Childminder in Trafford

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 25/11/2013 Not Applicable

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early years provision

This inspection: 4 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 4 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 4

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This provision is inadequate

 The childminder's management of her provision is weak. She has not fully understood how to implement some of her planned systems and, as a result, records relating to medicines and records of attendance have not been maintained. These are breaches of legal requirements.  The childminder's assessment of hazards within her home lacks rigour and, as a result, insufficient measures are taken to reduce the risk of injuries to children.  The childminder has an insecure knowledge and understanding of the learning and development requirements. As a result, not all children are observed or their learning assessed, to enable the childminder to provide educational programmes which provide challenging experiences for every individual.  The childminder has not yet found a successful way of keeping parents up-to-date with children's progress and to share information with other practitioners in order to plan collaboratively for children's future learning.

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It has the following strengths

 Relationships between the childminder and the children are strong. Children's emotional well-being is fostered well and they feel confident and secure in her care.  Children benefit from fresh air and exercise as they are taken on daily walks in the local community, visiting parks and attending the children's centre activities, such as music sessions. These activities support their physical development and good health.

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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 care routines and activities in the open plan lounge and dining area, and snack time in the kitchen.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held discussions with the childminder and talked with children at appropriate times during the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at records relating to individual children and sampled planning documentation.

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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 lives with her partner and four children aged 17, nine, six and two years in Hale, Cheshire, close to shops, schools and public transport links. The whole of the ground floor is used for childminding, which includes the lounge, dining room and kitchen. Access is also provided to the first floor bathroom.

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Information about the setting

The childminder takes children to and from the local nursery and primary school. She attends groups and visits local parks with the children. She provides care each weekday, all year round with the exception of personal and public holidays. There are currently six children on roll, three are within the early years age group and attend for a variety of sessions. The childminder is a member of the Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years.

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must:

 take reasonable steps to ensure the safety of children on the premises with particular regard to more rigorously assessing the risks associated with the fire and the tiled hearth in the lounge, and very young children's access to the step leading to the kitchen

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must:

 obtain written permission from a child's parent before administering medicine to a child and keep a written record each time a medicine is administered to a child

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must:

 keep a daily record of the names of the children being cared for on the premises and their hours of attendance

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must:

 observe and assess every child so that their individual needs, interests and stages of development are fully considered and used to plan challenging and enjoyable experiences to support each of them in making good progress in all of the areas of learning

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must:

 strengthen partnership working, to increase opportunities for parents and other practitioners to discuss and plan for children's future learning, and in order to monitor that the care and education provided is complementary to that received at school and other settings the children attend.

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who attend

While the childminder instinctively promotes children's learning through play and provides a generally suitable range of activities and experiences which interests them, her understanding of the learning and development requirements of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage is limited. She has not fully understood the age ranges and circumstances to which the requirements apply and, as a result, not all children's learning is observed and planned for and their development is not consistently assessed. This means that the childminder is not monitoring and supporting the continued development of every child in the early years age group in her care. Therefore, she is not providing all children with challenging opportunities to help prepare them for their future learning at school. This is made more difficult because the childminder has not yet found ways of working effectively with other settings that some children attend in order to plan

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who attend

collaboratively for their continued progression. Partnerships with some parents are developing. Basic information is established at the start of the placement about what children can already do and this supports the childminder to provide relevant and developmentally appropriate activities and interactions right from the start. However, the childminder has not yet found an effective method of sharing information with parents about children's progress since the start and ways to support their future learning.

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who attend

Where observations and assessments of progress have been started, the childminder has made some worthwhile attempts to do this. Each month she records what she has noticed children have been interested in and what they can do and she has matched this up to an appropriate development guidance document. This means that where observations and assessments are beginning to be carried out, the childminder knows that children are generally, working comfortably within the typical range of development expected for their age and that they are making suitable progress from their starting points. She has yet to implement the progress check at age two. However, she is aware of the requirement to complete this when the time comes. She is beginning to use what she knows about what children can do to provide some purposeful activities and interactions to help them achieve more. For example, she knows which songs babies enjoy and which actions they

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who attend

join in with, and she uses the words and actions to reinforce children's early communication and language. Generally suitable provision of a range of adult-directed activities and child-led play experiences each day ensures that children are occupied and suitably stimulated. A range of outings into the local community extend children's experiences and provide purposeful leaning opportunities. For example, weekly visits to toddler music sessions promote children's listening and attention skills.

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who attend

The childminder uses her experience of caring for young children to instinctively support some basic learning in play. She provides a suitable range of developmentally appropriate toys and equipment in her play space and organises these so that children can freely access some items of their choice. Most areas of learning are continually promoted through the available resources and the childminder uses these appropriately to promote children's learning. For example, she uses children's early interest in battery operated toys to encourage them to 'have a go' at pressing the buttons on sound and light operated toys. This supports their strong exploratory impulses and helps them learn though first- hand experiences. She plays alongside children and follows their interests and ideas. This enables her to extend children's play. For example, when children show interest in the play kitchen she provides a box of play food and pans and she models making a cup of

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who attend

tea. The childminder enhances older children's experiences with craft activities, which they enjoy.

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

Weaknesses in the management of the provision impact on children's well-being and detract from some otherwise generally suitable practice. The childminder provides a welcoming environment for children. They enter the home to see toys freely accessible as well as posters and children's artwork displayed. Children settle well due to an effective gradual admission process. Time is taken to obtain useful information from parents about children's basic starting points, detailed care needs, home practices and routines. As a result, the childminder suitably understands children's needs. She is able to identify the non-verbal cues of young babies, indicating their desire to be picked up, and she is quick to respond. She dedicates her time to the children and she provides nurturing individual attention. As a result, babies offer the childminder smiles and tuneful conversation. They snuggle in closely when she relaxes with them on the sofa as they drink milk from their

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

bottle, and they keenly approach her with items of interest to play. They demonstrate confidence exploring the environment. This demonstrates how the childminder has effectively fostered secure attachments and, therefore, promoted their emotional well- being.

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

Children maintain a healthy lifestyle through regular exercise, such as walking in the local community or during play with large equipment. Babies practice their movement when they push items around the play space and climb through tunnels and other equipment at toddler sessions. Older children are provided with occasional opportunities to practise climbing skills on equipment at the local park. Meals cooked by the childminder are nutritious and she meets individual dietary requirements well. Children develop independence as they feed themselves. They help themselves to drinks when they are thirsty as their cups are kept accessible. Their personal and social skills are enhanced through attendance at a childminding group and community activity sessions, where they are starting to join in group activities and interact with other children. The childminder encourages positive behaviour and provides consistent routines for children, which support

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

their understanding of what is expected of them. Consequently, at an early stage babies understand and comply with nappy changing routines, further supported by the childminder's fun, attentive approach. They are also supported to understand some safe practice. For example, the childminder uses a safety harness in the highchair and appropriate equipment when in the car and on outings.

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provision

The childminder's monitoring of her provision is not effective in ensuring that the requirements of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage are met. In addition, some requirements for the Childcare Register are not fully met and the impact of the poor practice has an impact on both the well-being and the learning and development of some children. While the childminder is vigilant and supervises children closely, there are avoidable risks within the play space which hinder their safety. The childminder's assessment of the risks does not fully consider children's stages of development. As a result, babies who are unsteady on their feet come very close to banging themselves on the squared edge of the tiled hearth as they develop confidence in their walking skills, and they need to be stopped from exploring near to an open doorway, which leads to a step down into the kitchen. Additionally, the childminder has not fully understood requirements

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provision

relating to the safe administration of medication. As a result, written parental consent is not always obtained and clear records of what has been given are not always kept. Furthermore, while suitable formats for recording are available, the childminder has not maintained records of children's attendance. The lack of such documentation compromises the safe management of the provision. The childminder has a sound awareness of child protection gained through attendance on safeguarding training. She demonstrates a clear knowledge of the indicators of abuse and how to work with other agencies to help keep children safe. She ensures un-vetted people do not have unsupervised access to children and is aware that Ofsted need to be notified of significant events.

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provision

The childminder embraces opportunities to take part in workshops and attend courses to develop professionally, in order to improve her practice. She is open to seeking the views of others and has very recently linked up with other childminders to help her evaluate her own provision. Through these links she is beginning to recognise areas which require improvement and already has some suitable plans in place to help her begin to make necessary changes. Additionally, since registration, the childminder has enrolled on early years training at level 3. However, it is too soon as yet to see the impact of the training and the recently established links with others on the quality of the provision for children. It does demonstrate that she is motivated and has the capacity to make the improvements needed.

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provision

So far the childminder has been unable to exchange information with the other settings that children attend. As a consequence, it is not known whether the childminder complements the learning that takes place in nursery and school. Additionally, the childminder's lack of knowledge in meeting the learning and development requirements means that parents are not fully informed about and involved in planning for children's continued progress.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are

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actions)

The requirements for the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are

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To meet the requirements of the Childcare Register the provider must:

 undertake a risk assessment of the premises and equipment and ensure that all necessary measures are taken to minimise any identified risks (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  keep records of the following and retain them for two years: a daily record of the names of the children looked after on the premises and their hours of attendance, and a record of any medicine administered to any child who is cared for on the premises, including the date and circumstances, together with a record of a parent consent(compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  undertake a risk assessment of the premises and equipment and ensure that all necessary measures are taken to minimise any identified risks (voluntary part of the Childcare Register)  keep records of the following and retain them for two years: a daily record of the names of the children looked after on the premises and their hours of attendance,

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To meet the requirements of the Childcare Register the provider must:

and a record of any medicine administered to any child who is cared for on the premises, including the date and circumstances, together with a record of a parent consent(voluntary part of the Childcare Register).

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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 Requires improvement The provision is not giving children a good standard of early years education and/or there are minor breaches of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected within twelve months of the date of this inspection. 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

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Grade Judgement Description

the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected again within six months of the date of this inspection. 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 EY462352 Local authority Trafford Inspection number 919385 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 4 Number of children on roll 6

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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

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, 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. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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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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