Childminder in Essex

Inspection date

Previous inspection date 13 April 2016 17 April 2013

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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 has failed to notify Ofsted about all significant events within the required timescale.  The childminder does not have a secure understanding of the requirements of the early years foundation stage in relation to the records she needs to keep. She has not maintained a record of children's attendance or obtained all the required parental consent agreements to keep children safe.  The childminder has not obtained from parents the essential information required to fully support all children's care and learning and promote good outcomes.  Parents are not given up-to-date information about the policies and procedures and the assistants' roles as key persons.  The childminder and assistants sometimes overlook opportunities for older children to do things for themselves and develop their independence skills.  Self-evaluation is not used effectively to identify strengths, weaknesses and priorities

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It has the following strengths

 Children are happy and confident in the setting and build warm relationships with the childminder and her assistants.  Children access a broad range of activities linked to all areas of learning. Since the last inspection, the indoor learning environment has been improved to give children more space and access to a wider range of resources.  Children enjoy regular outings to local community groups where they meet other people, make new friends and learn to respect differences in society.

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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

 obtain parental permission for children to be left for short periods in the care of an assistant 13/05/2016

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Due Date

 ensure medicine is only administered to a child where written permission for that particular medicine has been obtained from the child's parent or carer 13/05/2016

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Due Date

 keep a record of every parent, and any other person who has parental responsibility for each child, and their emergency contact details 13/05/2016

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Due Date

 keep an accurate record of children's hours of attendance 13/05/2016  ensure that the information provided for parents about care practices, policies and procedures and the role of the key persons is up to date 13/05/2016

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Due Date

 improve the information gathered from parents about their children's capabilities and interests and ensure the key persons are able to plan every child's care and learning to meet their individual needs from the outset. 13/05/2016 To further improve the quality of the early years provision the provider should:

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Due Date

 provide more opportunities for older children to be able to do things for themselves and develop their independence skills  improve self-evaluation and develop a more accurate overview of the quality of the provision to raise standards in children's care and learning.

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Inspection activities

 We carried out this inspection as a result of a risk assessment, following information we received about this provider.  The inspector observed the quality of teaching during activities indoors and outdoors and assessed the impact this has on children's learning.  The inspector evaluated a focused singing activity with the childminder and held discussions with the childminder, two assistants and children.  The inspector viewed a sample of the children's development records.  The inspector reviewed evidence of the childminder's and assistants' qualifications and suitability, self-evaluation, risk assessment and policies and procedures.  The inspector took account of the views of parents spoken to on the day and from their responses to surveys organised by the childminder.

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

Arrangements for safeguarding are ineffective. The childminder does not maintain all the required records to promote children's health and safety. She has not kept a record of children's attendance for several months. Procedures for the safe administration of medication are not followed. When children join the setting, insufficient information is obtained about each child's parents and carers. Following a car accident involving one of the assistants, with a minded child as a passenger, the childminder did not notify Ofsted in line with requirements. Although the assistants all hold appropriate car insurance, the childminder has not obtained permission from parents to leave children in the care of an assistant for short periods of time. There is potential for further misunderstandings about care practices as the information given to parents is not always accurate or up to date. The childminder is appropriately qualified. She monitors the suitability of her assistants

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Effectiveness of the leadership and management is inadequate

and ensures they are appropriately deployed. They have all completed relevant safeguarding training to ensure they know how to deal with child protection concerns. They also attend local authority workshops and cluster meetings so they gain new ideas for learning experiences. However, not all the issues identified at the last inspection have successfully been addressed. The childminder does not use self-evaluation effectively to identify the strengths and weaknesses in her practice. Furthermore, she does not ensure that the priorities for improvement are quickly addressed to raise standards in her provision.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

The childminder and her assistants have a suitable understanding of how young children learn. Each child has a dedicated key person who appropriately observes and assesses their progress and achievements. The childminder then identifies the next steps in learning and tracks all children's development to ensure there are no gaps in learning. This information is regularly shared with parents and they are given ideas to continue their child's learning at home. However, teaching requires improvement as insufficient information is obtained from parents about every child's capabilities, interests and enthusiasms when they join the setting. This means the key persons are not able to plan challenging activities securely tailored to children's learning needs from the outset. Nevertheless, children can access an interesting blend of adult-led tasks and activities they select for themselves. The interaction between children and adults is lively and friendly.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

Children are encouraged to develop their language skills as they talk about storybooks and sing their favourite songs and rhymes with gusto. Parents say they are satisfied with the care and education their children receive.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare are inadequate

Systems for administering medication are not good enough and this puts children's health and welfare at risk. Children's behaviour is managed appropriately. They have regular opportunities to go outside and be physically active in the fresh air. They confidently ride wheeled toys and learn to climb safely on apparatus. The childminder and assistants make sure children are closely supervised. They encourage children to follow good hygiene routines and support them to make healthy choices about the food they eat.

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Outcomes for children require improvement

Overall, children, including those who receive funding, make steady progress. They begin to understand simple rules, resolve their differences amicably and respect the views of others. Children enjoy learning new things and are developing some of the skills they will need for starting school. However, the childminder and her assistants are not making the most of opportunities to challenge older children and encourage them to do things for themselves.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY448311 Local authority Essex Inspection number 1045452 Type of provision Childminder Day care type Childminder Registers Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Age range of children 0 - 4 Total number of places 9 Number of children on roll 12

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Name of provider

Date of previous inspection 17 April 2013

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Telephone number

The childminder was registered in 2012 and lives in Laindon, Essex. She operates all year round from 7am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, except for bank holidays and family holidays. The childminder works with two assistants. She receives funding for the provision of early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children.

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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

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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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