Childminder in Essex

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 07/04/2014 19/04/2013

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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

 Children are not effectively safeguarded as the childminder does not always adequately supervise children in her car, particularly when taking and collecting older children from school.  The childminder has failed to fulfil her responsibility to notify Ofsted of a serious accident.  The quality of teaching is inconsistent as the childminder does not effectively implement planning when her assistant is absent. This means that she is not delivering the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage rigorously.  The childminder does not have effective systems in place for complementing the learning that takes place across all aspects of children's lives. For example, she does not work in partnership with other early years settings which children attend.

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It has the following strengths

 Children form close emotional attachments with the childminder and her assistants. Effective settling-in procedures help children to feel at ease and settle well.  Partnerships with parents are secure. The childminder works closely with parents to establish a clear understanding of their children's needs and has some systems in place to involve them in their children's learning and development.

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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 childminder's lounge and dining room and viewed all other areas of the childminder's home used for childminding purposes.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector held discussions with the childminder, her assistant and children at appropriate times throughout the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at the checks used to assess the suitability of the adults working with or having direct contact with minded children. She also viewed proof of the childminder and her assistant's qualification and attendance on training courses.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector viewed a wide range of records and documentation relating to children's details, information about planning and assessments, accident and medication records, written policies, the daily attendance register, written feedback from parents and other relevant documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to during the inspection and in written comments.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 1993 on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her husband. She works with a number of assistants during busy times. The whole of the ground floor, two bedrooms on the first floor and the rear garden are used for childminding. The childminder attends a toddler group and activities at the local children's centre. She visits the shops and park on a regular basis. She collects children from the local schools and pre-schools. There are currently 23 children on roll, seven of whom are in the early years age group and attend for a variety of sessions. The childminder operates all year round from 6.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, except bank holidays and family holidays. She is a member of Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years.

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must:

 ensure that children are always safeguarded, particularly when being transported in the childminder's car. For example, make sure that children are always within sight or hearing of the childminder at all times

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must:

 tighten procedures to ensure that Ofsted is always notified of any serious accident, illness or injury to a child while in the childminder's care

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must:

 use information from observations and assessments to consistently plan activities that provide sufficient challenge and meet individual children's learning needs and ensure that the educational programme is rigorous and effectively implemented at all times

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must:

 implement effective systems to enable a two-way flow of information with parents and carers and between providers, if a child is attending more that one setting, to complement the learning that takes place across all aspects of children's lives.

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who attend

Children are busy and actively engage in a variety of activities during their day with the childminder. The childminder talks confidently about children's individual interests, needs and likes. However, some aspects of the quality of teaching require improvement. The childminder delegates the role of planning activities and tailoring the activities to meet individual children's learning to her main assistant. This assistant is currently on maternity leave, which has resulted in a lack of planning and no challenging activities being provided for children over the past four week period. The childminder said that the time has been used effectively to enhance children's outdoor experiences, for example, children have visited the zoo and local parks. However, the lack of purposeful planning means that there are inconsistencies in the delivery of the childminder's educational programme. The childminder has some effective systems in place for observing children's play and learning

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who attend

and records her findings in clear and well-documented learning journals. However, once children leave her care to attend full-time school or other early years settings, she gives their parents the learning journals and does not continue to effectively follow their learning needs until the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Therefore, there is limited evidence to show that she is tracking all children's progress or working with the other provisions to fully complement the learning that takes place in those settings. This results in potential gaps in children's learning being missed.

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who attend

Children are provided with some opportunities to guide their own play and learning. Children's language skills are enhanced by the childminder talking to children during activities and naming objects and puzzle pieces. The childminder has introduced some visual aids to promote children's involvement in songs and rhymes. Children clearly enjoy using these and ask for them when participating in singing activities. During play the childminder introduces some simple mathematical concepts, for example, she talks about big and small puzzle pieces and encourages children to look at the size of the wooden puzzle piece to determine where it goes. Cooking activities enable children to explore weight and measurement. They use scales to weigh the ingredients and discuss the way in which the ingredients change during the cooking process. Children enjoy learning about planting and growing when they tend to flowers and vegetables, which they plant in the

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who attend

The childminder provides children with a range of resources, which enable them to express their creative skills. They use paint, glue, collage materials, dough and sand on a regular basis. Small world figures, action figures and role-play equipment provides good opportunities for children to be imaginative. The childminder encourages children to develop some skills for the future, which prepare them for school readiness. For example, she promotes independence, encouraging children to make choices about their play and learning. She gives children opportunities to learn self-care skills, such as putting their own coats and shoes on and independently using the toilet. Younger children become familiar with the school building and terminology used in school when they take and collect older children from school and chat with them about the day they have had.

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

Children are settled and comfortable in the childminder's care. They form good emotional attachments with the childminder and her assistants. The childminder encourages parents to be actively involved in her settling-in procedures, which result in children settling quickly into her provision. Children understand the childminder's house rules and follow them proficiently. For example, older children take it in turns to monitor hand washing before meals and snacks. They organise the queue to ensure that children wait patiently for their turn. Children's confidence and self-esteem is promoted by the childminder using praise and encouragement. For example, she thanks them for following directions and reminds them how clever they are. The effective use of praise and encouragement helps to build children's personal, social and emotional development. The childminder's home is well organised to provide children with a secure environment. Children play in a bright home

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

which offers them a good amount of clear floor space in which to play. They move confidently between the lounge and dining room, accessing toys and play equipment from the range stored in low-level storage containers in a space under the childminder's stairs. Additional resources are also kept in a large cupboard and children know what equipment is available to them. Children demonstrate that they feel comfortable in this environment as they move with confidence around the areas accessible to them.

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

The childminder takes some steps to promote children's learning about keeping healthy and safe. For example, she reminds them about healthy habits, such as hand-washing at appropriate times. Children enjoy physical play activities, indoors and outdoors. For example, they have fun dancing to music and waving their arms around. Children are provided with opportunities to experience outdoor play on a regular basis, either in the childminder's garden or at local parks, woods, playgrounds and trips to the zoo. The childminder reminds children about the importance of fresh air and exercise. When providing children's snacks and meals, the childminder generally promotes healthy eating and offers children choices. For example, they choose which fillings they want in their sandwiches. Children are beginning to develop knowledge about keeping safe as the childminder uses walks in the local area to reinforce children's knowledge of road safety.

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

However, the two safeguarding breaches identified in the leadership and management section of this report impact on children's overall safety.

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provision

This inspection was brought forward following concerns raised with Ofsted regarding children being left unattended in the childminder's car. It was established during the inspection, that the childminder did leave minded children in her car for a period of approximately two minutes while she took another child into school. This means that for a short period of time, minded children were out of sight and hearing of the childminder, therefore, compromising their safety. She acknowledges that this means that she was in breach of the requirement to fully supervise children at all times. This is also a breach of the requirements of the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register and actions have been set to address this breach. While inspecting the childminder's records regarding accidents, it was identified that an accident occurred in 2013 that resulted in a serious injury. While the childminder took appropriate action to deal with the injury, she

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provision

failed to inform Ofsted that this had happened to a child while in her care. This is also a breach of the requirements of the compulsory and voluntary Childcare Registers and actions have been set to address this breach. While the childminder demonstrates appropriate knowledge of child protection procedures, the two incidents detailed above, indicate that her safeguarding knowledge is weak and that children are not always effectively supervised and protected from harm. All adults living on the premises or having direct contact with minded children are appropriately vetted and proof of the checks used to assess their suitability are available on file.

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provision

The childminder has been registered for a number of years and now works with one of three assistants each day. The main assistant is actively involved in the day to day running of the childminder's service and organises the planning and assessment records for all of the children in the Early Years Foundation Stage. The childminder and her main assistant demonstrate a firm commitment to updating their childcare knowledge through appropriate training. They regularly attend local cluster meetings in order to share good practice and discuss current childcare guidance. Both the childminder and her main assistant hold level 3 qualifications in childcare and education and the childminder is considering applying to become an accredited childminder. Since the last inspection, the childminder has made a number of changes and improvements to her provision. For example, she has and is still in the process of developing her garden. The improvements

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provision

to date, mean that children have greater opportunities to explore physical play on a range of exciting play equipment. The childminder has introduced some visual aids to use during singing and rhyme sessions with children to promote their language development. The childminder and her assistants constantly discuss the childminding provision and evaluate the effectiveness of the educational programme and the procedures they have in place. Parents are encouraged to provide the childminder with feedback on her childcare service through the use of questionnaires and general letters of reference.

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provision

Partnerships with parents and other professionals are secure. The childminder communicates effectively with parents on a daily basis, sharing relevant information with them about their child's day. Links with the local primary school and nursery, enable the childminder to liaise with key professionals and to share some information about children's progress.

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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:

 inform Ofsted of any serious accident or injury to, or death of a child while receiving childcare (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  ensure that children receiving childcare are kept safe from harm (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  inform Ofsted of any serious accident or injury to, or death of a child while receiving childcare (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 560080 Local authority Essex Inspection number 966980 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 12 Number of children on roll 23

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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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