Challacombe, Karen

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 23/06/2014 26/01/2009

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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's lack of knowledge of current regulation and her limited monitoring of her childminding provision has resulted in breaches of the learning and development and safeguarding and welfare requirements.  Children are put at risk because the childminder has limited knowledge of the Local Safeguarding Children Board procedures, and she has not told Ofsted about changes to the household and a recent significant event.  Children's welfare is compromised as the childminder does not have a current paediatric first-aid qualification and has not attended safeguarding training for lead practitioners.  The childminder does not have a good knowledge of the areas of learning or supporting guidance, as a result, her monitoring of children's progress is not thorough. This limits her ability to plan for their further progress.

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It has the following strengths

 Children settle quickly and enjoy learning in the inviting, comfortable and well- resourced surroundings.  The childminder makes learning fun. She enthuses children so they are keen to join in, concentrate well and confidently express their ideas.  Parents value the care provided for their children and they regularly exchange information to promote different aspects of children's care and learning.

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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 compulsory part 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 dining room and outside.  The inspector spoke to the childminder and children throughout the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector discussed and looked at children's assessment records and planning documentation.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked evidence of suitability and training of the childminder and suitability of other members of the household.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector discussed and looked at a sample of records and policies relating to children's welfare, health and safety.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents and carers from their written feedback to her.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 1998 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. She lives with her partner and his son in Worcester. She uses the whole of the ground floor, a first floor bathroom and the rear garden for childminding. The family have some goldfish. There are currently eight children on roll. Five children are in the early years age group who attend for a variety of sessions and three are school-age children who attend before and after school. The childminder operates all year round from 7am to 7pm Monday to Friday, except for bank holidays. The childminder regularly takes children for local walks and visits to nearby parks. She takes children to and collects them a local school, nursery and pre-school.

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must:

 improve knowledge of Local Safeguarding Children Board procedures and guidance, including attending a child protection training course for lead practitioners that enables you to understand and respond appropriately to signs of possible abuse and neglect

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must:

 complete and maintain a current paediatric first-aid qualification

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must:

 ensure safeguarding procedures are in line with Local Safeguarding Children Board guidance and include; action to be taken in the event of an allegation of abuse being made against anyone working or living on the premises; the use of mobile phones and cameras in the setting

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must:

 assess children's progress across all the areas of learning accurately and use the information to better identify and plan for children's individual next steps in learning.

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

 implement effective systems for monitoring and evaluating all aspects of the childminding provision in order to promote continuous improvement and ongoing professional development.

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who attend

Overall, children make progress within the typical range of development expected for their age. However, the childminder does not yet support children to make good progress because she has only recently started to familiarise herself with the learning and development requirements. She is not aware of some aspects of the areas of learning and does not refer to supporting guidance to ensure she accurately assesses each child's level of understanding and skills. As a result, the childminder's monitoring of children's development, for instance when she completes progress checks for children aged between two and three years, is not thorough enough to ensure she fully understands how well each child is progressing in each area of learning. This has an impact on the quality of her planning, which is not always sufficiently focused on children's individual next steps in order to help them make good progress in all the required areas of learning. However, the

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who attend

childminder understands how children learn and her role to prepare them for their future learning, including going to school. Many activities are fun and rewarding and she successfully encourages children to join in, concentrate and to creatively develop and verbally express their ideas.

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who attend

Children enjoy themselves and are keen to take part in planned activities and to initiate their own play. They eagerly help themselves to resources and express their ideas with the enthusiastic support of the childminder. She encourages their imaginative and purposeful involvement in activities. For example, during a collage activity the childminder introduces new craft materials, which prompt lively discussion about colours, textures and different ways to use the resources. The childminder role models new techniques, which the children are keen to try and this encourages them to find additional decorative items, as well as finding other resources to adorn the flower pots they are preparing for the sunflowers they have grown.

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who attend

The childminder interacts well with children. She ably supports their emergent vocabulary and encourages them to talk about their ideas, recall events and ask and answer questions. During activities, the childminder and children talk about what they are making and young children become increasingly expressive in their imaginative and cooperative play. The childminder also fosters their language for simple problem solving, for instance, she asks them about what they need as they get ready to plant the sunflowers in their decorated flower pots.

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who attend

Through outdoor activities, local walks and outings, the childminder introduces children to a wide range of experiences to support their understanding of the natural world and to stimulate their exploration and creativity. For instance, children enjoy cooking, growing different plants and feeding the ducks. They talk about what they observe during visits to parks and walks by the river.

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who attend

The childminder ensures parents and carers know about children's activities and achievements, and parents' views about children's interests, characteristics and starting points help the childminder to settle children and plan activities they enjoy. The childminder also discusses children's care and learning elsewhere, in order to ensure consistency and continuity for those children who attend more than one setting.

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

Children's health and well-being are not adequately promoted by the childminder because she has not maintained a current paediatric first-aid qualification. The qualification expired over six months ago. She has now booked on a forthcoming course and made sure she has appropriate contents in the first-aid box, for use at her home and on outings. The childminder's failure to meet other requirements relating to safeguarding and suitability of members of the household means she is not vigilant enough about keeping children safe and protected.

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

Other aspects of the childminder's provision for children's health, safety and well-being meet requirements. She has effective arrangements for finding out about and meeting children's individual care, health and dietary needs. Children are happy, settle well and form secure attachments with the childminder, who is kind and approachable. She understands children's differing characteristics and reflects these and their individual interests in the activities and resources she plans and organises. As a result, children feel a strong sense of belonging and develop confidence and independence in the stimulating, well-resourced and welcoming surroundings.

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

Children are emotionally and socially well prepared for the next stage in their learning, including going to nursery and school. The childminder consistently encourages their choices and independence so that children are confident to express their views and needs. She supports young children in managing different aspects of their self-care, such as hand washing, dressing and going to the toilet unaided. Children behave well, enjoy each other's company and have positive relationships as the childminder makes sure they know what is expected of them and she always promotes their sharing, turn taking, being kind and helpful.

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

The childminder ensures children learn about different aspects of health and safety. She promotes their good health by offering regular outdoor activities, including local walks and opportunities for physical exercise when using the different apparatus at nearby parks. Children understand it is important to wash their hands properly and the childminder works with parents to support children's toilet training when they are developmentally ready. During snacks and meals children make healthy choices about what they eat and drink. The childminder effectively monitors the safety and security of her home, which is immaculate, comfortable and inviting. She teaches children how to safely use equipment and utensils and they learn about road safety during walks and outings.

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provision

The childminder's lack of knowledge of the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage has resulted in several breaches of regulation. She is also not aware of and has not met several requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register. These breaches have a significant impact on the safety and well-being of children. The childminder does not understand her role to inform Ofsted about any new members of the household, so that Ofsted can carry out suitability checks. The childminder has also failed to notify Ofsted within required timescales of a recent significant event relating to someone who, at the time of the incident, was living at her home. This means the childminder was in breach of regulation and did not take prompt steps to discuss the situation with Ofsted, in order to fully assess and minimise any risks to the children she was looking after at the time.

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provision

The childminder does not have effective systems to monitor and evaluate her knowledge and practice or to review and update her procedures. This has led to other breaches of regulation and gaps in the childminder's knowledge about current first-aid and safeguarding procedures, which compromise children's well-being and welfare. The childminder has not completed required paediatric first-aid training within required timescales. In addition, while she is aware of possible signs of abuse and neglect, the childminder's arrangements for safeguarding children are inadequate. She is not aware of Local Safeguarding Children Board procedures and guidance and has not completed required safeguarding training, which is relevant to her role as a lead practitioner responsible for safeguarding, in order to ensure her knowledge is up to date. As a result, the childminder does not have clear procedures to guide her and parents about what

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provision

action she will take and whom she will contact if she has concerns about a child's welfare, or if an allegation is made against her or anyone else connected with her childminding. While the childminder ensures parents are aware of how she uses photographs in her setting, she does not have clear procedures to cover the use of mobile phones and cameras.

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provision

Overall, the childminder provides an appropriate and often enjoyable educational programme for children. However, she has only recently started referring to the learning and development requirements and she does not have an in-depth knowledge of some aspect of the areas of learning. As a result, the childminder's monitoring of activities and of children's progress is not always precise enough to ensure all aspects of each area of learning are fully covered and help them make good progress.

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provision

Some aspects of the childminder's leadership and management are effective. She obtains required information about children and their parents and relevant agreements relating to their care, good health and safety are obtained. The childminder has positive relationships with parents, who highly value her provision for their children. They regularly exchange information about their children's care, learning and development and work successfully together to promote different aspects of children's care, health and development at home and in the setting. The childminder also understands the importance of working with other settings some children attend or are moving on to. As part of this, she makes sure children who are going to nursery and school are well prepared for their new surroundings and routines.

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The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are

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

 complete and maintain a current paediatric first-aid qualification (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  improve the written safeguarding policy to clearly explain current procedures to be followed for the protection of children, intended to safeguard the children being cared for from abuse or neglect (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  inform Ofsted of the name, date of birth, address and telephone number of any person aged 16 or over living on the premises and of any significant event which is likely to affect the suitability of anyone working or living on the premises within 14 days (compulsory 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 204940 Local authority Worcestershire Inspection number 818002 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 8

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Telephone number

set out in the guidance ‘Complaints procedure: raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.

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Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

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Type of provision

Full-time provision is that which operates for more than three hours. These are usually known as nurseries, nursery schools and pre-schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the higher fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Sessional provision operates for more than two hours but does not exceed three hours in any one day. These are usually known as pre-schools, kindergartens or nursery schools and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are registered on the Early Years Register and pay the lower fee for registration.

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Type of provision

Childminders care for one or more children where individual children attend for a period of more than two hours in any one day. They operate from domestic premises, which are usually the childminder’s own home. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Type of provision

Out of school provision may be sessional or full-time provision and is delivered before or after school and/or in the summer holidays. They are registered on the Early Years Register and must deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage. Where children receive their Early Years Foundation Stage in school these providers do not have to deliver the learning and development requirements in full but should complement the experiences children receive in school. achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children,

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Type of provision

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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Type of provision

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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