Childminder in Nottinghamshire

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 11/02/2014 19/02/2013

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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 knowledge and understanding of the learning and development requirements. As a result, children's learning is not fully assessed and they are not provided with a suitable educational programme that helps them make progress towards all the early learning goals, including a balance of adult-led and child-initiated activities.  The childminder does not have a sufficient understanding of the safeguarding and welfare requirements, such as the requirement to record accidents and medication or ensure risk assessments are carried out to promote children's health, safety and good hygiene. Therefore, their safety and well-being is not supported.  Children are bored and they are not being stimulated. This leads to poor behaviour, which the childminder does not always manage appropriately and means that children are not learning from their actions.  There are limited opportunities for children to raise their awareness of healthy eating

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This provision is inadequate

because, at snack time, mainly unhealthy options are provided for them to choose from.  Children do not have opportunities to gain awareness of their own and other cultures.

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It has the following strengths

 The childminder is warm and caring towards the children.  The childminder establishes positive partnerships with parents to ensure that all children are included.

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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 and back room areas.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with the childminder and children at appropriate times throughout the observations.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at children's learning journey records, planning documentation and a selection of policies and children's records.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of the childminder and all household members over 16 years.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents from the childminder's parent questionnaires.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 2012 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives in a semi-detached house in a residential area in Nottinghamshire. Minded children mainly use the ground floor of the house, with access to toilet, hand washing and sleeping facilities on the first floor. There is a rear garden, which is available for outdoor play. The premises are accessed by a number of steps and a pathway up to the front door. The childminder lives with her husband and adult son. The family has a dog, a cat and a rabbit. The childminder is able to provide overnight care for one child. The childminder attends local parent and toddler groups. The childminder currently has three children on roll, all of whom are in the early years age group and attend for a variety of sessions. The childminder operates all year round, Monday to Friday from 7am to 6pm, except for family holidays. The childminder is a

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Information about the setting

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:

implement the policy and procedures for promoting equality of opportunity, for example, by providing more resources that reflect the diverse society to enable children to gain a better understanding of the wider world and to help children to value and respect others

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enforcement action:

ensure that the system for risk assessment is fully effective to keep children safe; this includes sharp scissors and in relation to the dog food and access the dog has to areas where children play, sleep and eat

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enforcement action:

maintain a written record of any accident or injury and first-aid treatment to a child and ensure parents are informed of all accidents or injuries sustained to their child.

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must:

 gain a secure understanding of the safeguarding, welfare and learning and development requirements of the revised Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage to support children's learning, development and well-being effectively

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must:

 develop the educational programme to ensure that all areas of learning are covered in a balanced way, appropriate for the ages and stages of children and that activities provide sufficient challenge

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must:

 ensure the necessary skills to manage children's behaviour effectively are gained

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must:

 ensure the good health of children attending the setting is promoted at all times and ensure children learn appropriate hygiene routines

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must:

 ensure no medication is administered to a child unless it has been prescribed for that particular child by a doctor, dentist, nurse or pharmacist

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must:

 ensure that where any medication is administered to a child, prior written permission for that particular medication has been obtained from the child's parent and/or carer

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must:

 ensure that a written record is maintained each time medication is administered to a child and the parents are informed.

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

 ensure children are provided with healthy snacks.

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who attend

The childminder has a poor understanding of the learning and development requirements. Therefore, the educational programme provided by the childminder does not adequately cover all the seven areas of learning. This results in children not making sufficient progress towards the early learning goals. This was brought through as an action at the last inspection and the childminder has not made sufficient progress in her own understanding. She has tried by displaying information about some of the areas of learning. However, she does not understand this information sufficiently to put this into her practice and provision for children to help with their learning and development. The childminder knows generally what children can do and observes them at play during the day. However, this is very basic. Although children show some interest in the learning environment that is provided by the childminder, they are not fully supported to develop

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who attend

the characteristics of effective learning. For example, a child makes a 'z' mark on their paper and states 'quack, quack', but the childminder misses this opportunity to praise the child on their drawing. Also she does not ask questions about the duck or following the child's interest in ducks to further enhance the learning. There are very few adult-led activities and children choose for themselves from the resources, although, at times they take toys from each other and sometimes fight over the resources, with little intervention from the childminder. The older children are not fully challenged in their play and tend to play with the baby toys, especially those that make a noise. However, they quickly get bored and start displaying negative behaviour.

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who attend

Children are regularly taken to toddler groups in the morning and then the childminder tends to take them out in the afternoons to soft play centres or the park. On the day of the inspection the children had been taken to a toddler group in the morning and they had made a lovely sticky heart to give to their mummies for Valentine's Day. One child just wanted to destroy their sticky picture and instead of putting the picture in a safe place the childminder kept allowing the child to rip their picture up. Therefore, the child was not learning to respect things and be proud of what they had done. Children are not given the opportunity to explore or investigate things, they are not encouraged to concentrate because the childminder has the television playing in the background, which at times acts as a distraction for the children. Apart from drawing with wax crayons, the children have no opportunity to be creative or think critically for themselves. Children are happy and

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who attend

settled with the childminder and do approach her for their needs and wants.

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who attend

The younger children enjoy holding the wax crayons in their hands and dropping them on the floor. The older children enjoy books and listening to short stories being told by the childminder. However, the childminder has to provide board books as the older children do not respect the books as they rip the pages. All children like playing with the younger child's interactive toys, which help their development around technology. The childminder does not speak to children constantly as they play, and the younger children babble happily to themselves with no responses back from the adult. This means they are not being encouraged to develop their early language skills. The childminder shows some awareness of the children progressing according to their age group. However, the lack of challenge in the activities provided for the children means they are not making progress in all areas of learning and development given their capabilities and starting points. As a

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who attend

consequence, children are not acquiring the skills, attitudes and dispositions they require to prepare them for school or their next stages of learning. Parents are not provided with detailed information about their child's development and progress across the seven areas of learning. The childminder does have some knowledge of the progress check at age two and how this is agreed with parents.

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

The childminder treats all children with warm and loving care, helping them to settle well and feel secure. She has a close bond with the children in her care, she responds to their request for cuddles. However, the children to not have a close relationship with each other and they are not always encouraged to play cooperatively, share the resources or take turns. The childminder does try and manage this unwanted behaviour, but at times this was not effective and children were not learning how to manage their own behaviour. Unhealthy snacks were being offered at times to manage the behaviour. For example, they would be given a biscuit if they behaved. This practice is not effective in helping children learn how to behave. At the last inspection, the childminder was asked to implement her policy and procedure for prompting equality by increasing her resources to reflect today's diverse society to help children learn about and respect the wider world.

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

This has not been addressed effectively and is being raised as an area to improve. Children are not being given the opportunity to learn about their own or other cultures and beliefs.

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

The childminder does not promote the good health of children. For example, children are not learning through their daily routines the importance of hand washing as the childminder does not encourage children to wash their hands at relevant times. The childminder has a dog, which relaxes in the areas where children play, sleep and eat and she is not aware of hygiene risks. For example, the younger child's dummy drops on the floor and then is given back to them, children eat crisps that have been dropped on the floor and the childminder changes children's nappies on the carpet in the area where the dog has been laying. Children were drinking out of each other's drinking beakers. All these pose a risk of cross-infection for the children. The childminder does have a policy and procedure for administering medication to children. However, creams have been applied to injuries sustained while in the care of the childminder without the prior written consent

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

from the parents and the childminder has not recorded the cream being administered. This practice does not safeguard children as they may be allergic to the cream and the parents have not been made aware of what has been administered to their child. Not all accidents that happen to children while in the childminder's care are recorded. The childminder at present only records accidents where there is a mark. During the inspection, two children had accidents that involved their heads and these were not recorded. This practice does not fully safeguard children.

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

Although the childminder has carried out risk assessments around the home, she does not follow appropriate health and safety practices. For example, on her daily safety check list it states that the dog food is removed. However, on the day of the inspection, the younger child crawled over to the dog food that was on the floor and was playing with it. The child had two handfuls of the food when the childminder addressed this issue by removing the food away from the children's level. Also an older child used their initiative by using the younger child's walker to climb on to get to the drawer in the kitchen and take out a very sharp pair of scissors and then came into the lounge, opening and closing the scissors. This is evidence that the childminder's risk assessments are not thorough in protecting and keeping children safe. The childminder does not give sufficient priority to children's well- being and safety. As a result, children develop a false sense of safety and security because

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

there are inadequate steps taken to protect important aspects of their welfare. Nevertheless, children appear happy and settled in the childminder's care. She spends time obtaining appropriate information from parents about their child's likes, dislikes and individual routines, which are incorporated into their day. This helps children feel valued and included.

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provision

This inspection was brought forward following a recent visit by Ofsted. The childminder received a notice to improve to ensure she stays within the usual ratios and cares for no more children than she is allowed to at any one time. The childminder has addressed this and is now aware of the numbers and ages of children she can care for. Therefore, children's safety and well-being is assured regarding this issue. However, the childminder lacks clear understanding of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Consequently, a number of requirements are not being met, which does not protect the safety and well-being of children. The childminder is not meeting all of the requirements of the Childcare Register. The childminder ensures that clear safeguarding procedures are in place. She provides a safeguarding policy which she shares with parents. This includes an explanation of the action to be taken in the event of

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provision

an allegation made against a member of the household, and covers the use of mobile phones and cameras in the setting. The childminder demonstrates a suitable understanding of what would give her concerns and what action she would take to safeguard children.

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provision

The childminder does not keep herself up to date with current practice by accessing training, which demonstrates that the childminder does not demonstrate a positive attitude towards continually improving her knowledge and skills, or developing the setting. She does not evaluate her practice effectively or assess the progress children make towards the early learning goals. Although the childminder identifies that she is not meeting all the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage, she lacks the motivation to seek support or make the necessary improvements. Consequently, the action and one of the recommendations from the previous inspection have not been addressed. This results in children's safety, well-being and learning needs not being adequately met. The premises are not effectively organised to meet the needs of all the children. The childminder reorganises the furniture during the day to provide a suitable

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provision

place for children to eat and play. Toys were mainly stored in the back room, which means that children cannot be spontaneous and independent in their choice of what to play with. Children practise the emergency evacuation plan to help them begin to understand how to keep themselves safe. The childminder ensures that the premises are secure and children cannot leave them unsupervised. She implements appropriate procedures to ensure that children are released into the care of named persons. The childminder ensures she supervises the children at all times and never leaves them unsupervised in her car because she always keeps them within sight and hearing.

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provision

The childminder has some systems to ensure details are obtained, and records are maintained detailing children's individual needs. She maintains a two-way flow of information with parents and carers through daily discussions and the use of daily diaries, however, these discussions are mainly in relation to the care of the children. At the last inspection the childminder was asked to develop working relationships with other provisions that the children attend. The childminder is visiting the pre-school that one child attends to share relevant information about the child, to support their development and learning more effectively. Parents' views are sought through questionnaires and these show positive comments about the childminder. For example, they have no concerns, they feel their child is well cared for, their child is given lots of attention and they always have a smile on their face.

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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:

 maintain records of any medication administered to any child who is cared for on the premises, including the date and circumstances and who administered it, including medicine which the child is permitted to self-administer, together with a record of a parent/guardian/carer's consent (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  maintain records of any accident which occurs on the premises where childcare is provided (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  undertake a risk assessment of the premises and equipment and ensure that all necessary measures are taken to minimise any identified risks (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  maintain records of any medication administered to any child who is cared for on the premises, including the date and circumstances and who administered it, including medicine which the child is permitted to self-administer, together with a record of a parent/guardian/carer's consent (voluntary part of the Childcare

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

Register)  maintain records of any accident which occurs on the premises where childcare is provided (voluntary part of the Childcare Register)  undertake a risk assessment of the premises and equipment and ensure that all necessary measures are taken to minimise any identified risks (voluntary part of the Childcare Register).

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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 EY449607 Local authority Nottinghamshire Inspection number 949594 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 3

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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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