Childminder in Southwark

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 05/09/2014 18/09/2013

p.1

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

p.1

This provision is inadequate

 The childminder has a weak understanding of safeguarding and the child protection procedures to follow to protect children's safety and welfare.  The childminder does not obtain parents' consent with regard to administering medication, which has an impact on children's health.  The childminder does not ensure children receive healthy and nutritious meals and snacks, in consultation with parents.  The childminder does not make links with other providers who also provide care and education for children she childminds, to ensure consistency in children's learning and welfare.  The childminder does not consistently challenge children's thinking and extend their vocabulary, to ensure they make best possible progress. The childminder is not effectively monitoring, reviewing or evaluating the service she provides to target improvements and improve outcomes for children.

p.1

It has the following strengths

 Children have formed positive relationships with the childminder and each other.  The childminder is keen to improve her practice and has started a qualification in childcare, demonstrating some capacity to drive improvement.

p.1

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

p.2

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.

p.2

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.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector had a tour of all areas of the home and took account of the views of parents.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector conducted a joint observation with the childminder and talked to her during the inspection.

p.2

Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at a sample of the childminder's documentation, including children's records and some assessments.  The inspector checked evidence of suitability and qualifications of the childminder.

p.2

Information about the setting

The childminder registered in 2013. She lives with her school-age child in a second-floor maisonette in a residential area of Bermondsey, in the London Borough of Southwark. The home is close to all major transport links. There is restricted parking in the area. The premises are accessed by stairs. The children have use of one room downstairs for play. The childminder does not have a garden, but uses nearby communal gardens and parks. The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She is currently caring for three children, all of whom are in the early years age range. The childminder provides overnight care. The childminder is working towards a qualification in childcare at level 3.

p.3

must:

 ensure you have a suitable knowledge and understanding of safeguarding and child protection, and have regard to the Government's statutory guidance 'Working Together to Safeguard Children 2013', to ensure that any concerns about children's welfare or safety are notified to the relevant agencies without delay

p.3

must:

 improve the quality of teaching to enable children to be asked questions that challenge their thinking skills and extend their vocabulary

p.3

must:

 ensure a record is kept of any medicine administered to any child who is cared for on the premises, including the date and circumstances and who administered it, together with a record of a parent/guardian/carer's consent (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)

p.3

must:

 ensure children receive snacks and meals that are healthy and nutritious and liaise with parents on all matters with regard to what children eat during the day.

p.3

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

 develop self-evaluation processes to monitor, evaluate and assess strengths and weaknesses of practice to help drive improvement

p.3

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

 develop partnerships with other settings that children attend to provide a consistent approach to children's learning.

p.3

who attend

The childminder has a weak understanding of how to teach children and challenge them sufficiently to help them learn and to meet their individual needs. This hinders children's opportunities for making the best possible progress across all areas of learning. For example, children enjoyed moulding play dough into different shapes and described how they were squeezing and pushing it. However, the childminder did not extend the children's language skills by introducing new vocabulary.

p.4

who attend

The childminder provides children with age-appropriate resources to support their learning. Children have a playroom where they access freely a range of activities, such as construction toys and puzzles, which develop their independence and early problem- solving skills. Children showed they were confident to ask the childminder for activities that they were not able to access by themselves, such as paints and sand play. The childminder responded well and provided the children with paint pots of various colours. The children happily occupied themselves creating pictures with brushes and making prints of their fingers and hands to express their creativity. The childminder prepared the floor and opened the sand tray so they were able to fill pots, and explore the texture.

p.4

who attend

The childminder gathers adequate information from parents when a child first starts, some written and some by discussion. The childminder uses this as a starting point to getting to know the children and supporting their learning. The childminder completes some assessments and is generally able to identify areas where children need extra support. The childminder informs parents verbally each day of activities children do and she has had some success in sharing her assessments of children's progress. The childminder has an awareness of completing the progress check for children between the ages of two and three years of age to support any early intervention if required. Discussions with parents show they are satisfied with the service the childminder provides and the children enjoy attending.

p.4

who attend

Children interact with the childminder generally well as she follows their lead. She asks them questions which they respond to, showing their understanding. At times, the childminder provides them with appropriate challenges. For example, children enjoyed an activity to sort and name coloured plastic fruit. Children used jumbo tweezers to pick up individual pieces, which supports their hand-and-eye coordination skills, and they showed how they can count and sort items well. The childminder explained how she can extend the activity by introducing the written numbers to match with the quantity. However, she did not carry this through. This shows that although the childminder is aware of extending children's capabilities, she does not consistently do so to challenge children's thinking and learning to fully support their progress in all areas.

p.4

who attend

The childminder is not building effective partnerships with other settings that children attend. This means that she is not able to build upon children's learning effectively, taking into consideration what children are learning elsewhere. Consequently, the childminder is not making the best use of partnerships to consolidate children's learning through a continuous and consistent approach.

p.4

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

The childminder compromises children's health because she is failing to be rigorous with regard to recording medicines that she gives to children. The childminder fails to ensure she has written parental permission to administer specific medicines that the parents provide. This is a breach in requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and the associated requirements of the Childcare Register. This has a significant impact on the children's health and well-being.

p.5

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

Children are learning basic hygiene habits, which supports their developing knowledge of keeping healthy. However, they do not always have a balanced and nutritious diet. This is because the childminder allows them to eat snacks, such as crisps, throughout the day, which means they are not always ready for a meal. Although the childminder has a menu of meals, she does not follow this to support children's awareness of eating healthily. The childminder also does not inform parents of the food she provides to allow them to complement this with the meals children have when they go home.

p.5

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

Young children are beginning to behave well, share and cooperate with each other. This contributes to their ability to mix with other children when they start school. The childminder follows appropriate strategies to manage children's behaviour to help them learn about boundaries and expectations.

p.5

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

Parents share details about their children's care routines verbally when they start and during settling-in sessions. This helps the childminder to get to know children and form emotional attachments with them. She is warm towards the children and they are content in her company.

p.5

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

The childminder carries out risk assessments of her home, which helps her to ensure it is safe for children. For example, she has working smoke detectors and safety gates in place to prevent children from going into the kitchen and upstairs rooms. The childminder also teaches children about road safety when on outings. Children wear high visibility jackets and get plenty of exercise walking to the parks and children's centres, which supports their physical health.

p.5

provision

The inspection took place following concerns raised in relation to the childminder's suitability and her understanding of how to protect and safeguard children's health and welfare. At the inspection, it was found that the childminder, who works alone, was not meeting all of her legal responsibilities to safeguard and protect children's welfare and meet their needs. This means the childminder is not meeting the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and the associated requirements of the Childcare Register. The childminder has completed courses to help her to safeguard children, supervises them appropriately and has written policies in place to support her practice. However, she is not secure in her practical knowledge of the action to take if she has concerns about a child's welfare. This is because she does not make referrals to the relevant safeguarding board in a timely manner to protect children, with particular regard to children's health. The

p.5

provision

childminder maintains accurate records of children's attendance and meets the required ratios. She has a knowledge of how to treat any injuries children may sustain and keeps record of any accidents. However, the childminder does not follow the correct procedure regarding the administration of medication. Consequently, medication records are inaccurate, which compromises children's health and safety.

p.6

provision

The childminder has been improving her knowledge of the learning and development requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage, with the support of her early years advisor. She makes some assessments of children's progress and has an understanding of where children are in their learning. However, the childminder is not making effective use of her observations to challenge children in their verbal skills and critical thinking skills to improve their progress in all areas of learning.

p.6

provision

The childminder has been trying to improve her knowledge and skills and she has completed a self evaluation of her service. She acknowledges some weaknesses and is keen to improve. Consequently, the childminder has just started to study for a qualification in childcare at level 3. This is to enable her to increase her understanding of supporting children in the early years age range. However, the childminder is not effectively using her training to the best effect to improve outcomes for children. Systems of monitoring and evaluating her own practice are not effective to make sure all requirements are met. As a result, the childminder is breaching some legal requirements that undermine children's health and welfare.

p.6

provision

The childminder's limited of understanding of working in partnership with others means that she is not fully embracing the aims of the Early Years Foundation Stage. At present the childminder is not caring for any children with identified special educational needs and/or disabilities, so she has not formed any links with other professionals so far. However, the childminder has not been successful in building a liaison with previous and present settings that the children attend to aid and build upon what they are learning to help them develop further.

p.6

The Childcare Register

The requirements for the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are

p.6

actions)

The requirements for the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are

p.6

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

 ensure you understand the procedures to be followed for the protection of children, to safeguard children from abuse or neglect (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  ensure a record is kept of any medicine administered to any child who is cared for on the premises, including the date and circumstances and who administered it, together with a record of a parent/guardian/carer's consent (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  ensure that any food and drink provided is properly prepared, wholesome and nutritious (compulsory part of the Childcare Register).  ensure you understand the procedures to be followed for the protection of children, to safeguard children from abuse or neglect (voluntary part of the Childcare Register)  ensure a record is kept of any medicine administered to any child who is cared for on the premises, including the date and circumstances and who administered it, together with a record of a parent/guardian/carer's consent (voluntary part of the

p.7

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

p.8

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.

p.8

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.

p.9

Setting details

Unique reference number EY457188 Local authority Southwark Inspection number 988082 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 3

p.9

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.

p.9

Type of provision

For the purposes of this inspection the following definitions apply:

p.9

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.

p.9

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.

p.9

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.

p.10

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,

p.10

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’.

p.11

Type of provision

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

p.11