Childminder in Liverpool

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 20/09/2013 Not Applicable

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 Previous inspection: Not Applicable How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children 3 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 3

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This provision is satisfactory

 Children's self-help skills are promoted well. As a result, children are confident, have high levels of self-esteem and are able to manage their own needs.  Children enjoy meals that are healthy, balanced and nutritious as they are planned well and are cooked from fresh ingredients.  A range of outings in the local area successfully enable children to learn about their community, gain a sound understanding of the natural world and develop strong physical skills.  The childminder is keen to develop her service. Her plans for improvement are well targeted to strengthen provision for the children.

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It is not yet good because

 There was a breach of a requirement of registration because the public liability insurance was not suitably maintained.  Children do not always learn as much as they can from the interesting experiences, due to insufficient planning of the resources required or the organisation of space.  There is scope to extend the assortment of natural and household items in the range of freely-accessible materials for children. This is so they can use all their senses to learn about the world.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections of registered early years provision are:  scheduled at least once in every inspection cycle – the current cycle ends on 31 July

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Information about this inspection

 scheduled more frequently where Ofsted identifies a need to do so, for example where provision was previously judged inadequate  brought forward in the inspection cycle where Ofsted has received information that suggests the provision may not be meeting the legal requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage or where assessment of the provision identifies a need for early inspection  prioritised where we have received information that the provision is not meeting the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and which suggests children may not be safe  scheduled at the completion of an investigation into failure to comply with the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Information about this inspection

The provision is also registered on the voluntary and compulsory parts of the Childcare Register. This report includes a judgment about compliance with the requirements of that register.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed activities in the living rooms and kitchen.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's records, planning documentation, the childminder's self-evaluation form and policies.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with the childminder and co-childminder at appropriate times throughout the observations.  The inspector took account of parents' views expressed by letters and in person.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with the childminder.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 2013 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She works from the home of her co- childminder in Walton, Liverpool. The co-childminder lives with her partner and two children aged three and seven years. The whole of the ground floor is used for childminding. Currently, there is no outdoor play area. The childminder visits the park on a regular basis.

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Information about the setting

The childminder attends a toddler group. She collects children from the local schools and pre-schools. She operates all year round from 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, except bank holidays and family holidays. There are currently five children on roll, three are in the early years age group and two are school-age children. The childminder is a member of the Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years.

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must:

 ensure that public liability insurance is consistently maintained.

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To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

 consider the differing needs of children when planning experiences, so there are sufficient resources and younger children are able to concentrate and not be disturbed

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To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

 improve opportunities for children to explore media and materials, for example, by extending the range of natural objects and everyday items for young children to look at and handle.

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who attend

When children first start, the childminder quickly identifies what they already know and can do, through observations and from discussions with their parents. This gives her the children's starting points, which she uses to plan suitably challenging experiences. Each child has a learning journal, which is beginning to show their steady progress in photographs and written observations. This is because parents are beginning to add their comments about children's learning at home, which provides a fuller picture of their abilities. The childminder tracks children's progress in a way that enables her to look for any gaps in their learning and take action to fill those gaps. She regularly shares her records with parents, which helps to keep them well informed of their children's progress.

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who attend

The quality of the childminder's teaching is generally sound. Children are keen to learn and are working securely within the typical range of development expected for their age. They choose what to play with from an appropriate range of toys and a suitable variety of planned experiences. They move confidently around the home and explore what they find. Children make generally good progress in communication and language and in their physical, personal, social and emotional development. Therefore, children develop some of the key skills needed for the next steps in their learning, such as moving on to nursery or school.

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who attend

The childminder plays alongside children, which holds their attention. She suitably supports their development. For example, babies develop an awareness of shape and space as they attempt placing shapes in a posting box. Likewise, they improve in coordination and raise their awareness of technology as they push buttons on battery operated toys and activate the sound and light. Children generally become skilful communicators because the childminder carefully listens to them. The childminder provides babies with a verbal commentary on what they are doing, which enables them to link words with actions. She praises babies when they repeat words, such as 'splash', which encourages them to make more sounds and increases their vocabulary. The childminder skilfully questions older children to extend their vocabulary and language skills. She uses puppets to make the reading of books exciting.

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who attend

Resources are varied and some books reflect difference and similarities and enable children to explore the customs and beliefs of their own and other people. Children enjoy a wide variety of local visits, for example, to the library, parks and museum. They regularly visit the goats, rabbits, pigs, cows and sheep at the local farm. These first-hand experiences in the local community effectively help children to understand the world in which they live. There are only limited opportunities for children to explore a range of media and materials as there are too few natural resources readily available for them to use.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

The childminder forms warm and caring relationships with the children. She uses information from parents about their likes, dislikes and routines to help them settle in. She plays alongside the children and supports them individually, consequently, children are able to feel secure with her. Babies demonstrate that they feel safe and secure with the childminder as they happily investigate items. They are beginning to learn what acceptable behaviour is, as the childminder guides them to behave in an appropriate way.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

Children follow appropriate routines, which gives them a basic understanding of hygiene and safety practices. For example, they wash their hands before eating and preparing food. They listen to stories about the care of teeth and practise brushing their own teeth. They maintain a healthy lifestyle through regular exercise. The childminder and her co- childminder take equipment, such as trikes and balls to the park, so children can exercise outdoors in the fresh air. This is because, currently, the rear outdoor area in the co- childminder's home is not suitable for use. Children learn about safety on the way to the park, as they look both ways before crossing the road.

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The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children

The childminder takes careful account of children's dietary needs when planning the menus with her co-childminder. She takes responsibility for cooking nutritious home- cooked meals, such as casserole made with beef, potatoes, celery, onions and carrots. Children have good opportunities to develop their independence, for example, they scrape their plate into a container after lunch and place it to be washed. Children help themselves to toys and initiate their own play because a generally suitable range of toys and books are kept accessible. This means that they become confident in their ability to do things for themselves and develop high levels of self-esteem. In addition to becoming independent, the childminder encourages children to be sociable, respect others and take turns. This broadly prepares children for the next stage in their learning, such as nursery or school.

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provision

The childminder generally understands her responsibility to meet the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. She keeps all the legally required information regarding the individual needs of children. The childminder adequately maintains records of their details, attendance, medicine administration and accidents. These records effectively support children's safety and well- being. However, at the time of inspection, the childminder was found to be in breach of a legal requirement because she did not have appropriate public liability insurance in place. The childminder mistakenly thought she was insured. However, on telephoning the insurance company for evidence, it became apparent that her insurance was not suitable for working from her co-childminder's address.

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provision

The childminder works closely with her co-childminder to check the home is suitable and safe for children. They work closely together to monitor children to keep them safe. The childminder has a good awareness of child protection, gained through previously attending workshops. She demonstrates a clear knowledge of the indicators of abuse or neglect and how to work with other agencies. The childminder is keen to develop her practice and recognises areas where she can develop. She uses the internet well to find information to support her practice. For instance, she has discovered a range of ways to improve early writing opportunities for babies using edible substances.

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provision

Parents access good quality written information about the way the childminder and her co- childminder work. They also receive plenty of verbal information about their child's care and daily activities. The childminder's relationship with parents is progressing well with increasing focus on extending children's learning and development. She has a secure understanding of the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. The childminder plans and provides children with a broad range of experiences that help them make generally good progress towards the early learning goals. However, maximum learning does not always occur as the amount of resources needed and the timing of the activity is not sufficiently considered at the planning stage. For instance, children show a keen interest in different materials as they explore items in treasure baskets, which include soft brushes, a cymbal and a tumble drier ball. However,

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provision

their concentration is disturbed as they try to handle and look closely at the same item.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are Met The requirements for the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are Met

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding Outstanding provision is highly effective in meeting the needs of all children exceptionally well. This ensures that children are very well prepared for the next stage of their learning. Grade 2 Good Good provision is effective in delivering provision that meets the needs of all children well. This ensures children are ready for the next stage of their learning. Grade 3 Satisfactory Satisfactory provision is performing less well than expectations in one or more of the key areas. It requires improvement in order to be good. Grade 4 Inadequate Provision that is inadequate requires significant improvement and/or enforcement action. The provision is failing to give children an acceptable standard of early years education and/or is not meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be inspected again within 12 months of the date of this inspection.

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Grade Judgement Description

Met The provision has no children on roll. The inspection judgement is that the provider continues to meet the requirements for registration. Not met The provision has no children on roll. The inspection judgement is that the provider does not meet the requirements for registration.

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Inspection

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children’s learning, development and care, known as the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY457494 Local authority Liverpool Inspection number 912356 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 4 Number of children on roll 5

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Name of provider

Date of previous inspection not applicable

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Telephone number

set out in the guidance ‘Complaints procedure: raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.

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Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

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Type of provision

Full-time provision is that which operates for more than three hours. These are usually known as nurseries, nursery schools and pre-schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the higher fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Sessional provision operates for more than two hours but does not exceed three hours in any one day. These are usually known as pre-schools, kindergartens or nursery schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the lower fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Childminders care for one or more children where individual children attend for a period of more than two hours in any one day. They operate from domestic premises, which are usually the childminder’s own home. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Type of provision

Out of school provision may be sessional or full-time provision and is delivered before or after school and/or in the summer holidays. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. Where children receive their Early Years Foundation Stage in school these providers do not have to deliver the learning and development requirements in full but should complement the experiences children receive in school. 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,

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Type of provision

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Type of provision

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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