Childminder in LincolnshireOfsted inspection, 25 Mar 2014

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 25/03/2014 14/12/2012

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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

 Teaching and learning are not effective because the childminder lacks knowledge of how to use observation, assessment and planning. As a result, children are not provided with sufficiently stimulating activities to help them make the best progress they can in readiness for school.  The childminder does not prioritise or promote children's safety, health and well-being. She does not complete risk assessments and does not minimise or remove risks to children. She does not ensure that her home is a safe, hygienic and stimulating environment for children.  Partnerships with parents and with others are not established effectively. Parents are not provided with information about how they can guide their child's learning at home and the childminder does not share or gather information with other settings children attend. This does not consolidate and extend children's learning through a continuous process that helps children make progress.

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This provision is inadequate

 The leadership and management are poor because the childminder is not organised and as a result, does not meet the needs of the children.

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It has the following strengths

 Children have formed very strong bonds with the childminder and are secure and settle well.

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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 lounge.  The inspector had a tour of the parts of the premises that are used by children.  The inspector conducted a joint observation with the childminder.  The inspector looked at children's assessment records and planning documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of the childminder. She discussed the childminder's self-evaluation and improvement plan.  The inspector discussed the views of parents and carers with the childminder.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 1998 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her husband and adult son in a house in Lincoln, Lincolnshire. The whole of the ground floor and the rear garden are used for childminding. The childminder attends a toddler group and visits the park on a regular basis. She collects children from the local schools. There are currently two children on roll; both of whom are within the early years age group. The childminder operates all year round from 6am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, except for her family holidays. She is a member of the Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years.

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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 the kitchen is suitable and adequately equipped for the hygienic preparation of food for children and, if necessary, includes suitable sterilisation equipment for babies' feeding equipment

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enforcement action:

take all reasonable steps to ensure the safety of children in the event of a fire or other emergency by ensuring that the kitchen floor is free of all bags, boxes and things stored on the floor and that the kitchen door is kept free of obstruction and can be easily opened from inside

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enforcement action:

ensure that the premises including indoor, and outdoor spaces are fit for purpose and that furniture, equipment and toys are safe, clean and comply with requirements of health and safety legislation, including hygiene requirements

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enforcement action:

organise the premises and equipment in ways that meet the needs of the children by providing sufficient space for children of different ages and stages to play in and explore safely and by ensuring that younger children and/or babies cannot access small, inappropriate toys or pieces that can cause them harm from choking or injury

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enforcement action:

assess risks to children and review these regularly by identifying aspects of the environment that need to be checked on a regular basis and by demonstrating how risks will be removed or minimised.

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must:

 provide an appropriately equipped space for children who wish to relax, play quietly or sleep

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must:

 develop an effective process of ongoing assessment to identify each child's level of achievement within the seven areas of learning in relation to their age and stage of development, and use this information to plan future learning experiences for each child that is tailored to their individual needs and stages of development and helps each children make progress

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must:

 implement each area of learning through planned, purposeful play and shape children's learning through a mix of adult-led and child-initiated activity that responds to each child's emerging needs and interests

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must:

 review all children's progress between the age of two and three years, and provide parents with a short written summary of their child's development in the prime areas  devedevelop partnerships with other settings that children attend to share information about children's learning and development, and keep parents better informed about their child's achievements and progress in learning and development.

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who attend

The teaching, assessment and learning that takes place does not provide children with the support or challenge they require to help them make the maximum progress they can with their learning and development. Since the last inspection, the childminder has attempted to implement a system of observation and assessment, however, she lacks knowledge of how to use this effectively. The observations that the childminder chooses to record lack purpose because they are a description of what the child is doing, not what the child is achieving and they do not link to any developmental outcome or area of learning. as a result, the childminder is unclear about what the children are achieving. Observations are kept in a folder in a cupboard and are, therefore, not used to identify next steps in learning.. Some information is gathered from parents when a child first starts, but this is not used effectively as a starting point for the child's learning and is not continued and

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who attend

used as a tracking process. Children's progress is therefore, not tracked effectively and the childminder is unable to pitch learning at the correct level for each child. She does not provide children with a balance of adult-led and child-led learning. Although she does know what children like doing, she rarely extends their interests into adult-led activities that enhance their knowledge and help move them forward. The childminder does not complete the progress check at age two for children who are within the appropriate age range. She is, therefore, unable to identify at an early stage if there are any gaps in a child's learning and development or to initiate a working partnership between specialised professionals to support children. As a result of these weaknesses, children are not making their best progress they can in their learning and development in readiness for school.

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who attend

The childminder is unclear about the seven areas of learning and how these are divided into the prime areas of learning and the specific areas of learning. She does not demonstrate an awareness of how to ensure that she covers all areas of learning for all children. However, she interacts kindly with children and follows their lead well as they play with toys and resources of their choice. Children aged three years particularly like drawing and attempting to write letters. They talk about letters and sounds and have a very good understanding of phonics and what letters make up their name. Some aspects of teaching are effective, for example, the childminder talked to a child about letters and sounds, which the child really enjoys. She talked about pictures that are being drawn by a child and the child used good language to tell the childminder an imaginary story about how the picture was their daddy, but how he has now become a snail and carries his

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who attend

home on his back. The child furthers the conversation by explaining how the snails in their garden ate all the vegetables and now they have to grow some more. Conversation, language and vocabulary are used well by children and the childminder talks to children with respect, showing an interest in what is being said. Children listen well and join in with conversations, picking up on what is being said and adding their own views. Children enjoy their time at the childminder's home and enjoy playing with small-world characters and listening to stories. Stories are sometimes extended by the children making the characters in the stories, which consolidates their learning and helps them to be creative. Children enjoy being taken to a toddler group, where they learn to socialise with a wider range of children and adults.

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who attend

Some progress has been made since the last inspection to involve parents more in their child's learning. However, the childminder does not keep parents well informed about what stage of learning their child has reached and what stage of learning she is working towards next as a focus. This is because of the weaknesses that exist with her observation, assessment and planning. She does not support parents sufficiently well with ways they can guide their child's learning at home to consolidate what they learn at her setting. She does not gather or share information about children's learning with other settings where children receive shared care and learning. Therefore, children's uniqueness is not fully considered taking account of the full range of experiences they have in their life. Partnerships are not sufficiently well established to fully support, extend and consolidate children's learning through a continuous and consistent approach.

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

The childminder does not promote children's good health or their safety and she does not promote children's understanding of health and safety. The environment that children use is extremely cluttered and it is not maintained in a hygienic manner, particularly the kitchen. Although current children bring their food and drink from home and the childminder puts their sandwiches and yoghurt in the fridge, the childminder has a food safety and hygiene certificate, which enables her to provide children with food made at her premises if she wishes or if parents request this. However, children are at risk because the kitchen floor is covered in bags, boxes and items, which make movement around the kitchen problematic. The kitchen door is not directly blocked at this inspection and can open inwards in the event of an emergency, however, as babies are cared for and need to be carried to the door, the obstacles on the kitchen floor present a safety problem. It has

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

been blocked before and any improvements that have previously been made are slipping back again. This shows that the childminder cannot sustain improvements and lacks the ability to assess risk to keep children safe and healthy.

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

The clutter that builds up in the lounge, bathroom and kitchen does not promote positive learning at best and, at worst, it is a safety hazard. It also reduces the space available for children's play and exploration and also the available space for them to be able to rest or sleep undisturbed. The clutter is particularly hazardous for babies who are learning to walk, cruising round the furniture or using items to grab hold of to pull themselves up on to their feet. The childminder said that the garden is not used much by the children for outdoor play as she prefers to take them next door to another childminder's house or out to the park. However, she does have some outdoor resources and she does use the garden on occasions for children. Risk assessments are not completed for the areas of the home used by children, including the garden. Therefore, the childminder does not identify any hazards that may exist or take any action to minimise or remove these. Children are

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

not learning positive messages about how to be safe and are potentially at risk of accident, injury or ill health.

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

Children arrive happy and show that they have developed strong bonds with the childminder. The childminder has established good relationships with parents and sets time aside each day to talk to them about their child's needs. She has also introduced a care dairy that records what children have eaten, how much they have slept, their nappy changes and what they have done each day. These were not available to be seen at the inspection. Children are happy to see the childminder and are settled and confident in her home. Relationships are kind and attentive with both the children and the childminder showing respect and care towards each other. The childminder does not fully understand the prime areas of learning, however children are secure, confident and behaviour is good. They communicate well with the childminder, listen and understand what is being said and understand what is expected of them. Children are emotionally equipped with the skills

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

they need for their future transitions to other settings.

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provision

The inspection was prioritised following concerns that were received about the childminder's ability to provide safe and hygienic premises for children to be cared in. The inspection found that the provider fails to meet the requirements about the premises, safety and risk assessments. These significant weaknesses in practice are breaches in the safeguarding requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and are also breaches of the requirements of the Childcare Register.

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provision

The childminder does not keep children safe because she does not complete risk assessments and does not keep her premises safe and hygienic. She has completed safeguarding training and understands her child protection duties if she has concerns that a child may be at risk from harm or abuse. Household members are suitably vetted and records of their suitability checks are kept on record. The childminder has the full range of polices and procedures in place, which are shared with parents so that they understand how she organises her setting. She does not, however, translate these, or the training that she has completed effectively, into practice. For example, having completed food hygiene training she has not implemented her learning to make sure she adopts safe practices. . The childminder does not keep her premises safe because she does not carry risk assessments as stated in her policies and procedures. She does not translate the

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provision

knowledge she has gained from achieving a qualification in early years education and care at level 3 into her practice. She lacks knowledge about the areas of learning, observation and assessment and therefore, does not plan a stimulating and purposeful programme of learning for the children she cares for.

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provision

The childminder's ability to reflect on the quality of her provision and to sustain improvement is poor, because these issues have been raised before and she has allowed the situation to deteriorate again. This does not demonstrate the childminder's ability to meet the needs of young children. She does not work effectively in partnership with other settings or with parents to ensure that the overall care and learning needs of children are met to their fullest potential. Therefore, the childminder is not preparing children sufficiently well with their readiness for school and their future learning.

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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 that the premises and equipment used for the purposes of the childcare are safe and suitable for that childcare (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  undertake a risk assessment of the premises and equipment, at least once in each calendar year, and immediately, where the need for an assessment arises to ensure that all necessary measures are taken to minimise any identified risks (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  ensure that the premises and equipment used for the purposes of the childcare are safe and suitable for that childcare (voluntary part of the Childcare Register)  undertake a risk assessment of the premises and equipment, at least once in each calendar year, and immediately, where the need for an assessment arises to ensure that all necessary measures are taken to minimise any identified risks (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 260490 Local authority Lincolnshire Inspection number 965616 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 2

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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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