Childminder in Hertfordshire

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 25 February 2016 21 March 2012

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This inspection: Inadequate 4

Effectiveness of the leadership and management Inadequate 4

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This inspection: Inadequate 4

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement Personal development, behaviour and welfare Inadequate 4

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This inspection: Inadequate 4

Outcomes for children Requires improvement

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This provision is inadequate

 The childminder and her assistant have limited knowledge of child protection procedures, therefore, they cannot promote children's welfare. They both lack an understanding of the correct procedures to follow as part of robust safeguarding measures.  The childminder does not use an effective system to regularly update her own knowledge or identify current weaknesses in her practice.  The childminder has not reviewed her policies and procedures to ensure that they are suitable and meet statutory guidance. She has not provided parents with up-to-date information, including Ofsted's address.  The supervision arrangements for assistants working with children are not effective. The childminder does not support, coach or provide relevant training for them, in order to develop their level of knowledge and quality of teaching.  The childminder does not use her routine assessments of children effectively, in order

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This provision is inadequate

to identify where they can be challenged further or require additional support.  The childminder does not always work closely with parents or the other settings children attend to gather or share information, in order to fully promote children's continuous learning.

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It has the following strengths

 Children demonstrate suitable speech and language skills. They eagerly talk about their home experiences and recall previous activities they have taken part in.  Children enjoy warm interactions with the childminder and her assistant. They have developed suitable attachments to them both and gain comfort as needed.

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What the setting needs to do to improve further

To meet the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage and the Childcare Register the provider must:

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Due Date

 gain an up-to-date knowledge of safeguarding issues, including with regard to the government's statutory guidance, in order to be able to identify children at risk at the earliest opportunity, and to respond in a timely and appropriate way 10/03/2016

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Due Date

 ensure all staff have a knowledge of safeguarding issues and receive training that enables them to identify signs of possible abuse and neglect at the earliest opportunity 10/03/2016

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Due Date

 keep and implement a written statement of procedures to be followed for the protection of children, intended to safeguard children being cared for from abuse or neglect 10/03/2016

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Due Date

 keep a written statement of procedures to be followed in relation to complaints which relate to the requirements of the Childcare Register and which a parent makes in writing or by email 10/03/2016

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Due Date

 provide parents with the updated written statements of safeguarding procedures and complaints procedures, including Ofsted's address 10/03/2016

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Due Date

 ensure the arrangements for supervision of assistants are effectively used to provide support and coaching, and enable them to undertake appropriate training and professional development opportunities to ensure they offer quality learning and development experiences for children 24/03/2016

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Due Date

 ensure that routine assessments of children's learning are precise, in order to plan activities that can offer suitable challenge, identify gaps in development, and enable them to make good progress in all areas of learning. 24/03/2016 To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

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Due Date

 develop the process of self-evaluation to clearly highlight strengths and weaknesses of current practice and continually drive improvement  strengthen partnerships with parents and the other settings children attend to improve the two-way sharing of information to support children's individual learning.

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Inspection activities

 The inspector observed daily routines and children's activities indoors. She talked to the childminder, her assistant and children at appropriate times throughout the inspection.  The inspector observed adult-led activities and discussed the intentions and learning outcomes of these with the childminder.  The inspector viewed a sample of the childminder's documentation including policies, registers and children's learning journals.  The inspector took account of the views of parents through recently completed questionnaires.  The inspector saw evidence of the suitability of all persons living or working on the premises and some other documentation in relation to the safeguarding and welfare requirements.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

The arrangements for safeguarding are ineffective. The childminder has limited understanding of relevant child protection procedures. She is not alert to the known indicators that a child may be at risk of harm. In addition, the childminder has not made sure that her assistant has an up-to-date knowledge of safeguarding issues. She has not provided training for her assistant to enable her to identify signs of possible abuse or neglect at the earliest opportunity. This means that both the childminder and her assistant are not able to respond to safeguarding issues in a timely or appropriate way. This has a significant impact on the safety and well-being of children. The childminder provides some feedback on the assistant's daily practice. However, she has not used these opportunities to provide support to help develop the assistant's level of knowledge or improve her standard of teaching. The childminder welcomes the feedback of parents who reflect on

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

the service that she provides. However, her systems of self-evaluation are not rigorous enough to identify strengths or weaknesses of her current practice or to drive forward improvement. This means that her ongoing knowledge is often not up to date and parents are not informed of changes in a timely manner. Furthermore, her links with parents and other professionals are not yet strong enough to pursue the gathering of information to support children's individual learning.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

Children enjoy their time with the childminder and her assistant and make choices in their play. During planned activities children show suitable levels of involvement and concentration. However, activities are not well organised or evaluated to ensure the learning is fully effective. For example, a child exploring how to mix colours is only supported to make one colour, and so further opportunities to increase the child's skills are missed. Teaching is variable. Adults are not always responsive to children's changing needs. They do not make the most of opportunities to extend children's learning through suitable interaction and challenge. The childminder routinely observes and assesses each child, identifying some next steps for their learning. However, these assessments do not focus precisely enough on what the children need to learn next and are not always consistently followed through. As a result, current activities and experiences do not

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

sufficiently challenge children to ensure they make good progress.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are inadequate

The weaknesses in leadership and management significantly impact on children's welfare. Children behave well and understand the childminder's expectations. They play alongside each other and take part in social activities. This helps teach them appropriate social skills and to value others that may be different to themselves. Children have opportunities to play outdoors through organised day trips and outings to the local park. They use ride-on toys indoors to help develop their physical skills and enjoy nutritious snacks as part of their healthy lifestyle.

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Outcomes for children require improvement

All children make some progress and show a willingness to learn. They demonstrate their self-help skills as they competently feed themselves and manage personal needs with ease. Children acquire the basic skills that they need in readiness for future learning.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY359433 Local authority Hertfordshire Inspection number 863597 Type of provision Childminder Day care type Childminder Registers Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Age range of children 1 - 11 Total number of places 12 Number of children on roll 7

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Name of provider

Date of previous inspection 21 March 2012

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Telephone number

The childminder was registered in 2007 and lives in London Colney, Hertfordshire. She operates all year round from 8am to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday, except for bank holidays and family holidays. The childminder employs a full-time assistant.

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Telephone number

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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Telephone number

procedures set out in the guidance ‘Complaints procedure: raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. 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, safeguarding and child protection.

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Telephone number

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 reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/, write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Telephone number

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Telephone number

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

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