self-evaluation.

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further?

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

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further?

 ensure appropriate fire control equipment, for example, a fire blanket is in working order. (Suitable premises, environment and equipment) 27/01/2012

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further?

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

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further?

 establish regular fire evacuation drills and record details of any problems encountered and how they were resolved  improve systems to ensure all new parents are provided with prompt information, such as the contents of policies and procedures. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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the early years provision

The childminder has a good knowledge of child protection issues and how to safeguard children, from her recent training and previous nursery experience. She has effective policies in place to support her practice. Risk assessments of outings and each area of the home are carried out and recorded, identifying and addressing all potential dangers. However, it is a specific legal requirement that providers must have appropriate fire control equipment, for example a fire blanket, which is in working order. The childminder's fire blanket is not in working order as it has not been wall mounted to allow for it to be used effectively in an emergency. The childminder has not yet carried out an evacuation drill. These weaknesses have limited impact on children's safety. The childminder is confident about evacuation procedures she would follow and does not provide cooked meals for the children. The home is non-smoking and childminding mainly takes place on the

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the early years provision

ground floor with easy access to exits at the front and back of the home. However, she is committed to improving outcomes for children and makes notes during inspection to address these weaknesses immediately. This shows a commitment to continuous improvement.

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the early years provision

The childminder further shows this from having completed a recent food hygiene course and she seeks advice from support agencies. She is continuously assessing her practice to make improvements, such as the way in which she plans and records children's learning and development, which she keeps amending to meet children's individual needs. Her self-evaluation is a true reflection of inspection findings in most aspects. An area she has highlighted for herself to improve is her resources to promote equality and diversity. She has identified that as well as purchasing new toys, she will be actively visiting toddler groups and the library to make use of shared resources. She has also identified a sign language course to further develop her communication skills. The childminder is very aware of how to meet individual needs and ensures inclusive practice in all she does.

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the early years provision

The childminder's other resources are of high quality and meet individual needs. She displays them attractively around the room for the children, appropriate to their age. She supports their play very effectively by sitting on the floor with the children and engaging in lots of interaction to support their learning.

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the early years provision

Parents are very involved in their children's learning and development through the way the childminder records the children's observations. She presents photographs and written assessments in the style of 'scrapbooking' which is easy to read, stimulating and meaningful. She clearly links the six areas of learning to show children's starting points, progress towards the early learning goals and identifies children's next steps. There is a system in place for sharing written policies with parents but new parents have not yet been provided with these. The childminder does however, verbally share some of this information on admission and all required consents and records are in place and of a high standard. Individual daily diaries are also used effectively to share information about children's daily routines between home and the setting. Parents' feedback is greatly valued and helps her to plan for their next stage of development, linking their home interests.

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the early years provision

This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 The childminder is proactive at making links with other settings children attend to ensure continuity of care. She liaises with the children's key person at nursery settings and other childminders to ensure individual needs are understood and met effectively. She has provided a contact book to be shared between settings and parents to aid communication. This shows further evidence of her driving improvement.

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and outcomes for children

Children and babies are making good progress in their learning from the experiences they engage in with the childminder. They squeal with delight at the fun activities they enjoy, such as throwing or rolling balls down chutes, which are brought to life by the childminder's enthusiasm and expressions. Children giggle and dance to the musical toys, growing in confidence through the childminder's praise and encouragement. They show an interest in books and develop their language skills from the childminder's lovely interaction with them. Children and babies benefit from regular messy play activities and outside experiences.

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and outcomes for children

Children and babies learn how to keep themselves safe from the clear boundaries and designated areas effectively identified by safety gates. They play within a very safe environment both inside and outside, with high levels of supervision and ongoing discussions about their safety. Babies, including those new to the setting, feel safe and secure as they snuggle into the childminder when tired and fall asleep as well as looking for affection as they play.

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and outcomes for children

Children and babies have very positive relationships with the childminder and have high self-esteem due to the effective behaviour management strategies the childminder uses. Babies who are new to the setting are already displaying a strong sense of belonging to the setting. They know the routines and are very happy and settled.

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and outcomes for children

Children and babies benefit from well established health and hygiene routines. They are protected from cross-infection by the childminder's wearing of disposable gloves when changing nappies, individual flannels for children and good hand washing routines. Children and babies have constant access to their drinks of water. In addition, they are offered a drink of water when they wake from their morning sleep and have their nappies changed to ensure they are comfortable and fresh. Children and babies enjoy healthy snacks provided by the childminder and their lunch time food provided by parents is effectively stored and heated to meet individual needs. 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 2 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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