Childminder in Calderdale

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number EY432797 Inspection date 11/04/2012 Inspector Helen Blackburn

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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 2011. She lives with her two children aged five and three years old in the Southowram area of Halifax. There are schools, shops, parks and public transport links in the local area. The whole of the ground floor and the first floor bathroom of the property is used for childminding. The children have access to a fully enclosed front garden for outdoor play. The childminder has three cats as pets. She is able to take and collect children from local schools, nursery and pre-schools.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of four children under eight years at any one time, of whom no more than two may be in the early years age range and of these, one may be under one year old. The childminder also offers care to children aged over five years. She is registered on the Early Years Register and on both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She is currently minding four children, of these, three are in the early years age range.

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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

The childminder provides a safe learning environment for children to play. She encourages them to behave appropriately and to be independent and overall, her observation arrangements support children in making steady progress. The childminder maintains most documentation, policies and procedures to promote the safe management of the setting. The childminder has positive relationships with parents and children and she understands the importance of working with other professionals. The childminder is beginning to use self-evaluation and reflective practice to bring about improvement.

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further?

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

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further?

 request at the time of a child's admission to the provision, written parental consent to the seeking of any necessary emergency medical advice or treatment in the future (Safeguarding and promoting children's welfare) 25/04/2012

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further?

 improve documentation so that the record of risk assessments clearly states when it was carried out, by whom, date of review and any action taken following a review or incident (Documentation). 25/04/2012

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further?

To further improve the early years provision the registered person should: This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006  improve self-evaluation processes to ensure they are robust in monitoring and evaluating all aspects of the service, including incorporating the views of children and parents  improve how observations are matched to the expectations of the early learning goals to help identify and plan for children's individual learning priorities.

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the early years provision

The childminder's arrangements for safeguarding and promoting children's welfare are sound. She has a sufficient understanding of her responsibilities in protecting children from harm. For example, she is aware of possible signs of abuse and neglect and she knows that she must report any concerns to appropriate agencies. The childminder ensures that any relevant adults complete appropriate checks and she supervises any visitors to the home. This means that she takes appropriate steps to keep children safe and protected from harm. The childminder provides a safe and clean learning environment for children to play. For example, through her risk assessments, she ensures adequate safety precautions are in place to minimise accidents. The childminder maintains most documentation, policies and procedures, which in the main promote the safe management of the setting. For example, her written policies include information on how she safeguards children,

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the early years provision

promotes positive behaviour and deals with any concerns. However, some documentation is missing or lacking information, resulting in breaches in some specific legal requirements. For example, although, the childminder keeps a record of her risk assessments, it does not include all relevant information, such as when it was completed or a date of review. In addition, although, she seeks a number of parental consents, she does not request at the time of a child's admission permission to seek emergency medical advice or treatment in the future. The deployment of resources is appropriate. The childminder ensures children can make safe and independent choices in their play because she organises resources at child-height. In addition, through accessing some groups at the children's centre and making use of local park, she is beginning to make use of resources within the community to extend children's experiences.

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the early years provision

The childminder demonstrates a sound commitment to developing her practice and service. She understands the importance of self-evaluation and she is beginning to implement some changes to improve outcomes for children. For example, she has recently made her garden safe, so that children can use it for outdoor play experiences. However, her approach to self-evaluation is new and systems are not sufficiently robust to ensure that she effectively monitors all aspects of her service. In addition, although, the childminder understands that she must seek the views of children and parents to promote an inclusive approach to evaluation, she is still to implement the questionnaires she has devised. The childminder makes appropriate use of training to develop her skills and knowledge.

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the early years provision

The childminder has positive relationships with parents and through sharing relevant information, she appropriately meets children's needs. The childminder provides parents with sufficient information about the service through her written This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 policies and procedures. However, some policies include incorrect information regarding the childminder's membership to organisations. The childminder encourages parents to access their child's progress and she uses dairies to share information, so that they are involved in the learning process. The childminder understands the importance of working in partnership with others. For example, if children start to attend other settings, such as school or if any other professionals or external agencies become involved in their care.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder's arrangements for managing illness, infection and hygiene are sound. For example, through everyday routines, such as hand washing, she encourages children to adopt appropriate personal hygiene practices. Through offering children a varied and nutritious diet, she supports children's healthy growth and development. For example, children enjoy their fruit snacks and meals, such as fish and vegetables. The children have regular opportunities to be active and to access fresh air, which promotes children's health and physical development. For example, children enjoying playing at the park and going on walks in the community. The children are also developing appropriate coordination and dexterity skills. For example, children enjoy mark making and younger children twist, turn and press different knobs and buttons on their toys.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder's relationships with the children are positive. She incorporates their individual needs into the day, such as sleep routines to promote continuity for children. These relationships and continuity support the children in feeling safe in the childminder's care. The childminder helps children to learn about how they can keep themselves and others safe. For example, she explains safe boundaries, such as how to use equipment safely and how to evacuate the premises in an emergency. The children behave appropriately for their ages and through play, they learn about being kind to others, sharing and taking turns. This supports children in developing cooperative and positive relationships with their peers. Through the childminder making appropriate use of praise, the children are confident learners, who have good self-esteem and a positive self-image. The children are beginning to learn about the world in which they live, diversity and

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and outcomes for children

difference. For example, the childminder is continuing to extend her resources that provide positive images of different cultures, genders, beliefs and disabilities.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder has a sound understanding of how young children learn and of the importance of observation, planning and assessment. Through her observations, she is aware of children's needs, likes and abilities. This supports her in planning a sufficient range of activities to help children make steady progress in their learning. However, the childminder's arrangements for matching her observations to the expectations of the early learning goals are not fully developed to help identify children's learning priorities. The childminder is actively involved in children's play and she ensures that they access a varied range of activities and experiences. This means children are happy and that they approach their play with enthusiasm. For example, children use their imagination as they play with the doll's house and they freely express their creativity when drawing their pictures. Through This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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and outcomes for children

songs, counting and matching games, children learn about number, shape and colour. In addition, children are inquisitive learners, who enjoy finding out how things work. For example, they enjoy twisting the wheels round on the toys and they smile with pleasure when they work out which button to press to make the lights flash and music play. 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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