Childminder in Wolverhampton

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD Telephone: 0300 123 1231 Fax: 0300 123 3159 Minicom: 0161 618 8524 Email: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk Web: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Monitoring for provision judged as not met (enforcement)

An Ofsted inspector, Lorraine Anne Lawton, monitored your provision on 28/07/2014 following your inspection where the provision was judged to be not met (enforcement).

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Outcome of monitoring

As a result of our inspection on 23/06/2014, we sent you a welfare requirements notice. If you were set actions at the inspection, or as a result of our subsequent monitoring or investigations, these are included at the end of this letter.

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Outcome of monitoring

This notice required you to: ensure risk assessment is rigorous in identifying risks to children's safety. In addition, you were sent an initial warning letter relating to suitability checks for assistants. Also, you were sent a notice of action to improve on the early years register and compulsory and voluntary part of the childcare register which required you to: ensure policies and procedures to safeguard children are effective, fully understood by all staff and are robustly implemented, particularly in relation to the action taken in respect of any allegations against assistants; provide support, advice and guidance to staff on an ongoing basis, and on any specific safeguarding issue as required and develop knowledge and understanding for dealing with written concerns and complaints from parents and/or carers.

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Outcome of monitoring

From evidence gathered during the monitoring visits on 18 July 2014 and 28 July, the inspector was satisfied that you had taken appropriate steps to meet the welfare requirements notice and is detailed in the report dated 18 July 2014. However, due to insufficient time at the first monitoring visit, a further visit took place to assess the notice to improve.

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Outcome of monitoring

During the monitoring visit on 28 July 2014 the inspector discussed with you the steps you have taken to address the actions raised in the notice to improve. She observed interaction between you, assistants and children and also spoke to individual assistants. However, there was no representative or documentary report from the local authority because they have not visited you recently. The inspector concludes that you have taken adequate steps to inform your assistants about required and intended changes to procedures and policies relating to safeguarding and complaints. Individual assistants, articulate an understanding about procedures in the event of a concern about a child or an allegation against themselves or another assistant. You have made sure that assistants know that in the event of a safeguarding allegation, the concern is discussed or referred to the Local Authority's Designated Officer (LADO), who is responsible for allegations

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Outcome of monitoring

against persons, who work with children and are in a position of trust. This is regardless of the allegation being proven or not. In addition, whilst you consider that you make a judgement about the severity of a concern, before referring to a LADO, you now intend to discuss any concerns about assistants or yourself, with a LADO, as a matter of precaution. This will ensure improved safeguarding procedures are in place and that assistants will receive the required support and guidance.

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Outcome of monitoring

You are taking steps to review your written safeguarding procedure and issue all staff and parents with this in booklet form. However details regarding a referral about a child are misleading because they refer to a LADO as opposed to Children's Services. This is because a referral to a LADO is only relevant in the event of an allegation against a person who works with children. In addition, you are making sure that the policy is clear regarding a referral to the Disclosure and Barring Service in the event of dismissal of an assistant relating to a safeguarding concern. In addition you are ensuring additional steps are included, such as risk assessment, to support and monitor an assistant, where required.

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Outcome of monitoring

You have commenced a review of your written complaints procedure to ensure this details the timescales of your acknowledgement of the concern to a complainant and the final outcome. In addition, you have made sure that the complaints record is made available to Ofsted, on request.

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Outcome of monitoring

Having considered all the evidence, the inspector is of the opinion that the childminder has taken prompt and effective action to address the points for improvement.

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Next steps

The next step will be a full inspection.

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Next steps

I hope that you have found the visit helpful in promoting improvement in your childminding service. If you have any further queries please contact us on the number at the top of this letter.

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Next steps

Yours sincerely Nick Hudson National Director, Early Education

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Action Due date Closed date

ensure policies and procedures to safeguard children are fully understood and are robustly implemented, particularly in relation to the action taken in respect to any allegations against a member of staff and identifying and responding to signs of possible abuse and neglect of children 18/07/2014 28/07/2014

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Action Due date Closed date

put in place an appropriate procedure for dealing with concerns and complaints from parents that includes the procedure to investigate complaints relating to their fulfilment of the Early Years Foundation Stage requirements 18/07/2014 28/07/2014

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Action Due date Closed date

provide support, advice and guidance to staff on an ongoing basis, and on any specific safeguarding issue as required. 18/07/2014 28/07/2014

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Action Due date Closed date

ensure that all necessary measures are taken to minimise any identified risks (compulsory part of the Childcare Register) 18/07/2014 28/07/2014

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Action Due date Closed date

ensure that all necessary measures are taken to minimise any identified risks (voluntary part of the Childcare Register) 18/07/2014 28/07/2014

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Action Due date Closed date

put in place effective systems to ensure that any person caring for children is suitable to work with children (compulsory part of the Childcare Register) 18/07/2014 28/07/2014

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Action Due date Closed date

put in place effective systems to ensure that any person caring for children is suitable to work with children (voluntary part of the Childcare Register) 18/07/2014 28/07/2014

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