Childminder in Oxfordshire

Overall effectiveness Inadequate

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

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The provision is inadequate

Significant weaknesses compromise children's welfare, well-being and safety. Children's needs are not always recognised, responded to or met. The childminder and her main assistant care for too many children and are unable to meet their differing needs. Children who have been attending for some time play happily and are confident to approach the childminder and her assistant. However, not all children feel secure and confident. The unsettled children receive some support, such as cuddles, at times. However, the high numbers of children attending means that adults lack the capacity to meet and support all children's care and learning needs.

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The provision is inadequate

On the day of the inspection, the environment was poorly organised. There were limited toys out to meet children's different ages and stages of development. Children were seen to mill about, either amusing themselves or left to their own devices. They mainly received fleeting interactions, which were not sustained by the adults caring for them. As a result, adults' implementation of the curriculum intentions are weak, and not enough is done to support children's development and progress.

p.2

The provision is inadequate

Although many of the children behave well, adults do not identify when children may need support. Often, children's behaviours go unnoticed and unsupported. This means that children do not receive timely guidance to develop their understanding of the behaviour expectations. In addition, adults do not teach children about behaviours that help keep them and others safe.

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need to do better?

n The childminder fails to understand her roles and responsibilities. As a result, there is a number of breaches to the requirements of the 'Statutory framework for the early years foundation stage' and Childcare Register. For example, the childminder cares for too many children, exceeding the appropriate adult-to-child ratios. When this was raised during the inspection, the childminder did take some appropriate action, resulting in some children being collected early. n The childminder lacks understanding that new assistants must be supervised with children until their suitability has been checked and verified by Ofsted. During the inspection, an unvetted assistant was alone with children and in a different part of the premises from the childminder. Furthermore, there has also been an occasion when children have also been left unsupervised for a very short time with another adult, also unvetted by Ofsted. This does not adequately

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need to do better?

protect children's welfare and well-being. n Children's learning is poorly supported. Adults rarely sustain or interact with children at a suitable level. The learning environment is not organised well to

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need to do better?

24 April 2023 offer children toys and activities to meet their learning needs. On occasion, some interactions build on the curriculum intent, such as to promote children's communication and language and colour recognition. For example, while reading a book, the main assistant encouraged children to recognise colours and animals and what sound they make. She also encourages children to talk about the pictures. However, overall, children do not receive sufficient support to engage them in purposeful play, activities and interactions. This fails to support children's learning and ongoing progress. n Adults are sometimes not deployed to support and supervise children effectively. This has a significant impact on the quality of children's care and learning experiences. For example, during the inspection, there were times when either the childminder or main assistant were left alone with a high number of children

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need to do better?

for short periods of time. As a result, some children's needs were not met, and there was a lack of effective supervision and support. n Children's good health is put at risk, and not enough is done to minimise the spread of infection. On occasion, some children's runny noses were cleaned, but others were not. Some children had visibly dirty faces, with dried mucus, which the adults failed to clean promptly. Not all children had their hands cleaned before eating. Furthermore, the adults failed to clean their own hands when they did clean children's noses. This raises the risk of cross-infection. n Not all risks are identified or addressed to promote children's safety, including the security of the premises. The poor deployment of adults contributes further to the possible dangers to children. For example, babies were not closely supervised when eating, putting them at potential risk should they choke. Adults

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need to do better?

failed to realise that a child was awake and had climbed out of a cot and was exploring a room. This room contained items and equipment that are unsafe for children to access. Furthermore, the childminder's risk assessment identified that new soft-play mats were not safe, as they were not attached together but slipping apart on the hard tiled floor. However, despite this, children of different ages were seen to play on these without a good level of supervision. n Children's inappropriate behaviour sometimes goes unnoticed, which means that guidance and support is not given to them. This does not help children learn about the behaviour expectations, including those that keep them and others safe. The childminder does not do enough to help children develop their understanding about why their behaviour is not acceptable. However, there are times when children receive suitable praise and encouragement. n The main assistant feels that the childminder supports their well-being and

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need to do better?

professional development well. The childminder discussed that she and her assistants work as a team together. The childminder and her assistants complete some relevant training to support them in their roles. Nevertheless, there are significant weaknesses in the quality of the practice and provision. This includes required paperwork, such as maintaining accurate records of children's attendance and the adults who have cared for them.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

24 April 2023 The childminder does not adequately assess and minimise risks to promote children's safety. For example, equipment such as soft-play mats, which are potential hazards, are not always routinely assessed. At times, adults fail to supervise children adequately, particularly when they eat or sleep. Furthermore, adults do not deploy themselves to ensure they are able to meet and support all children's needs. In addition, the premises are not always secure, and children on occasion are left with unvetted adults. The childminder and her main assistant understand their responsibilities to refer any child protection concerns. They know how to recognise possible signs and symptoms that indicate a child is at risk of abuse and how to make referrals to outside agencies.

p.3

Due date

provide the necessary information to Ofsted to check the suitability of all people aged 16 and over who live or work on the premises 10/05/2023

p.4

Due date

raise the quality of the provision and practice to a consistently good level to provide effective care and learning experiences to children at all times 10/05/2023

p.4

Due date

ensure there are sufficient adults working and deployed with the children, to supervise them closely and to support and meet their needs at a good level 10/05/2023

p.4

Due date

ensure ratios of children to each adult working with the children do not exceed more than six children under eight, with no more than three children in the early years age group, of which only one to be aged under one year at any one time 10/05/2023

p.4

Due date

24 April 2023 gain skills to implement successful ways to consistently manage children's behaviour, to promote their understanding of the expectations of behaviour 10/05/2023

p.4

Due date

implement effective risk assessments in relation to equipment used by children, the security of the premises, arrangements for visitors and the supervision of minded children, including when children are eating and sleeping, to ensure that they are safe at all times 10/05/2023

p.5

Due date

ensure children's good health is supported consistently, such as through following effective hygiene routines to minimise the spread of infection 10/05/2023

p.5

Due date

maintain an accurate record of the children's daily times of attendance and the names of the key persons who have cared for them. 10/05/2023

p.5

Due date

plan and provide consistently good learning experiences for children, which build successfully on what they know and can do already through effective activities and interactions, to meet children's needs and promote their ongoing progress. 26/05/2023

p.5

Setting details

Unique reference number EY447497 Local authority Oxfordshire Inspection number 10245310 Type of provision Childminder

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Registers

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

p.6

inspection

Total number of places 9 Number of children on roll 24 Date of previous inspection 20 May 2022

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Information about this early years setting

The childminder registered in 2012. She lives in Shrivenham, Oxfordshire, which is near Swindon, Wiltshire. She offers her service all year round, Monday to Friday, from 7.30am to 5.30pm, except for family holidays. The childminder works with two assistants and has employed a third assistant. Of these, two of the assistants hold relevant early years qualifications.

p.6

Inspection activities

n The inspector discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the childminder and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the childminder. n The inspector viewed the premises and discussed the safety and suitability of the premises. n The childminder spoke to the inspector about children's learning and development, including the learning intentions identified for the cohort of children attending, such as communication and language. n The inspector observed the interactions between the childminder, her main assistant and children. n The childminder provided the inspector with a sample of key documentation on request. n Children chatted and interacted with the inspector during the inspection. n Discussions were held with the main assistant and childminder at appropriate times during the inspection.

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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

24 April 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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