Childminder in Knowsley

Overall effectiveness Inadequate

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Inadequate Leadership and management Inadequate Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Inadequate

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The provision is inadequate

Children's safety and well-being are compromised when they play in the garden and when walking from school to the childminder's house. This is because the childminder has failed to take appropriate steps to remove potential hazards and, at times, children are not adequately supervised. Children's learning is compromised by the number of children in attendance. This results in the quality of education being very varied. At times, children receive a good level of support from the childminder. For example, children benefit from some opportunities to extend their vocabulary and to practise their conversational skills. During imaginative play, children discuss where they are going and what they have bought from the shops. However, when caring for a high number of children, the childminder cannot sustain a good level of support. Therefore, children continue to enjoy their self- initiated play; however, they are not sufficiently challenged to extend their learning

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The provision is inadequate

Despite the identified weaknesses, children are happy. They have formed a secure attachment with the childminder and benefit from a caring and affectionate relationship. Children are developing some of the skills and attitudes they need for school, including an eagerness to learn and try new things. Children are becoming increasingly independent. They enjoy using the array of dressing-up clothes to repeatedly practise dressing and undressing. Children are learning to share and take turns as they become increasingly aware of the importance of socially acceptable behaviour. Parents of new children comment positively on how quickly children settle in to this welcoming home-from-home environment.

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The provision is inadequate

The childminder knows most of the children and their families very well. During the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, the childminder focused on the emotional well- being of the whole family and providing children with continuity of care. The childminder adapted her drop-off and collection procedures. She has made good use of outdoor spaces to provide parents with opportunities to talk about their child's progress and how they are at home.

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need to do better?

n The childminder has not sustained all the improvements she was told to make at her last inspection to meet legal requirements and address the weaknesses identified. The childminder continues to regularly exceed the maximum number of children aged under eight years that she is legally allowed to care for. The childminder does not fully consider the impact that caring for a larger number of young children has on the quality of their care and education. As a result, the childminder is not able to fully meet the needs of all children in attendance. n Despite ensuring a safe indoor environment for children, the childminder has

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need to do better?

21 September 2021 failed to implement an effective risk assessment to ensure children are safe when using the garden. As the childminder chooses to care for more children than she is allowed, at busy periods, she is unable to appropriately supervise every child as they move between the playroom and the rear garden. This means that children's safety is compromised. For example, children are able to access a large ladder that the childminder is using as a clothes prop, an unstable wooden sleeper and a heavy wooden gate with protruding screws. All of these items could easily fall causing injury to a child if they attempted to climb or move them. The childminder responded immediately to minimise hazards identified during the inspection, moving the large ladder, repositioning the wooden sleeper to make it stable and ensuring that children could not access the gate. n The childminder has failed to implement an effective risk assessment to ensure

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need to do better?

children's safety on outings. As the childminder chooses to care for more children than she is registered for, she occasionally places too much responsibility on older siblings, who briefly supervise younger children as they walk back from school. n The childminder does not maintain all the required documentation. While children's attendance is recorded, records do not show the required detail. Children's actual arrival and departure times are not consistently recorded. Similarly, while parental consent to administer medication is obtained, the childminder does not consistently record when regular medication has been administered. This compromises children's safety and the safe management of her provision. n Overall, the childminder has a clear understanding of the early years curriculum and provides some meaningful learning opportunities. For example, after reading 'Jack and the Beanstalk', the children enjoy planting seeds and caring for them

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need to do better?

as they grow. However, the childminder's decision to continue caring for additional young children has a negative impact on the quality of teaching. This means the children do not always receive the support that they need to benefit from the range of activities available. n The curriculum for physical development is particularly good. Children eagerly join in with yoga sessions, carefully studying positions on the picture before adopting the same position. However, the childminder is less confident in helping children to deepen their knowledge and understanding of mathematics. n Children demonstrate a keen interest in books. They enjoy stories and join in enthusiastically with repeated phrases from familiar books. They giggle happily as they say 'my house is a squash and a squeeze', before waiting for the childminder to continue the story. n Children are developing healthy eating habits and enjoy mealtimes at the

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need to do better?

childminder's house. They demonstrate increasing independence with their personal care, washing their hands before happily going to sit at the large table with their friends. Children engage in quiet conversations as they eat a home- cooked, nutritious meal.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

p.4

Safeguarding

Children's safety is compromised because, at times, the childminder cares for too many children and risk assessments are not effective. Since the last inspection, the childminder has improved her practice regarding the supervision of sleeping children. She now uses a listening device when children sleep in a separate room. She has improved her understanding her role and responsibilities regarding child protection, including the importance of sharing information with the appropriate authorities without delay. She completes regular training and accesses relevant information online to ensure she has an up-to-date knowledge of her local safeguarding board procedures.

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Due date

not care for more than six children under the age of eight years and ensure that any care provided for older children does not adversely affect the care of children receiving early years provision 05/10/2021

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Due date

consider the individual needs of young children and reduce the number cared for to ensure that children's learning and development needs are met to a consistently good level 05/10/2021

p.4

Due date

complete and implement an effective risk assessment to ensure children are kept safe while on outings; the assessment must consider the staff-to-child ratios needed 05/10/2021

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Due date

complete and implement an effective risk assessment and take all reasonable steps to ensure that children are not exposed to risks when using the rear garden 05/10/2021

p.4

Due date

21 September 2021 maintain an accurate daily record of the names of the children being cared for on the premises and their hours of attendance 05/10/2021

p.4

Due date

keep a written record each time medicine is administered to a child and inform the child's parents and/or carers on the same day, or as soon as reasonably practicable. 05/10/2021

p.5

should:

n strengthen the educational programme to deepen children's knowledge and understanding of mathematics.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY430994 Local authority Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council Inspection number 10132186 Type of provision Childminder

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Registers

Early Years Register, Compulsory Childcare Register, Voluntary Childcare Register Day care type Childminder

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inspection

Total number of places 6 Number of children on roll 14 Date of previous inspection 13 November 2019

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Information about this early years setting

The childminder registered in 2011 and lives in Kirby on Merseyside. She operates all year round Monday to Friday from 7.30am to 6pm, with the exception of bank holidays and family holidays. The childminder holds an appropriate qualification at level 4. The childminder provides funded education for three- and four-year-old children.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the provider received since the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the provider and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the provider. n A learning walk was completed with the childminder to gain an overview of how the curriculum is organised and delivered. n The views of children and their parents were considered by the inspector as part of the inspection. n The inspector observed children's activities and their interactions with the childminder. n The childminder and the inspector jointly evaluated the activities provided, the quality of teaching and the impact this had on children's learning.

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Inspection activities

21 September 2021 We carried out this inspection 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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Inspection activities

21 September 2021 regulates and inspects to 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 and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, 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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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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Inspection activities

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