Childminder in Lancashire

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 15/05/2014 17/05/2013

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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

 Children are settled and build warm relationships with the childminder and other children, helping to promote their well-being.  The childminder knows the children well. This means that she can plan a range of activities to support children's learning.  The childminder improves her practice through training courses, such as safeguarding, so she understands her responsibilities and keeps children safe.

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It is not yet good because

 The childminder does not obtain written permission from all parents before taking children on outings. She does not take all the necessary steps to keep children safe and well.  The organisation of some toys and resources means that children are unable to independently select what they what to play with.

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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 looked at the childminder's documentation, including children's learning and development files, parents' questionnaires, and a sample of the childminder's policies and information.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke with the childminder at appropriate times throughout the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the children involved in play in the playroom and living room.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 2005 and is on the Early Years Register and compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her husband and two children aged 12 and 13 years in the Fishwick area of Preston. The whole ground floor of the home and the bathroom on the first floor of the home are used for childminding. The childminder visits the shops and local parks on a regular basis. She takes children to, and collects them from the local school. The childminder currently has three children on roll, of whom two are in the early years age range and attend for a variety of sessions. She is a member of the Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years. The childminder operates all year round from 8am until 6pm Monday to Friday.

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must:

 ensure arrangements are in place to obtain written consent is gained from parents and carers before taking children on outings.

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

 improve the way in which resources are organised to make them more accessible for all children, so they make their own choices and develop their independence.

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who attend

Children are happy and settled in the childminder's care because she provides a caring, warm and friendly environment for them. The childminder understands the importance of children learning through play. She provides a range of interesting activities across the seven areas of learning. Throughout the session, children generally have opportunities to follow their own interests. The childminder knows where children are in their learning because she uses information from parents and her own observations to establish their starting points. She observes children to find out what they have achieved and what they enjoy doing. Her observations and assessments are matched to the age-related expectations of the Early Years Foundation Stage. She highlights where children are in their learning and identifies areas where they need further support. She plans interesting activities for the children which are based on the learning needs identified in her

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who attend

observations. She talks to school staff about what they are working on and incorporates this into her planning. This means that the childminder has a clear picture of where children are in their learning and where they need further support. Use of a daily diary and detailed verbal feedback at the end of the day means that parents know what their children have enjoyed that day and how they can support their children at home. Parents are actively encouraged to share information about what their children have been doing at home so that the childminder can build on this. Consequently, all children in the setting make good progress in relation to their starting points.

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who attend

The childminder places a high priority on the development of communication and language. She talks to children constantly to help develop their language further. She plays alongside the children, repeating and extending what they say. She helps toddlers to use adjectives in their speech by rephrasing sentences with adjectives in. For example, she says 'It is a teddy, it's a little'. As children pick up a spoon and pretend to feed the teddy and other soft toys she counts how many spoonfuls each of them have. Consequently children develop skills that prepare them for the next stage in their learning.

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who attend

Children enjoy exploring how things work. They enjoy using a range of electronic toys and exploring the different noises that they make when buttons are pressed. The childminder extends this by encouraging children to explore other toys, such as, mobile phones and laptops. This means that children make sound progress in information and communication technology. Children enjoy growing seeds in pots indoors and carefully water them. She plans visits to the beach so that children can collect shells and begin to understand their similarities and differences. These activities help children understand about their world. In addition to this, they also learn how to use a variety of tools safely. They enjoy going to the park and climbing and swinging. These activities support the development of small and large muscle skills. As a result, children develop good physical skills.

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

The childminder has a good relationship with the children and attachments between her and the children are evident. She is calm and caring and the children respond to this well. The childminder helps children to make the transition from home into her care by making sure she gathers information from parents about their child's individual needs. She responds to children's individual care needs as she recognises when children are tired or hungry and cuddles them affectionately as she puts them down to sleep. This positively supports their emotional well-being and provides a solid foundation on which they can learn.

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

The childminder is good overall at promoting children's self-help skills and emerging independence. For example, children are encouraged to feed themselves and drink from a cup from a young age, and as they get older, manage their personal care. However, she does not consistently follow this good practice. Some toys and resources are currently arranged in such a way that it is not easy for children to always see what is available to them. This limits the choices they can make and means they are unable to get things for themselves. This does not help children to develop the self-assurance to be even more independent. The childminder's positive role modelling and patient explanations help children begin the process of learning socially acceptable behaviour, and parents speak positively about the way in which the childminder manages this. She talks to children about how to keep themselves safe, for example, reinforcing road safety and involving

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

them in emergency evacuation practices. This enables them to develop an awareness of how to keep themselves safe.

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

All childminding areas are clean to help reduce the risk of cross-infection, and effective procedures are undertaken to help prevent the spread of infection. Suitable provision is made for children to exercise and enjoy the fresh air. The childminder takes children out daily and uses local parks so they can benefit from using a range of different equipment. Young children also accompany older children as they walk to nursery and school. In addition, this helps to familiarise young children with other settings in preparation for their later transition to nursery or school. Any snacks or meals provided are healthy, and children are given sufficient drinks to ensure they are hydrated throughout the day.

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provision

Children's welfare is promoted because the childminder has a secure understanding of child protection issues. She has a clear knowledge of the signs and symptoms of abuse and has all the relevant contact numbers to hand, therefore, she is aware of the action to take if she has any concerns about a child in her care. She has also attended additional training to support his role further. The childminder maintains most records, policies and procedures, which are required for the safe and efficient running of her provision to meet the needs of children. However, she does not obtain prior written permission from all parents, before taking children on outings. This means a requirement is not met. Therefore, the childminder fails to give a high enough priority to promoting children's safety and well-being. Written risk assessments are completed for the home and outings that children go on, which identify possible hazards and the appropriate steps that she

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provision

takes to eliminate risk and keep children safe and secure.

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provision

The childminder understands, delivers and monitors the learning and development requirements, which help children to make good progress. She tracks their development across the seven areas of learning to ensure that there are no gaps or delays in their development. The childminder is keen to continue to improve her practice and has a self- evaluation plan in place. She has clearly identified targets for development. She has a clear understanding of the strengths of her setting and takes the views of parents and children into account when evaluating her provision. She also demonstrates a good commitment to professional development and this makes a strong contribution to meeting children's needs. For example, she has attended training on observation and assessment and has put strategies in place to support children's learning and development. She has a sound relationship with the local authority and acts upon any advice given. She has

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provision

focused her attention on addressing the actions and recommendation made from the previous inspection and this has been achieved. For example, the childminder maintains children's daily attendance records, and shares a two-way exchange of information with parents to support children's learning needs.

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provision

Partnerships with parents are effective. The childminder ensures that parents are well informed about their children's day. She uses a daily diary to communicate with parents but also uses verbal feedback whenever possible. Parents enjoy looking at photographs of things their children have enjoyed doing at the childminder's. The childminder actively encourages parents to tell her what they have been doing at home, which ensures that the childminder can effectively build on learning from home. The childminder has developed links with the local nursery school. She talks to staff about how she can support children's learning. This means that the childminder builds on and supports children's learning in school.

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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 EY309217 Local authority Lancashire Inspection number 922583 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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