Childminder in Lancashire

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 06/11/2013 17/07/2013

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early years provision

This inspection: 4 Previous inspection: 3 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 lacks an understanding of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. Her self-evaluation system is not strong enough to identify where legal requirements are not fully met, particularly in relation to transporting children safely.  The childminder does not hold a current first aid qualification. Consequently, she is unable to take appropriate action in the event of a minor accident.  A process of robust risk assessment is not developed. This means that potential hazards are not routinely identified and addressed.  There are weaknesses in the quality of the educational programme and the quality of the teaching and learning. The childminder does not identify the next step in children's learning in order to plan further activities for their development. Consequently, children's progress is ineffectively supported.  Resources do not offer age-appropriate challenge for all children.

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This provision is inadequate

 Partnerships with parents and other providers are insufficient, therefore, transitions are not supported well and there is not a collaborative approach to supporting children's needs.

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It has the following strengths

 Children feel reassured because the childminder is kind and considerate towards them, helping them to build trusting relationships.

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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 and children at play throughout the inspection.  The inspector spoke with the childminder in relation to her practice and procedures.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector examined a range of documents, including children's learning records, enrolment forms, insurance and training certificates.  The inspector took account of the views of parents and carers spoken to on the day.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 2006 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her husband, adult child and two children aged 13 and three years in Clayton-Le-Moors, Lancashire. The whole ground floor of the house and the enclosed front garden are used for childminding. The family has three dogs.

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Information about the setting

The childminder visits the local shops and park on a regular basis. She attends the local children's centre and collects children from local schools and pre-schools. The childminder holds a recognised childcare qualification at level 3. There are currently eight children on roll, of whom two are in the early years age range and attend for a variety of sessions. The childminder provides care all year round from 7.30am to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday, except for family holidays.

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enforcement action:

We will issue a Welfare Requirements Notice requiring the provider to;

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enforcement action:

ensure that vehicles used to transport children are adequately insured

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enforcement action:

obtain a current paediatric first aid certificate so that appropriate action can be taken, should it be needed, to promote children's well-being and health

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enforcement action:

ensure that a health and safety policy is developed and implemented, which includes identifying and dealing with hazards through robust risk assessments

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enforcement action:

obtain an enhanced criminal records disclosure in respect of every person aged 16 and over who lives on the premises on which the childcare is provided

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enforcement action:

ensure appropriate public liability insurance is maintained.

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must:

 gain a secure understanding of the safeguarding and welfare and the learning and development requirements of the revised Early Years Foundation Stage, so that children's learning, development and well-being are supported effectively

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must:

 improve the quality of teaching and learning by assessing each child's progress across all seven areas of learning, and use this information to plan suitable activities and challenging experiences for each child

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must:

 establish a two-way flow of information with parents and between providers, if a child is attending more than one setting, so that a coherent approach supports continuity in children's care and learning.

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

 improve opportunities for older, pre-school children to develop their capabilities and skills by providing challenging and interesting resources which are more appropriate to their age and stage of development.

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who attend

Assessment of children's learning is too weak to ensure that children are making the best possible progress. While the childminder observes what children enjoy doing, she does not plan activities with any specific focus on developing the next steps in their learning. Consequently, there is no planning in place to help them make suitable progress. Therefore, children are not learning a suitable level of skills to support their readiness for school.

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who attend

Children are cared for in rooms on the ground floor of the property, one of which is a playroom where resources are stored that children can adequately access. As a result, children initiate play and access resources with confidence. However, the childminder does not take part in children's play and investigations and she does not get down to children's eye level. At these times, the childminder does not ask questions that can be answered in different ways and encourage all children to take part. In addition, she does not use the sort of language that will inspire the children to think and answer questions. Resources do not offer age-appropriate challenge for all children, particularly pre-school children. Therefore, learning and teaching does not fully support children's needs. The childminder offers some support for communication and language. For example, children play with animals and look at pictures on a leaflet. The childminder points to the pictures and

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who attend

prompts children to repeat the names of the animals after her.

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who attend

The childminder is aware of children's likes and dislikes through parents completing a document when children first start at the setting. However, this is based on care needs rather than developmental needs, and information is not used to further support children in their learning and development. Therefore, this has little impact. Weaknesses in the delivery of the educational programmes do not help to prepare children for their transition to school as they are not learning a sufficient range of key skills to support their future learning effectively.

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

The childminder's lack of understanding about the requirements of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage means that children's safety and well- being are compromised. However, the childminder provides a home-from-home, caring environment where children are settled. Children have formed secure attachments with the childminder and invite her to play. This relationship supports children's emotional development and a smooth transition between settings. Behaviour is satisfactory; children listen to instructions and respond to requests. For example, they get down from a chair when the childminder asks them to get down as they may fall. The childminder praises children and encourages independence, for example, when they have carried out set tasks.

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

Resources for some children are age and stage appropriate. However, pre-school children are not always challenged through the resources available. For example, the train track is already constructed and does not give children the opportunity to explore and have their own ideas. Children are aware of routines. For example, they wash their hands before eating meals. Children develop an understanding of the importance of physical exercise by playing in the garden, visits to the local park and attending a toddler group at the local children's centre. The childminder cooks fresh food each day and incorporates children's likes and dislikes into menus. Children often make requests for favourite meals. Children show independence through self-care, for example, as they visit the bathroom independently. The childminder communicates with parents through daily verbal feedback to keep them informed of activities their child has undertaken throughout the day.

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provision

Safeguarding is inadequate because childminder does not understand her duty to keep children safe at all times. The inspection took place following a concern that the childminder is not adequately supervising children on outings. The inspection found that there are not suitable arrangements in place to ensure that children are supervised appropriately on outings to ensure their safety. This is a breach of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage. In addition, the vehicle used to transport children is not adequately insured and the childminder does not have a current first aid certificate. Consequently, children's safety and well-being cannot be assured. These issues have also led to breaches of requirements for both parts of the Childcare Register. Furthermore, the childminder demonstrates that she does not see all risks to children and where possible make the environment safe. For

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provision

example, she does not see the potential risk to children's safety as they have to walk over the top of a discarded tin can on the path in the front garden.

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provision

Children are not making sufficient progress because the quality of teaching and interaction is poor, and therefore activities lack challenge. The childminder does not sufficiently observe and assess children's abilities or purposefully plan to provide for their continued progression. Consequently, not all children's needs are met. There is a lack of information about children's learning so far and nothing is known about children's learning priorities. This makes it difficult to see what progress children are making or implement any action where they may be falling behind.

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provision

Processes for self-evaluation are weak. The childminder has not addressed fully the actions and recommendations from the previous inspection. This has an impact on the quality of children's learning as it does not allow areas of weakness to be identified and addressed. The childminder keeps parents informed of what their child has done on a daily basis. She shares information with parents about her policies and procedures, such as the complaints policy. She also has a sound understanding of the changes she needs to inform Ofsted of. However, there is not a clear procedure for sharing children's information between providers. Partnerships with parents and other providers are limited and, as a consequence, children going through transitions are not well supported.

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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:

 ensure an appropriate first aid qualification is in place (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  ensure that children receiving childcare are kept safe from harm (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  ensure an appropriate first aid qualification is in place (voluntary part of the Childcare Register)  ensure that children receiving childcare are kept safe from harm (voluntary part of the Childcare Register)  ensure that the premises and equipment used for the purposes of the childcare safe and suitable for that childcare (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  ensure that the premises and equipment used for the purposes of the childcare safe and suitable for that childcare (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 EY333524 Local authority Lancashire Inspection number 941316 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 5 Number of children on roll 8

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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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