Childminder in North East Lincolnshire

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 07/05/2014 21/11/2013

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early years provision

This inspection: 3 Previous inspection: 4 How well the early years provision meets the needs of the range of children who attend The contribution of the early years provision to the well-being of children 3 The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the early years provision 3

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This provision requires improvement

 The childminder has made satisfactory progress since the last inspection to enable her to meet the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage, this is starting to have a positive impact on children's care and learning.  The childminder ensures children are safe while in her care through ensuring the home is secure and no one can enter the premises without her knowledge.  Children build close and trusting relationships with the childminder and she is attentive towards their needs. As a result, children are happy and settled.

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It is not yet good because

 Observation, assessment, monitoring and tracking are not sufficiently embedded into practice to ensure that children make consistently good practice and not all adults have the knowledge and skills to support children fully in their learning.  The furniture available at snack and mealtimes limits children's opportunities to develop social skills, independence and communication.  Nappy changing arrangements do not ensure children's dignity and privacy are maintained at all times.  The childminder does not make consistently good use of the garden to extend children's physical skills and provide opportunities to investigate of the natural world.

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Information about this inspection

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

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Information about this inspection

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

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Information about this inspection

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

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed children while they were engaged in activities in the living room. She looked at all areas of the home and the outdoor area used for childminding.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke to the childminder, her assistant and the children at appropriate times throughout the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's assessment records, planning documents and a range of other documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The views of parents were taken into account from both discussion on the day and written documentation they had provided.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence the childminder's qualifications and the suitability of household members.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 1991 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her partner and two adult children in a house in Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire. The childminder's partner also works as her assistant and when they work together, the number of children being cared for can be increased. The whole of the ground floor and the rear garden are used for childminding. The family has a dog and a cat as pets. The childminder collects children from the local schools and pre-schools. There are currently nine children on roll, eight of whom are in the early years age group and attend for a variety of sessions. She provides care all year round from 6.30am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday, except for family holidays.

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must:

 embed into practice observation, assessment, monitoring and tracking to ensure children make consistently good progress towards the early learning goals

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must:

 ensure that assistants are competent in the areas of work they undertake, for example, by providing appropriate training, mentoring and support.

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

 review care practices to ensure that children's privacy is maintained at all times, particularly during nappy changes

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

 review arrangements for seating children during snack and mealtimes to provide opportunities for them to develop their independence, social and communication skills and to help them prepare for the move to school

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

 provide further opportunities for children to spend time in the garden, in order to develop their physical skills and investigate the natural world.

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who attend

The childminder has a satisfactory awareness of the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage, therefore, children take part in an adequate range of adult-led and child-initiated activities across the seven areas of learning. She observes the children during their play to monitor what they can and cannot do and she records their achievements. However, the arrangements for observation and assessment and consequently, the planning for children's future progress are not sufficiently embedded into practice, to ensure that all adults working with the children have a clear picture of their next steps and can support them to make consistently good progress.

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who attend

The childminder knows the children well and discusses the progress they make and how she provides for this. She routinely takes children to activities outside of the home. This provides opportunities for children to socialise with others and increases their social skills and confidence. It also adds some variety to their learning experiences. For example, children develop their physical skills when they visit the local park. However, the childminder does not make regular use of the garden, which limits opportunities for physical play and for exploration of the natural world. The family has a dog and a cat and the children are comfortable around them. The childminder explains how she supports the children to learn about how to care for the pets and how this promotes their personal, social and emotional development. This helps children to manage their feelings and behaviour.

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who attend

The childminder regularly plans craft activities with the children. This teaches them how to use a variety of tools and materials, as well as learning about different festivals. For example, the childminder celebrates a festival from a European country, which is meaningful to a child from a dual language family. A parent supports the childminder by providing information to enable her to provide enhanced experiences and opportunities to all of the children. The childminder works well with parents and talks to them about what their children like to do. She also talks to parents about the children's routines and care needs when they leave them at the start of their session. The childminder shows commitment to continuous improvement and has introduced a basic system to record observations of children. To some extent, this helps her to recognise children's achievements. She shares this information with parents to keep them informed of some of

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

Children enjoy warm relationships with the childminder from the outset. The childminder discusses children's individual needs, routines and activities with parents. This helps them to separate and settle well in her care. Children behave very well. They develop confidence and self-esteem because the childminder praises and encourages their efforts. The childminder helps children to learn to share and take turns during their play. Overall, the childminder provides a satisfactory range of furniture, toys and equipment to meet the different ages and stages of children's development. However, lunchtime routines do not always support children's social and communication skills due to seating arrangements not meeting the needs of all children. For example, an older child sits on a sofa and the bowl containing lunch is placed on a cushion on the child's lap, while younger children are fed in highchairs. Children's hands are wiped after eating, nappy changes and activities and

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

surfaces are cleaned. Older children demonstrate how they wash their hands, which supports them in learning about good health and develops their self-care skills. Children are polite and helpful. The childminder and her assistant interact well with the children and manage behaviour and minor conflict situations appropriately. She generally meets children's care needs effectively. However, nappy changing arrangements are not always well considered, which results in the dignity and privacy of the children not being maintained. A thorough knowledge of the children and families for whom she provides a childminding service enables the childminder to support the care and emotional needs of children well. She seeks information regarding children's needs from their parents prior to them joining and this is used to help them to settle rapidly. For example, the childminder has knowledge about their family make up, their routines and preferences, as well as any

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

health-related issues. Permissions from parents are sought for a range of issues, such as taking children on local outings and to apply sun cream. This partnership working with parents actively supports their children's well-being. The childminder is flexible with regard to starting arrangements for children when they join her setting, in order to support their emotional well-being and this is planned on an individual basis for each child.

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

Children learn about keeping safe as the childminder explains about any dangers. For example, they develop an understanding of fire safety as the childminder consistently reminds them to stay away from the unlit fire in the living area. She explains that the fire is never used but she reinforces safety messages agreed by parents, so that children are aware of the danger a fire poses. The premises are kept secure while minded children are present. The childminder and her assistant both hold a current paediatric first-aid certificate. All relevant permissions are in place for the assistant to care for the children for the short period of time when the childminder takes or collects them from school. The childminder has long standing relationships with the local school that children move onto from her care. She has verbal communication with teaching staff and shares information to ensure children are supported and ready for the move onto school.

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

Documentation within children's individual folders identify the stage of development each child has achieved, showing that they make satisfactory progress while in the care of the childminder. She supports them to be prepared for the next stage of their learning and development. Children continue to attend the childminder's setting before and after school to provide continuity of care. Parents spoken to are very complimentary about the service the childminder provides and say that she is always willing to offer them additional support when they need it.

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provision

The childminder has made satisfactory progress since the last inspection and has implemented the required changes identified in the report and is starting to embed these in her practice. The childminder has a suitable knowledge and understanding of her responsibilities in meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. She has an adequate knowledge and understanding of the current legislation in relation to child protection. She knows the correct procedures to follow should she have concerns about the welfare of a child in her care. There are appropriate safety measures in place. For example, the use of safety gates limits the children's access to the first floor, fire-fighting equipment is accessible and children practise the emergency evacuation procedure. The premises are secured and keys taken out of the lock and placed on a hook out of the reach of the children. When the assistant leaves the premises,

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provision

he asks the childminder to lock the door behind him. The childminder explains that she supervises children at all times and she completes risk assessments to identify any dangers in her home. She teaches children about keeping themselves safe and maintains safe ratios. She has introduced daily registers and records when her assistant has cared for the children on these. The childminder has amended the car insurance to include business use and has taken advice on the correct use of car seats to ensure she adheres to current legislation. Therefore, she safeguards the children appropriately.

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provision

The childminder has reflected on her previous inspection and has evaluated the service she provides to ensure she continues to improve the quality of her own practice and teaching and that of her assistant. She has improved communication between herself and her assistant and has identified training to support his understanding and knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage, in particular behaviour management. They have jointly accessed on-line training and conducted research to improve the quality of teaching. This has had a positive impact on practice and the use of more appropriate terminology has improved communication with children of all ages. As a result, children's behaviour has improved and situations of conflict are less frequent. However, not all adults working with the children have a full understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage or the characteristics of effective learning to enable them to effectively support children to make

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provision

good progress towards the early learning goals.

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provision

The childminder recognises the importance of building close links with parents. She has good working relationships with them and shares a range of information about each child's daily routines and achievements. There are registration forms in each child's folder that give full details about the child and permission for a variety of activities. Parents are involved in their children's learning and development as they talk about what children have enjoyed and some of the areas for further development on a daily basis. Parents spoken to state that they are very pleased with the care and learning provided for their children. They say that the childminder provides support to the whole family, not just the children in her care. Letters and cards from parents in children's individual folders supports this view. Links with other professionals, such as the teachers at schools children attend, satisfactorily support children through a consistent approach to their learning and care

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The Childcare Register

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

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding Outstanding provision is highly effective in meeting the needs of all children exceptionally well. This ensures that children are very well prepared for the next stage of their learning. Grade 2 Good Good provision is effective in delivering provision that meets the needs of all children well. This ensures children are ready for the next stage of their learning. Grade 3 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 205638 Local authority North East Lincolnshire Inspection number 963024 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 12 Number of children on roll 9

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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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