Childminder in WarringtonOfsted inspection, 6 Aug 2014

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 06/08/2014 13/06/2011

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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 has not ensured that all adults living in the home have undergone the required vetting processes. Public liability insurance in not in place. Therefore, children's safety and well-being is not assured.  The childminder has a poor knowledge of safeguarding procedures with regard to contacting the relevant authorities and agencies swiftly or knowing the procedure if an allegation was made against the childminder or a family member. This compromises children's welfare.  The childminder has insufficient knowledge of the learning and development requirements to plan effectively for the next steps in children's learning across all areas of the curriculum. As a result, children do not make good progress.  The childminder has not established children's starting points with parents regarding what their child can already do on entry. Ongoing assessment is weak and the required progress check for children aged between two and three years is not completed.

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This provision is inadequate

 Information gathered from parents does not include sufficient details about their cultural background, faith or home languages. This means that these unique backgrounds are not celebrated or promoted sufficiently to ensure each child's needs are known and fully met.

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It has the following strengths

 The childminder has warm, friendly relationships with children.

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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 spoke to the childminder as appropriate during observations and checked organisational documents, such as training certificates, risk assessments and the safeguarding policy.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector checked all Disclosure and Barring Service checks and inspected all areas of the home used for childminding purposes.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed the childminder and children at lunch time and during indoor play activities.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector examined children's enrolment records, learning files and read parent's questionnaires.  The inspector spoke to children at intervals during their play.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 2003 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her partner and adult daughter in a house in Great Sankey, Warrington. Two rooms on the ground floor and the rear garden are used for childminding. The family has two dogs as pets. The childminder attends a toddler group. She visits the shops and park on a regular basis. She collects children from the local schools and pre-schools. There are currently six children on roll, three of whom are in the early years age group and attend for a variety of sessions. She operates all year round from 7am to 7pm, Monday to Friday, except bank holidays and family holidays.

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must:

 ensure that all people living in the household aged 16 and over have been subject to Disclosure and Barring Service checks

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must:

 ensure that public liability insurance is in place

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must:

 gain an up-to-date knowledge of safeguarding issues, ensuring that the procedures are in line with the guidance of the relevant Local Safeguarding Children Board and include details of action to be taken in the event of an allegation being made against the childminder or a family member

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must:

 establish effective observation, assessment and planning arrangements by: seeking information from parents about their child's development in order to identify each child's starting points; using this information to support planning for individual children that takes account of their interests and effectively prepares the next steps in their learning

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must:

 gain a thorough knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage, with specific regard to the learning and development requirements and completing the required progress check for children between the ages of two and three years

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must:

 ensure that the needs of individual children are met by gathering more information from parents regarding each child's unique family background, for example their faith and languages spoken.

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who attend

Assessment of children's learning is too weak to ensure that all children are making good progress. While the childminder can describe what children enjoy doing, she does not plan activities with any specific focus on developing the next steps in their learning. There is no planning in place to help them make suitable progress and consequently, children are not learning a suitable level of skills to support their readiness for school. Parents are not encouraged to share what they know their children can already do when they enrol. As a result, there are no effective starting points in place, from which the childminder can begin to support individual children's development. In addition, the childminder is not aware of the requirement to complete a progress check for children between the ages of two and three years. Consequently, parents are not kept sufficiently informed of their children's progress and so are not effectively helped to continue their learning at home.

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who attend

The childminder teaches children through their own initiated play. For example, when children play with wooden bricks, she introduces some mathematical words, such as big and little, and helps them to learn colours. She models how to spread glue onto the back of collage pieces and stick them on to paper. Consequently, children become absorbed in making a large collage and concentrate for an extended period of time. The childminder uses the collage pieces, cut from a toy catalogue, to encourage children's speaking. She asks questions about what toys they like best and which ones they have at home. This helps children to share their ideas, which the childminder responds to with interest, prompting further discussion. As a result, children make some progress in speaking. However, the childminder does not have sufficient understanding of all seven areas of learning and so cannot adequately explain how she supports and promotes children's

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who attend

learning in every area. She is unable to identify the stage of development children are at across the curriculum at any given point. Consequently, she does not know if they are making adequate progress in all areas of learning.

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who attend

Where children attend more than one setting, the childminder exchanges some information to develop some consistency and help children to become emotionally ready to learn. For example, when children display challenging behaviour, discussions with other settings take place, so that shared strategies can be implemented. As a result, children make steady progress and their communication improves. The childminder takes time to get children ready for the next stage in their learning by encouraging their developing self- help skills. For example, she encourages them to wash their hands independently by offering a step so they can reach the sink and offers stickers as rewards as children become potty trained.

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

Children's well-being is compromised as the childminder has not ensured that all adults in the household have undergone the required vetting procedures with regard to Disclosure and Barring Service checks. She is also unable to demonstrate that she holds current public liability insurance to further support children's safety. These issues are significant breaches of the legal requirements. Parents share some details about their children's care routines verbally, at enrolment and during settling-in sessions, helping the childminder to get to know children and begin to form attachments. However, she does not seek further information about children's specific family backgrounds with regard to their family cultures, home languages or faiths. This means that the childminder is not able to fully support or celebrate each child's unique needs, which does not foster their self-esteem. She has warm, friendly relationships with children, who enjoy her company and are settled

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

because most of their basic emotional needs are met.

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

The childminder provides a range of resources for children to play with, organised in accessible storage baskets in a designated, homely play area. Children say that they enjoy making dens and playing with the childminder's two friendly dogs in the garden. In addition, during the summer months, children enjoy days out to local parks or the beach and older children recall the fun times they have had. As a result, children feel at home in the childminders house and with her extended family. The childminder takes children to local parks and soft play areas and this helps them develop appropriate social skills as they learn to share and negotiate with children of different ages. This also helps them to adapt to larger groups of children as they move on to busier settings, such as nursery class. In addition, the journey to and from the local school helps younger children become familiar with the local community and the school environment and so helps them to

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

The childminder gently reminds children about not standing on their chairs as they are beginning to learn how to play safely. Visits to the park help children to take acceptable risks and expend energy as they play on challenging climbing frames and slides. Healthy meals and snacks are provided, such as, sandwiches, fruit and yoghurt, which children enjoy. Children help to make their own pizzas with vegetable toppings, so are beginning to learn about healthy eating. Children are learning to manage their own personal needs, they wash their hands independently before lunch and after using the toilet. As a result, children are generally beginning to learn how to develop a healthy lifestyle.

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provision

The childminder is unable to fully ensure the safety and welfare of children. She has not responded to communications from Ofsted with regard to completing the Disclosure and Barring Service vetting procedures for all adults in the home. In addition, she does not hold current public liability insurance. These are breaches of the legal requirements of the Early Years Register and the Childcare Register. The childminder does not have a robust knowledge and understanding of her role and responsibility for safeguarding children in her care. She has a basic awareness of some known signs and indicators of abuse and neglect and has obtained a policy and procedure to refer to. However, this information pertains to another local authority and consequently the childminder does not have the contact details for the relevant agencies she would need to contact should she have any concerns about a child in her care. She is also unsure about the procedures to be followed

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provision

in the event of an allegation of abuse being made against herself or anyone in the household. This means that she cannot ensure that such concerns would be reported swiftly in order to respond in a timely and appropriate way to children's welfare. In respect of general safety arrangements, the childminder ensures children are supervised and visually checks the environment each day. Risk assessments for any possible outings are also completed visually to ensure the environment is safe.

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provision

The childminder is aware of some of her areas for development. For example, she knows that she has a weak understanding of the full requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Consequently, she knows that her assessment and planning processes are not effective as she has not accessed training, other than paediatric first aid, for some years. As a result, children are not supported to make better progress in their learning.

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provision

The childminder keeps parents informed of what their child has done on a daily basis. She shares information with parents about some of the policies and procedures during settling in visits and it is clear that she knows the family background for some of the children on roll very well. Parents have contributed to a recent questionnaire about the childminders practice; they comment that she offers a very flexible service and that their children are happy in her care. The childminder understands that sharing information between settings when children attend more than one provision helps to provide a coordinated approach to their learning. She has an awareness of working with other professionals to support individual children should it be required.

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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:

 implement effective systems to ensure that any person caring for, or in regular contact with children, is suitable to work with children, which must include obtaining an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  ensure that the provider is covered by their own insurance in respect of liability which may be incurred for death, injury, public liability, damage or other loss (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  implement effective systems to ensure that any person caring for, or in regular contact with children, is suitable to work with children, which must include obtaining an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check (voluntary part of the Childcare Register)  ensure that the provider is covered by their own insurance in respect of liability which may be incurred for death, injury, public liability, damage or other loss (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. We re-inspect nurseries and pre-schools judged as requires improvement within 12 months of the date of 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

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Grade Judgement Description

is not meeting the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. It will be monitored and inspected again within six months of the date of this inspection. Met There were no children present at the time of the inspection. The inspection judgement is that the provider continues to meet the requirements for registration. Not met There were no children present at the time of the inspection. 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 EY245696 Local authority Warrington Inspection number 819693 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 6

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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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