Childminder in West Berkshire

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 20/10/2014 16/12/2008

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early years provision

This inspection: 4 Previous inspection: 2 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 failed to notify Ofsted of all adults living on the premises and has not supplied Ofsted with information to enable them to complete suitability checks, including a Disclosure and Barring Service Check, which is a breach of requirements.  The childminder has a poor knowledge and understanding of the requirement to safeguard children's welfare by not permitting people who are not vetted to have unsupervised access to the children she looks after. This compromises children's safety and well-being.  The childminder does not actively encourage parents to be involved in their children's learning to provide a consistent approach. The childminder does not effectively review her practice to ensure she meets all safeguarding and welfare requirements.

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It has the following strengths

 Children are making suitable progress in their learning because the childminder extends their development well. This helps them to successfully engage in learning through play.  Children are happy and engaged in a variety of activities that interest them.

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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 sampled documentation.  The inspector observed the childminder and children at play .  The inspector spoke and interacted with the children at the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector spoke to the childminder at appropriate times throughout the inspection, during and after activities.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at progress records and planning documents, and discussed these with the childminder.

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Information about the setting

The childminder registered in 2004. She lives with her mother, partner and five children, four who are in full-time education. They live in Speen, Newbury, Berkshire. The childminder is registered on the Early Years Register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. The childminder uses the whole of the house for childminding, although children mostly play downstairs. A fully enclosed rear garden is available for outside play. The childminder makes use of local facilities, such as shops, parks and toddler groups. The childminder can take children to, and collect them from local schools and pre-schools. The childminder is caring for four children, and of these two are within the early years age range. The family has two pet dogs.

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must:

 ensure people whose suitability has not been checked do not have unsupervised contact with children being cared for

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must:

 provide opportunities for parents and/or carers to be involved in their children's learning to help in guiding their child's development at home

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

 strengthen the systems used to evaluate the effectiveness of the provision, so as to ensure any weaknesses in practice are identified and acted upon.

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who attend

Children are contented in the childminder's care. They benefit from positive encouragement from the childminder, which promotes their learning and development. Children showed pleasure in the childminder's company as they giggled and interacted with her as they played. For example, they laughed as the penguin bit the lion's nose off in an interactive story with puppets. The childminder's quality of teaching is good. She encourages the children's communication and language skills well. For example, the childminder talked to and questioned the children about books that they read, which helped them to learn how snow melts and what bees make. She effectively promotes the children's understanding and speaking skills throughout everyday activities. Children enjoy playing with the car set and use interactive vehicles to extend their play. They enjoy exploring, and playing with toy police cars and small world people, which

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who attend

promotes their understanding of people and communities. The childminder encourages the children's early mathematical skills as they talk about how track pieces fit together. Their development of counting and shape is encouraged as they complete puzzles, and answer questions such as 'how many windows does the house have?' The childminder values the children's responses by giving ample praise, which promotes the children's self-esteem, and personal, social and emotional development.

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who attend

The childminder provides an appropriate range of activities to enhance the children's physical skills. For example, she provides opportunities for children to ride, and explore, on wheeled 'bugs' and scooters within the home. In addition, they regularly enjoy active play outside of the home where they play at parks and bounce on trampolines in the childminder's garden. This helps them to build on their confidence in climbing and jumping as they explore. Children develop their moving and handling skills further as they learn to move, and manipulate resources during activities. For example, during a craft activity to make pasta necklaces children safely negotiated the needles through the small holes with support, praise and increasing control.

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who attend

The childminder has a suitable understanding of the children's interests, and provides worthwhile activities and play experiences to promote children's learning and development. She has an appropriate understanding of the learning and development requirements, and of her observation and assessment responsibilities, including the two- year-progress checks. The childminder has a system in place to help her identify children's next steps in learning. However, parents are not actively encouraged to be involved in the observation, assessment and planning system. They have free access to their child's learning record but; are not encouraged to contribute to their child's learning by sharing their development at home. This limits their awareness of what the childminder is doing to build on what their children already know and can do, and does not help them to work with the childminder to extend their child's development at home.

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

Children's well-being and safety is put at risk because the childminder has failed to ensure the suitability of all people living in the home. This puts children at significant risk because, at times, children are left unsupervised with these adults. Despite this, the children are happy in the care of the childminder and have formed close attachments with her. They benefit emotionally from the comfort and attention they are given throughout the play activities they enjoy. For example, they snuggle up with the childminder to listen to the stories she reads.

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

The children have a good range of toys, and resources available to them in the conservatory and playrooms. Children can independently choose from the large quantity of toys and activities available to them, stored in labelled, low level drawers. This promotes their independence skills successfully. The childminder manages children's behaviour well, and gives them praise that promotes their self-confidence and self-esteem. The childminder has a current first-aid certificate and has a first-aid box with appropriate contents. This means that the childminder is equipped to act in the best interest of the children in the event of a minor accident. Effective hygiene procedures are in place to promote and support children's health. The childminder provides children with their individual hand towel, and uses hand washing as a time to build children's developing understanding of health and hygiene. A good range of healthy snacks, meals and drinks

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

are available for children. Children enjoy playing in the childminder's garden, where they get plenty of fresh air and exercise, and regularly go out within the community.

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provision

The childminder has failed to ensure that all the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage are met. The childminder has not made sure that all adults living in her home are appropriately vetted and, at times, she leaves children unsupervised in their care. This compromises their welfare and safety, and is a breach of requirements of the Early Years Register and of the Childcare Register. She failed to inform Ofsted of all adults living at the premises. This is a further breach of requirements, however, the matter has now been rectified. This means the appropriate checks can be carried out to help ensure the suitability of adults around children. Therefore, Ofsted does not intend to take any further action.

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provision

The childminder now has methods in place to evaluate her work. However, this has not helped her to identify the weakness in her safeguarding practice. Recommendations from the last inspection have partially been met, which shows he childminder is committed to enhancing her provision.

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provision

Overall, the childminder has a suitable understanding of the possible signs and symptoms of child abuse. She has sufficient knowledge of the procedures to follow should she have a concern about a child's welfare. In addition, she has completed recent child protection training and understands her responsibilities in following the Local Safeguarding Children Board procedures. The childminder completes risk assessments and takes appropriate action to minimise identified risks. She uses suitable equipment to prevent children entering areas that contain hazards, such as gates on the stairs and locks on kitchen cupboards. In this way, she provides a safe play environment for the children.

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provision

The childminder works appropriately with the children's parents. She ensures she has up- to-date registration and consent forms in place to support her care of the children. The childminder exchanges some useful verbal information with parents and provides younger children with daily diaries. This tells the parents about their children's activities during the day, although opportunities for them to contribute to their child's learning are limited. The childminder has a good understanding of the importance of liaising with other providers and professionals, and does so successfully to support the children.

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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:

 ensure that any person having unsupervised contact with children is suitable to be in regular contact with them and an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check has been obtained through Ofsted in respect of that person (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 working or living on the premises, and the name, date of birth, address and telephone number of any person working with children (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  ensure that any person having unsupervised contact with children is suitable to be in regular contact with them and an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check has been obtained through Ofsted in respect of that person (voluntary part of the Childcare Register)  inform Ofsted of the name, date of birth, address and telephone number of any person aged 16 or over working or living on the premises, and the name, date of

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

birth, address and telephone number of any person working with children (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 EY291702 Local authority West Berkshire (Newbury) Inspection number 910317 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 8 Total number of places 3 Number of children on roll 4

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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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