Childminder

Childminder

Unique reference number (URN): 2862143 Registered with Ofsted: 20/01/2026 Registers: EYR, CCR, VCR

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Safeguarding standards not met

The childminder has not ensured that there is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that adequately protects children from harm. The childminder does not have a suitable understanding of local safeguarding procedures for reporting allegations. The childminder fails to recognise what may be an allegation and does not understand how to take suitable action. The childminder does not know how to identify and act on safeguarding concerns. She is unable to identify potential patterns that may indicate children are at risk. The childminder also fails to keep records of ongoing safeguarding concerns. Without these records, critical information cannot be shared with relevant partners to keep children safe. While the childminder has ensured that assistants have completed suitable safeguarding training, she has failed to provide effective supervision. This means that she has not maintained an awareness of her assistants' ability to apply their safeguarding knowledge.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The setting has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not met: The setting has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Achievement Urgent improvement

Children do not make sufficient progress in this setting as the childminder has low expectations about what children can and should achieve. Children do not grow in independence as they do not get to do things for themselves. For example, when children start to put on their shoes, the assistants take over and prevent them from trying. Children are often passive and disengaged. For instance, they wander aimlessly, or sit and stare, as there are not enough activities provided to spark their interest. Children experience barriers to learning as a result of their needs being unmet, such as being overtired and not able to sleep. Their communication skills do not develop appropriately as the interactions between children and the childminder and assistants are often purely functional. Children fail to develop the essential skills that they need for future success. For example, when potty training at home, children are not able to use the toilet or potty when with the childminder.

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Achievement Urgent improvement

This is because the childminder fails to provide a safe and suitable toilet, or to provide a potty.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Urgent improvement

Children's behaviour, attitudes and daily routines are not supported effectively by the childminder. The childminder does not have a secure knowledge of the children, such as their family circumstances and developmental needs. This means the childminder does not build positive relationships or offer the consistent, attuned interactions children require. Children do not show a close bond with the childminder. Although they engage with her, they more often seek comfort and connection from the assistants, waiting by the door when they leave. The childminder does not use children's interests to engage them. The childminder also does not work effectively with parents and carers to understand routines, such as potty training. Children's emotional needs are not met, and they do not develop positive attitudes to learning.

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Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Urgent improvement

The childminder does not manage children's behaviour effectively. Incidents of poor behaviour are often missed. When children are hurt or have toys taken, the childminder does not always intervene to help them. When she does, she repeats phrases, such as 'kind hands', but offers no clear guidance. This means that behaviour escalates because children do not understand what is expected. The childminder does not monitor children's attendance or encourage regular attendance. This does not support children to develop secure routines. Approaches to behaviour and routines are not inclusive. Children with emerging needs do not receive tailored support.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Urgent improvement

The childminder fails to make suitable arrangements for children's welfare and wellbeing. The childminder does not provide a safe and suitable environment. For example, she does not identify that exposed nails and tools with sharp blades place children at risk of serious injury. The childminder does not act suitably to ensure children's health and hygiene. For example, assistants fail to wash their hands after nappy changing and proceed to handle children's plates. The childminder prepares snacks for children on unclean kitchen surfaces. She allows children to drink from water bottles that have been lying on dirty floors.

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Children's welfare and wellbeing Urgent improvement

The childminder does not always recognise when children need to sleep. As a result, children become overly tired and are not able to learn and develop as their basic needs are unmet. When children do sleep, the childminder does not ensure that they are able to do so safely. For instance, she lets them sleep on the sofa and fails to follow safer sleeping guidelines. The childminder does not provide suitable available space for sleep mats to be placed down. The childminder does not ensure that children eat safely or are sufficiently supervised while they eat. For instance, the children move around as they eat and do not sit down. This places children at increased risk of choking.

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Curriculum and teaching Urgent improvement

Children's learning and development are significantly compromised because the childminder does not provide any purposeful curriculum. The childminder states that children are 'just young' and therefore do not need any planned learning. This demonstrates a fundamental misunderstanding of her responsibility to design and deliver an ambitious curriculum for all children. The childminder has some awareness of child development but fails to apply this knowledge. Children spend long periods wandering aimlessly, briefly touching toys before disengaging. There are no planned experiences to promote communication, physical development, or to further children's learning. When children become upset or bored, the childminder is unable to re-engage them because of the absence of meaningful learning opportunities. Children play with odd parts of toys, found on the floor, with no cohesion or aim. Teaching is consistently low quality. There is limited active interaction, modelling and

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Curriculum and teaching Urgent improvement

purposeful support. For instance, the childminder does not ask the children questions to encourage them to speak. Children are passive and quiet, showing they are not used to sustained, engaging contact with the childminder or assistants. The childminder does not use assessment to inform teaching. Her inaccurate understanding of children's abilities means learning is not matched to children's needs. The curriculum and teaching are not inclusive. The childminder does not gather or use essential information, such as information contained in the two-year progress check. This means that children with emerging needs do not receive the support required to make progress.

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Inclusion Urgent improvement

The childminder does not assess children's progress in learning effectively. When children start at the setting, she collects information about children from parents, but she does not use this information. She does not consistently identify where children need additional support. For example, she fails to share information regarding children's progress and development where children attend multiple settings and is, therefore, unaware of key developmental gaps and barriers. This means that children and their families do not receive the support that they need.

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Inclusion Urgent improvement

Where the childminder does recognise concerns about children's progress, she fails to take suitable action to support them. The childminder does not liaise effectively with wider agencies and other settings to share information about children's needs, including for those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This means that she is unaware of the support that they need and she fails to meet children's needs effectively. The childminder does not have a clear understanding of children's ages and stages of development. Her expectations for all children are low. The childminder is also unaware of important contextual information about children and their families. As a result, she fails to identify possible barriers to learning and to respond in a timely manner to reduce the impact of these barriers.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

The childminder's leadership is ineffective and places children at risk. The childminder acknowledges that practice is poor and that the premises are unsuitable, yet has taken no action to rectify the issues. The childminder has not completed recent learning to support her practice or sought support from local authority early years advisers. There is no strategic leadership of safeguarding, curriculum, behaviour or daily routines. Risk assessment is ineffective. The childminder fails to identify hazards and address them. The childminder does not ensure safe sleeping, eating or toileting arrangements.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

The childminder also fails to suitably supervise assistants. There are no systems for supervision and training. The childminder gives assistants the lead role in record-keeping and parent communication, yet has no oversight of their work. Basic records, including children's full names, dates of birth and emergency contacts, are inaccessible. This leaves children at significant risk in an emergency or when sharing information with local safeguarding partners. The childminder does not keep records of accidents or injuries. This creates serious safeguarding gaps and further breaches requirements. Parental engagement is ineffective. While parents speak positively about the setting, the information that they receive does not match the real experience that their children are having. For instance, they are not informed when their child has an accident. The childminder does not gather critical information about children's routines, development or

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

health, and has no system for monitoring attendance. This prevents her from identifying patterns, concerns or emerging needs.

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Compulsory Childcare Register requirements

This setting has not met the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register.

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Register

When we check if settings meet the Compulsory Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:

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Voluntary Childcare Register requirements

This setting has not met the requirements of the voluntary part of Childcare Register.

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Register

When we check if settings meet the Voluntary Childcare Register requirements, they can have the following outcomes:

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Children do not experience effective care, safety or meaningful learning at this setting. Children enter an environment that is cluttered, unhygienic and unsafe. For instance, there are hazards such as exposed nails, broken wood, unstable structures and dirty surfaces. Children cannot feel secure because basic routines and safety practices are inconsistent. For example, children are not supported to sleep and eat safely. Multiple breaches of statutory requirements leave children exposed to considerable risk.

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Children do not develop positive social skills. They frequently experience conflict, such as toys being taken or physical pushing, without effective support. Children become passive, give up easily and do not learn how to behave positively with their peers. Children are not supported to build effective relationships with the childminder or with each other.

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Children do not enjoy their learning. They spend long periods wandering aimlessly, picking up random objects from the floor, or sitting quietly with no purposeful activity. Teaching is absent, and children are not supported to explore, communicate or develop new skills. They are not achieving because the childminder does not know the children's developmental needs or next steps. Important information, such as two-year checks or health visitor reviews, is not gathered, meaning barriers to learning are not identified and children's progress stalls.

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What it's like to be a child at this setting

Children do not feel a sense of belonging. They are not included in meaningful routines and are not supported to develop independence. Families are not fully welcomed because the childminder does not gather or use essential information about children's home routines, development or wellbeing. Their uniqueness is not valued. Attendance is not monitored, so patterns that may affect children's safety or progress are missed. Children do not thrive and are not well prepared for their future steps in learning. They are not safe, not supported, and not given the conditions they need to flourish, learn or develop confidence.

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Next steps

The provider is not meeting the requirements of the Early years foundation stage and Childcare Register and Ofsted intends to take enforcement action.

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Next steps

We will issue a Welfare Requirements Notice requiring the provider to have taken the following actions by the assigned date:

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Action Completion Date

Ensure that suitable safeguarding procedures are implemented to identify, record and monitor concerns regarding children's welfare 15/07/2026

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Action Completion Date

Ensure that you and your assistant have a secure knowledge and understanding of all local safeguarding procedures, including the processes for allegation management 15/07/2026

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Action Completion Date

Ensure that appropriate arrangements are in place to support children to eat safely and that safer eating procedures are consistently implemented to minimise risks 15/07/2026

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Action Completion Date

Ensure that robust risk assessment procedures are implemented to identify, assess and reduce hazards within the premises and outdoor environment 15/07/2026

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Action Completion Date

Ensure that safe sleep arrangements are in place for all children and that you demonstrate a secure understanding of current safe sleep guidance 15/07/2026

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Action Completion Date

Ensure that systems for record-keeping work effectively and allow records to be accessed easily when needed 15/07/2026

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Action Completion Date

Ensure that you have a clear knowledge of your key children 27/07/2026

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Action Completion Date

Ensure that you have suitable supervision and training arrangements for your assistant to enable them to meet requirements 27/07/2026

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Action Completion Date

Ensure that you and your assistant support, understand and manage children's behaviour in an appropriate way 27/07/2026

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Action Completion Date

Ensure that you have arrangements in place to support children with special educational needs 27/07/2026

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Action Completion Date

To meet the requirements of the Early years foundation stage and Childcare Register the provider must take the following actions by the assigned date:

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Action Completion Date

Ensure that you plan a challenging and enjoyable experience for each child in all areas of learning and development to help them make secure progress 27/07/2026

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About this setting

Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 17:00

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Facts and figures used on inspection

This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.

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Action Completion Date

Ensure that you make use of ongoing assessment to shape teaching and learning, and ensure that you complete and/or read two-year progress checks to help identify and address gaps in children's learning. 27/07/2026

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About this inspection

The inspector spoke with the childminder, assistants, parents and children during the inspection. 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. We carried out this inspection as a result of a risk assessment, following information we received about the provider. The provider will be able to give parents further information about this. This data is from 8 July 2026

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The setting is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care. services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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