Childminder in Halton

Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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

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The provision requires improvement

While children are safe and content in the childminder's care, she has an insecure knowledge of some legal requirements and ways to support children to become highly motivated thinkers and learners. Despite providing children with some developmentally appropriate toys and play opportunities, the childminder does not consistently challenge children to make the progress they are capable of. Babies enjoy some basic spontaneous play and learn through these experiences. For example, they bang together or take apart interlocking bricks. As they become more mobile, they begin to transport interesting play items around the room. They show an interest in how things work, such as how to move the shaker to make a sound. However, children's learning is not extended further. This is because the childminder does not fully understand how children of different ages learn best.

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The provision requires improvement

Children's personal development is well promoted. They enjoy their time with the childminder, who provides a calm, welcoming home. Children settle with ease and form strong attachments with her. They know they can go to the childminder to meet their emotional needs. For example, babies readily lift their arms to indicate they want to be picked up. They snuggle closely to the childminder as they drink from their bottle or try to settle to sleep. Following the barriers experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic, the childminder is beginning to prioritise new ways to promote children's social experiences. She provides some basic resources to help children adapt to new circumstances. For example, she provides dolls and prams to help children learn about caring behaviours, prior to the expected arrival of a new sibling.

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need to do better?

n Since the previous inspection, the childminder has taken some basic steps to help her continue to meet most requirements. However, while she has maintained the training required of her, she has not robustly planned any further professional development or support to help her to improve more effectively. n The childminder is beginning to use a more robust method to help her keep a routine check on children's levels of development. However, she is unclear about her legal responsibility to complete the progress check for children at age two. This means she has no procedure to share assessment information which helps parents and, where relevant, other agencies to work together to prevent children falling behind. n The childminder has some appropriate intentions for children's learning, although these are narrowly focused. For example, to help babies explore the tools they will use in future painting activities, the childminder provides them

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need to do better?

with wet paintbrushes and sponges. As they cannot see the marks they are spontaneously making with the water, children's interest soon wanes. Their

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need to do better?

18 July 2022 opportunities for learning are limited. n Although the childminder demonstrates some effective ways to engage children in interesting activities, she does not consistently help children develop the types of behaviours associated with effective learners. For example, she does not make the most of babies' natural impulses to explore and investigate the dripped water from the brush or their food. She does not provide a good range of sensory experiences which stimulate their curiosity. n The childminder promotes some aspects of communication and language well. For example, she sings rhymes and encourages babies to join in with repeated sounds. She encourages an interest in books and stories. However, she does not consistently implement effective strategies to broaden children's vocabulary and promote speaking. For example, while the childminder knows that babies successfully copy her repeated actions and sounds, she does not use this to

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need to do better?

encourage the copying of simple words associated with their actions. n The childminder helps babies, toddlers and young children feel safe, secure and treasured as individuals. Her nurturing approach gives children a secure base of care and affection, together with supportive routines which help them to explore and play with the available resources. n Despite not being able to demonstrate that she has maintained an up-to-date knowledge of food handling, the childminder demonstrates a good awareness of children's health and medical needs. She works with parents to ensure that specific dietary needs are fully understood and children's individual needs met. n The childminder has positive attitudes to working in partnership with parents. She respects their choices for their children and successfully works in partnership to promote some learning together, at agreed times, for example toilet training. Parents value the childminder's experience and guidance with

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need to do better?

care stages, such as weaning. They positively comment that she is 'kind, caring and considerate'.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The childminder is vigilant. She maintains close supervision of children at key times, such as when they are eating or having a bottle. The childminder helps children to learn about some unsafe behaviours. For example, she prevents babies putting unsafe items in their mouths. The childminder makes good use of equipment, such as safety gates, cupboard catches and high chair harnesses to help ensure children play and be safe in her care. She maintains the training required of her, such as paediatric first aid and safeguarding. The childminder is sufficiently aware of the procedures to follow if she has any concerns about a child's well-being.

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Due date

gain greater awareness and ensure completion of the progress check that must be completed when a child is aged between two and three years 29/08/2022

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Due date

prioritise training and professional development opportunities to address gaps in requirements and to strengthen knowledge of teaching and learning in the early years foundation stage. 29/08/2022

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should:

n provide children with a wide range of interesting and purposeful activities that are appropriate for their individual stages of development and which focus on ways to promote good progress.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY286710 Local authority Halton Inspection number 10086424 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 2 Date of previous inspection 22 November 2018

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Information about this early years setting

The childminder registered in 2004 and lives in Widnes. She operates Monday to Friday, from 8am to 5pm, all year round except for bank holidays and family holidays.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the provider received since the COVID-19 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 The childminder showed the inspector the premises and discussed how she ensures that they are safe and suitable. n The childminder and the inspector completed a learning walk and discussed the childminder's intentions for children's learning. n The inspector observed the interactions between the childminder and children. She discussed with the childminder how the curriculum had been implemented and the impact that this had on children's learning. n The childminder provided the inspector with a sample of key documents, including the views of parents.

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Inspection activities

18 July 2022 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

18 July 2022 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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