Childminder in Stoke-on-Trent

Inspection date: 30 January 2023 - 1 March 2023

p.1

Overall effectiveness Inadequate

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

p.1

The provision is inadequate

Children's safety cannot be assured at this setting, particularly on outings. The childminder and her assistant do not always implement good enough risk assessments ahead of setting out or coming back in the car. On occasion, they do not always deploy themselves effectively to ensure children are closely supervised, particularly when outside the childminder's home near to the busy road.

p.2

The provision is inadequate

Nonetheless, children arrive happy and settled, ready to begin their day. The general atmosphere in the childminder's home is relaxed and calm. Children benefit from a wide range of activities that the childminder and her assistant plan for them. Babies enjoy playing with a sensory farmyard activity. They crunch different cereals in the palms of their hands and delight at the noises they make as they explore the different textures. This helps to strengthen the muscles in children's fingers and arms. The childminder and her assistant work hard to build on babies' early vocabulary and delight when they begin to repeat words back to them. The childminder's assistant reads stories about animals and encourages babies to point and say what they see. Older children laugh and giggle as the childminder lifts them up and down and encourages them to 'stomp like an elephant'.

p.2

The provision is inadequate

Children enjoy playing with musical instruments. They have great fun singing and moving different instruments to make music. The childminder supports children to sing action songs. Babies begin to join in with songs about body parts and point to their head, shoulders, knees and toes. This further supports children's early communication skills, as they demonstrate that they can listen and understand the words and actions. In turn, children follow simple instructions and behave well.

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need to do better?

n The childminder fails to ensure and maintain children's safety on outings at all times. Although she takes children out routinely, as they accompany her on the school run, frequently explore the local community, and attend playgroup sessions, she has not conducted a thorough enough risk assessment of all aspects of the journeys they take. Therefore, she does not always manage to get children to and from the car outside her property in the safest way. n Although the childminder always maintains ratios, which means there is always enough adults to care for the children attending, she does not always ensure those adults are deployed in an effective way. On occasion, the childminder and her assistant fail to supervise babies and children closely as they prepare to go on or return from outings in the car. Therefore, sometimes, babies contained in car seats and young children are left for a few seconds unattended on the

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need to do better?

pavement outside. This puts them at risk of harm. n The curriculum is broad and varied. Children with special educational needs

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need to do better?

30 January 2023 and/or disabilities receive excellent support. The childminder swiftly identifies any child who may need additional help and seeks support from external agencies at the earliest opportunity. This helps children to get the right support as early as possible to aid their positive progression. n The childminder and her assistant are committed to promoting children's early speech and language skills. They provide lots of activities and support. For example, children enjoy blowing bubbles. This helps to strengthen the small muscles in their lips, which supports them to form clear sounds when speaking. They regularly read stories and sing lots of rhymes so that children hear a wide range of new vocabulary. However, on occasion, during planned group activities, not all children maintain the highest levels of engagement for sustained periods. Therefore, there is scope to continue to build on the range of activities that

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need to do better?

reflect children's needs and interests, to further support their engagement and concentration during their learning. n Children benefit from some opportunities that help them to develop their independence skills. In particular, older children excitedly prepare their own sandwiches, go to the toilet independently and wash their own hands. However, on occasion, when assistants wipe children's noses, they do not always encourage them to wash their hands in a timely manner. n The childminder and her assistant regularly visit farms and explore the local nature reserve with children in their care. They can recall their experiences of going on nature walks, noticing the differences in leaves and trees and feeding the ducks. These experiences help to build on their knowledge of the environment and natural world around them. n The childminder and her assistant continuously build on their professional development. They regularly attend courses that they feel would benefit the

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need to do better?

children in their care. For example, when they identify that some children have a speech delay, they attend several courses that help them to support them to the highest level. Following this, they now use a speech and language toolkit to help monitor and identify children's progression and development. n Parents are very happy with the quality of education the childminder and her assistant provide. Parents comment that they feel well supported to build on their children's learning at home. They add that they are well informed of their child's progress. They state that the childminder is the 'driving force' in ensuring that children get the support and help they need. They speak highly of the activities that the childminder provides to aid progress.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

p.3

Safeguarding

Children are not kept safe at all times due to the childminder's and her assistants' poor management of children's safety on outings. This specifically refers to periods of time when they either go to or return from the car outside the childminder's home. Nevertheless, the childminder and her assistant understand how to safeguard children from certain types of harm. For example, they are aware of when to report concerns they have about a child in their care and who to report

p.3

Safeguarding

30 January 2023 their concerns to. The childminder has ensured that all the necessary suitability checks have been carried out for those she works with and other adult members of the family who live in her home. This means all those who have regular contact with children are vetted to do so.

p.3

Due date

keep children safe on outings, particularly during transition times when setting out from and returning home 17/03/2023

p.4

Due date

improve risk assessment and take all reasonable steps to manage and eliminate unnecessary risks, specifically in relation to outings 17/03/2023

p.4

Due date

ensure adults working with children are deployed effectively to ensure children are adequately supervised at all times. 17/03/2023

p.4

should:

n build further on the range of activities and experiences that reflect children's individual needs and current interests to support them to deeply engage in their learning n enhance hygiene practices further, such as handwashing, to promote children's health and hygiene to the highest level at all times.

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Setting details

Unique reference number EY486136 Local authority Stoke-on-Trent Inspection number 10264822 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 12 Number of children on roll 8 Date of previous inspection 27 June 2017

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Information about this early years setting

The childminder registered in 2015 and lives in Stoke-on-Trent. She operates all year round, from 7.30am until 5.30pm, Monday to Friday, except for bank holidays, family holidays and a week at Christmas. The childminder provides funded early education for two-, three- and four-year-old children. She works with two assistants.

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Inspection activities

n This was the first routine inspection the childminder received since the COVID- 19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the childminder and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the setting. n The childminder showed the inspectors the premises and discussed how she ensures they are safe and suitable. n The childminder and the inspectors had a learning walk together to discuss the childminder's intentions for children's learning. n The childminder spoke to the inspectors about her intentions for children's learning. n Children communicated with the inspectors during the inspection. n The inspectors observed the interactions between the childminder and the children. n Parents shared their views of the childminder with the inspectors. n The childminder provided the inspectors with a sample of key documentation on request.

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Inspection activities

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

30 January 2023 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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