Childminder in Dudley

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 26/03/2014 21/02/2011

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early years provision

This inspection: 4 Previous inspection: 1 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

 Children's safety and welfare is compromised because procedures for keeping children safe are not effective. This is with specific regard to the supervision of children on outings and their safety while being transported in the car.  The childminder has not maintained her paediatric first aid certificate. This means that the childminder does not have the up to date knowledge and skills to meet children's needs in the event of an accident or emergency situation.  The premises and equipment are not organised as well as they could be to meet children's needs; this relates specifically to the arrangements for children at meal times, to enable them to sit comfortably and eat their meals and foster their social skills and independence.  Children's health is compromised because hygiene routines are not consistently followed, for example, children do not wash their hands before snack and meal times.  The childminder does not always make the best use of toys, resources and space in

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This provision is inadequate

order to further enhance children's decision-making skills and enable them to explore a wider range of resources, and play at their own pace.

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It has the following strengths

 Children are happy and enjoy attending this welcoming home. They settle well and follow a familiar routine. This helps them form attachments and develop a sense of belonging.

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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 play and learning activities taking place in the conservatory and children having their snack and lunchtime meal.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector talked to the childminder and children at appropriate times during the inspection.  The inspector had a tour of the premises during the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector sampled a range of documentation, including evidence of the suitability of adults living on the premises, children's development records and policies and procedures.  The inspector looked at and discussed the childminder's self-evaluation form.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 2004 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her husband and granddaughter aged 15 years in Brierley Hill in the West Midlands. The whole of the ground floor of the premises is used for childminding. One bedroom on the first floor is used for sleep purposes, together with access to bathroom facilities. There is an enclosed garden available for outdoor play. The family keep ducks and chickens in secure pens in the garden, some fish in the garden pool and they have two dogs. The childminder visits local parks and stay and play groups on a regular basis. There are currently eight children on roll, three of whom are in the early years age group. Children attend for a variety of sessions, and older children attend before and after school. The childminder operates all year round, from 6.30am until 7pm Monday to Friday, except for bank holidays and family

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Information about the setting

holidays. The childminder takes children to and collects them from local schools and pre- schools and/or nurseries. She is a member of the Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years and has a level 3 qualification in Children's Care, Learning and Development.

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must:

 take appropriate steps to fully ensure children's safety while on outings; this specifically applies to the supervision of children while on outings, and making sure children are safe when they are being transported in the car

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must:

 ensure the premises and equipment are organised in a way that meets the needs of children; this specifically applies to the arrangements for children to sit comfortably during meal times

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must:

 obtain a current paediatric first aid certificate which is local authority approved and relevant for workers caring for young children

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must:

 ensure appropriate hygiene routines are followed consistently to promote children's health and well-being; this specifically applies to children washing their hands before meal times

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must:

 review the organisation of toys, resources and space in order to further enhance children's decision-making skills and enable them to explore a wider range of resources, and play at their own pace.

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who attend

The childminder provides a welcoming environment where children are happy and settled. Children take part in an appropriate range of activities and outings to support their progress towards the early learning goals. The childminder has a good knowledge and understanding of the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and the areas of learning. She uses her knowledge gained through training and her experience to help children achieve generally well. The childminder's observations of children during play are used to plan the next steps in children's learning to help them move forward in their development. She is able to demonstrate how she tracks children's progress over time in relation to their starting points and this information is shared with parents in the form of a written summary each term. Parents are encouraged to be involved in their child's learning at home, their comments and

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who attend

observations are recorded in their child's learning journey folder. This further supports the childminder's assessment process and underpins the progress children make. There are also established links with other early years providers, who are involved in the children's care and education and this means that children's continuity in care and learning is supported successfully. However, while some resources are accessible to the children in the conservatory there is room to improve how the toys, resources and space are organised, to further support children's decision-making skills and enable them to explore a wider range of resources and play at their own pace to further extend their learning.

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who attend

The childminder has a warm rapport with the children; this fosters positive relationships and helps children to develop confidence. Children enjoy a range of activities and outings in the local area, such as visits to a stay and play group and this promotes their social skills. They enjoy outings to a local park and a soft play centre where they can develop their confidence and physical abilities while using more challenging play and climbing equipment. There are also opportunities for children to play in the garden with balls, and ride on scooters and bikes. Each child receives the support they need to develop good communication and language skills to help extend their vocabulary. The childminder interacts well with children as they play. She understands how children learn, and asks them questions to promote their thinking and learning. They look at picture cards together and the childminder encourages children to say what they see, she points to each picture

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who attend

and ask them 'what's this?' to encourage them to respond. Younger children begin to make marks on paper using crayons and they also like to paint and manipulate dough. Children recognise and begin to sing nursery rhymes and familiar songs. Glove puppets and number songs prove to be popular as children count how many 'buns' they have left. Children are encouraged to look for numbers on electronic toys. The childminder asks the children if they can find the 'number one' and then 'where is the number two?'. This helps foster children's early mathematical skills. Children's understanding of the world is nurtured as they learn about different festivals and celebrations throughout the year, such as Chinese New Year.

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

Children's well-being is not fully supported because of the significant weaknesses identified relating to the safety and supervision of children on outings. In addition, the childminder does not have a valid paediatric first aid qualification which means that her knowledge of current first aid practice is not up to date. As a result, children's safety is compromised. The childminder is aware of potential risks to children in the home and garden and takes appropriate steps to minimise these risks, and she keeps the premises secure.

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

The childminder provides the children with a caring environment and they demonstrate through their behaviour that they feel settled in her home. Children follow a familiar routine and this helps them form attachments and develop a sense of belonging. The childminder knows the children well and when they show signs of becoming tired she suggests 'it's time for cuddles'. She provides parents with a report about their child's first day and makes sure children are settled in her care before taking them out to playgroups and activity centres. Children's individual needs and parents' preferences are discussed in detail during the settling-in sessions. This ensures a positive and smooth transition for children into the childminder's care. Partnerships with parents are successful and they are provided with information each day about their child's routines, activities and outings. The childminder works well with other providers delivering the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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

These established links help to support smooth transitions between settings, and promote children's continuity of care and learning effectively.

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

Children's understanding of appropriate behaviours, such as sharing is fostered appropriately and as a result, they begin from an early age to understand the rules for being together. Children's dietary needs are met appropriately and the childminder provides children with healthy and nutritious snacks and meals, such as pasta dishes, fresh and dried fruits. However, children's health needs are not always met effectively. This is because children are not supported well enough to manage their own hygiene and personal needs through their understanding of daily routines. For example, by ensuring children wash their hands before snack or tea time. This limits the scope for them to foster their personal development and independence or help prepare them for when they start school. The childminder is not caring for any children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. However, she understands the importance of working closely

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

with outside agencies to ensure children's needs are met effectively.

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provision

This inspection was carried out following concerns about children's safety and welfare. This was with regard to the supervision of children on outings, children being transported in the car, the number of children being cared for at any one time and the arrangements for meeting children's needs during meal times. The childminder is meeting the requirements in relation to the adult to child ratios and is aware of the maximum number and ages of children that may be cared for at any one time. However, this inspection found that the safety of children is compromised while being transported in the car. This is because on occasion children share a seat and a seat belt with another child on the journey to and/or from school, and children are not supervised appropriately at all times while on outings. The childminder confirmed that she allowed an older child to walk a younger child in to school while she remained in the car. This compromises children's

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provision

safety and welfare. The arrangements for children during meal times do not meet their needs. This is because the childminder has not organised the premises and equipment effectively to enable children to sit comfortably while eating. This highlights significant weaknesses in the provision and results in children's safety being compromised. This breaches safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage, in addition to the requirements of the Childcare Register. Furthermore this inspection found that the childminder's paediatric first aid qualification has expired, which is a breach of a legal requirement, and this has a potential impact on children's safety and well-being. The childminder has taken steps to rectify this situation and is currently attending an appropriate course.

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provision

The childminder demonstrates a secure knowledge and understanding of how to implement the safeguarding procedures in relation to child protection. She has attended training and is clear about the action to take in the event of a concern about a child in her care. All adults in the household have been vetted appropriately to ensure their suitability to be in contact with the children. The childminder understands her role and responsibility in meeting the learning and development requirements, and she consistently assesses and monitors children's progress. This helps her to identify any children who may need extra support to close any gaps in their learning. Individual learning journey records provide parents with an up to date record of the progress children make. This helps parents to guide and support their child's learning and development at home. Partnership arrangements with parents, external agencies and other settings work well. The

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provision

childminder recognises the value of these partnerships and is committed to working together to benefit children. Parents receive clear and detailed information about the childminding provision, through a range of documents, policies and procedures. The childminder provides children with an appropriate range of play and learning opportunities, which enables them to make generally good progress in their development. However, there is room to improve the opportunities for children to make more choices about their play by reviewing the organisation of toys, resources and the space available to further promote their decision-making skills and independence. Self-evaluation is in place and the childminder engages with the local authority to attend training to improve her knowledge and skills. For example, her attendance at a recent course on 'Children's Rights' enhanced the childminder's knowledge of diversity and how to promote inclusion for children with

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provision

special educational needs and/or disabilities. The childminder recognises that a further review of the provision is required for her to fully identify the priorities for improvement, and to ensure the safeguarding and welfare requirements are fully met.

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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 an appropriate first aid qualification is held (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  ensure that children receiving childcare are kept safe from harm (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  ensure that an appropriate first aid qualification is held (voluntary part of the Childcare Register)  ensure that children receiving childcare are kept safe from harm (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 EY278616 Local authority Dudley Inspection number 965958 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 6 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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