Childminder in Worcestershire

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 17/12/2014 25/03/2009

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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 does not fully understand the legal requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage. This results in breaches of requirements and poor practice that compromises children's welfare and safety. These breaches also relate to the Childcare Register.  Children are not suitably safeguarded because the childminder compromises children's safety by leaving them unaccompanied in the car and because accurate records of children's hours of attendance are not adequately maintained.  Children's emotional well-being and safety is not assured because the childminder has not identified all risks or fully considered the impact on children's safety, when operating outside of the legal ratios to provide continuity of care.  Children's experiences are not always tailored to meet their individual needs because the childminder is not always able to give children the attention and support that they require to make the best possible progress.

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It has the following strengths

 Generally, children are happy and settled during their time with the childminder.

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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 observed the children during activities, play and daily care routines.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed children playing indoors and discussed the usual programme of activities with the childminder.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector looked at planning, children's assessment records and a range of other documentation.  The inspector looked at and discussed the childminder's self-evaluation process.  The inspector spoke to the childminder and the children during the inspection.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector took account of the views of parents and grandparents spoken to during the inspection.

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Information about the setting

The childminder was registered in 1983 and is on the Early Years Register and the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register. She lives with her husband, in Kidderminster, Worcestershire. The whole of the ground floor is used for childminding. Children attend for a variety of sessions including before and after school. The childminder operates from 7am to 6pm, for 50 weeks of the year. She is currently minding 11 children and of these nine are in the early years age range. The childminder is an active member of a local childminding group and regularly attends local events and play sessions organised by this group. She provides funded early education for three- and four-year old children.

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The provision is inadequate and Ofsted intends to take the following

We will issue a Welfare Requirements Notice requiring the provider to:

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The provision is inadequate and Ofsted intends to take the following

take all necessary steps to ensure children's welfare and safety by providing appropriate supervision at all times, with particular regards to leaving children unaccompanied in vehicles

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The provision is inadequate and Ofsted intends to take the following

maintain adult-to-child ratios to meet the needs of all children and ensure their safety

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The provision is inadequate and Ofsted intends to take the following

maintain accurate daily records of the names of the children being cared for and their hours of attendance

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The provision is inadequate and Ofsted intends to take the following

ensure that risks to children's safety are identified and appropriate measures put in place so that children are not put at an increased risk of harm or danger.

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must:

 ensure the learning experiences for each child by considering their individual needs and stage of development, to ensure that all children are provided with challenging and enjoyable experiences to make the best possible progress.

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who attend

Generally, children are happy and settled during their time with the childminder. This is because they are comfortable in her home and they are provided with some interesting experiences to get involved in. These include a range of activities in the local area and regular opportunities to visit a forest school. This means that children are generally active in their learning because of the opportunities they have. For example, they learn about the natural environment when pond dipping and exploring the outdoors. However, children's individual learning is not always tailored to ensure that they make the best possible progress. This is because the childminder sometimes operates above the legal ratios of adults to children. Consequently, she is not always able to give children the care and attention that they need to fully support and challenge their learning. Children can make choices about what they would like to do when in the childminder's home because she

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who attend

lays out a variety of toys and equipment that children can easily access. On the whole, the childminder responds to children's requests for specific activities. For example, when a child indicates that they would like to look at a book, she reads to them and talks about what is happening in the story, which supports children's early literacy and communication skills.

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who attend

Each child has an individual learning journey file, which contains observations, photographs and pieces of their work. The childminder has completed routine assessments, such as the progress check for children between two and three years. This means that she is able to reflect on children's progress and identify their next steps for development. The childminder helps children to acquire some key skills that support them in readiness for school because she provides some activities that children enjoy. She has established a routine, which includes opportunities to join other children at playgroups and 'stay and play' sessions in the local area. This means that children get opportunities to build friendships with other children, which supports their personal, social and emotional development. However, teaching is varied due to the numbers of children sometimes cared for. The childminder regularly provides parents with detailed information about what

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who attend

their children have been doing. She sends home weekly photograph sheets, which include observations and explanations about what activities children have enjoyed. This helps parents to feel included in their child's learning and means that they can support ongoing learning at home.

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

Children's welfare is compromised because the childminder has not considered the impact on their well-being when she operates above the ratio requirements as defined in the Early Years Foundation Stage. She reports that it is her intention to provide continuity of care, which permits her to make an exception to the usual ratio requirements. However, she has not identified the potential risks when doing so and children's safety is compromised. This is because children are left unaccompanied in a vehicle on a regular basis while the childminder goes into the local shop. The childminder reports that children remain in line of sight at all times. However, she has not considered the impact on children's emotional well-being or safety when children are left alone. Furthermore, she reports that the number of children she is caring for makes it difficult for her to get them all out of the car to take them into the shop. This shows that the childminder is unable to

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

appropriately meet the children's individual needs. Children are gaining skills that support their increasing independence. For example, all children are encouraged to brush their teeth and each child has their own hand towel, which helps to ensure their good health. Children's meals are provided by parents, which the childminder monitors to ensure that they are healthy and balanced. She encourages parents to limit the amount of sugary foods and drinks that children have and she provides fruit and drinks for children at snack time. This helps children to develop healthy food preferences as part of their daily routine. Children have many opportunities to be active because they visit a variety of play areas as part of their weekly routine. Although the childminder does not always ensure children's safety, children do take part in some activities to help them develop an awareness of their own safety, such as when toasting

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

bread and marshmallows around the fire pit as part of the forest school programme. The childminder has attended the required first-aid training, which means that she is able to respond appropriately when children have accidents or injuries. The childminder routinely records any accidents or incidents involving children and ensures that parents are informed on the same day or as soon as is reasonably possible to do so. Information about children's medical and health needs is discussed with parents as appropriate and the childminder takes account of any special requirements.

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

Children are generally happy and settled in the childminder's home and they express their likes and preferences. The childminder is calm and gives clear messages to children about rules and boundaries. She sensitively handles disputes between children and encourages them to take responsibility for their actions. As a result, children generally play well together and say 'sorry' to each other, for example, after a disagreement about a toy. This means that children begin to develop relationships with each other while they play, which helps to prepare them for the next stage in their development.

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provision

The inspection was prioritised following concerns being raised to Ofsted about the childminder's ability to safeguard children with specific regard to ratios, child supervision, and risk assessment. The inspection found breaches in the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage, in addition to breaches in the requirements of the Childcare Register. These relate to poor practice, that compromises children's welfare and safety. The childminder regularly leaves children unattended in a car, and does not supervise them appropriately at all times. This significantly compromises their welfare and safety and shows a weak understanding of how to appropriately safeguard children. Furthermore, the childminder has not considered the impact on children's safety, when operating outside of the legal child to adult ratios. In addition, she does not always maintain accurate records of children's hours of attendance. This is because she records that some children have

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provision

attended for a continuous period on days when they have spent part of their day in the care of another provider. However, the childminder does demonstrate that she knows which agencies to contact if she suspects that a child is at risk from harm or if an allegation is made against her directly.

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provision

Children are provided with some experiences that support them to make some progress in their learning and development. Although she is not always able to give children the individual attention they require, to fully support their learning, she maintains learning journey files for each child. These contain her observations and assessments, which are routinely shared with parents. She also exchanges information about children's interests or achievements at home. The childminder generally supports children's continued learning by planning a varied educational programme, which includes opportunities for children to make choices about what they would like to do.

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provision

The childminder regularly works alongside other childminders as part of a network. This means that children have access to a wider range of opportunities through attendance at groups and events. Parents report how happy they are with the care that the childminder provides and she is highly regarded by them. She uses methods of self-evaluation to support her to monitor her overall performance. However, this has failed to identify significant weaknesses, which have resulted in breaches of requirements that compromise the care and learning experiences that she provides. Therefore, she does not identify areas for improvement to ensure the best possible outcomes for the children who attend.

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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:

 keep records of the following and retain them for two years, the names of the children looked after on the premises and their hours of attendance (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  ensure that all necessary measures are taken to minimise any risks to the health or safety of the children (compulsory part of the Childcare Register)  keep records of the following and retain them for two years, the names of the children looked after on the premises and their hours of attendance (voluntary part of the Childcare Register)  ensure that all necessary measures are taken to minimise any risks to the health or safety of the 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 205071 Local authority Worcestershire Inspection number 1000428 Type of provision Childminder Registration category Childminder Age range of children 0 - 17 Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 11

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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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