Inspection report for early years provision. Unique Reference Number

Transcription

1 Inspection report for early years provision Unique Reference Number Inspection date Inspector June 2008 Yvonne Victoria Facey Type of inspection Type of care Childcare Childminding

2 ABOUT THIS INSPECTION The purpose of this inspection is to assure government, parents and the public of the quality of childcare and, if applicable, of nursery education. The inspection was carried out under Part XA Children Act 1989 as introduced by the Care and, where nursery education is provided, under Schedule 26 of the School Standards and Framework Act This report details the main strengths and any areas for improvement identified during the inspection. The judgements included in the report are made in relation to the outcomes for children set out in the Children Act 2004; the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding; and, where nursery education is provided, the Curriculum guidance for the foundation stage. The report includes information on any complaints about the childcare provision which Ofsted has received since the last inspection or registration or 1 April 2004 whichever is the later. The key inspection judgements and what they mean Outstanding: this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality Good: this aspect of the provision is strong Satisfactory: this aspect of the provision is sound Inadequate: this aspect of the provision is not good enough For more information about early years inspections, please see the booklet Are you ready for your inspection? which is available from Ofsted's website: THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection: The quality and standards of the care are satisfactory. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding. WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT? The childminder has been a registered childminder since She lives with her husband and adult daughter and son. The family lives in Sheffield and has a pet dog. The ground floor is available for childminding comprising a dining room and kitchen. Children have access to the first floor for use of the bathroom. There is an enclosed garden to the rear of the property which is available for outdoor play. The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of six children at any one time. She is currently caring for five children on a part time basis. The childminder a member of the National Childminding Association. THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE PROVISION Helping children to be healthy Children enjoy a suitable range of activities which contributes to their good health. For example, they enjoy regular outdoor play in the secure rear garden as well as visits to the park. Parents provide packed lunches and the childminder provides healthy snacks of fresh fruit and regular drinks. Children are learning about healthy eating and about their bodies through discussions

3 and activities. For example, they visit the dentist with the childminder and enjoy planned sports day. As a result, children enjoy an appropriate range of activities which contribute to their good health. Children are secure and cared for in a warm, clean home where they learn the importance of good hygiene and personal care. They are developing an understanding of why they must wash their hands at certain times of the day to avoid cross infection. Children's overall health needs are well promoted. The childminder holds a first aid certificate and has in place all written permissions to seek emergency treatment or advice. There is an appropriate sickness policy and any medication administered to children is recorded. Consequently children's health is promoted. Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe There is a good range of resources and equipment available for the children that supports all areas of their development. They freely select from the range of resources provided for them. They can easily access resources from the boxes available both indoors and outdoors, which promotes choice and independence. The childminder ensures that children are cared for in a well organised, child friendly and safe environment. She regularly risk assesses her home to identify and minimise potential hazards. Appropriate safety equipment is in place, which enables children to freely explore their environment. Children are beginning to learn about their own safety through simple discussions and activities from the childminder, such as regular fire drills and practicing road safety when on outings. Children are protected and their welfare fully safeguarded because the childminder has a suitable understanding of possible signs of abuse, and a sound knowledge of the child protection procedures. She has completed suitable training regarding the Local Safeguarding Children Board. Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do The provision is good. Children enjoy a good range of activities that include many play opportunities. The childminder uses her resources and her good interaction with the children to extend their learning in all areas. Children enjoy exploring a variety of natural materials, such as sand and water. They also enjoy lots of creative activities, role play and baking. The childminder uses links with the nursery school to further enhance children's learning. For example, she links the nursery themes to the activities she provides and their methods for writing skills. The children are beginning to develop good language skills as they read books and the childminder tells them stories. Children express themselves imaginatively through role play as they play in the home corner. A good varied and flexible routine is offered to children to ensure their individual needs are met. Their sleeping and eating patterns are discussed with parents. The children are happy and settled and have a good relationship with each other and the childminder. They receive lots of individual attention, cuddles and encouragement from the childminder who spends lots of time involved in their play. This boosts children's self-esteem and gives them a sense of belonging.

4 Helping children make a positive contribution The childminder has a suitable awareness of effective behaviour management strategies, which are appropriate to the different ages and stages of development. She is calm and positive with the children, using lots of praise and encouragement to promote good behaviour. The children are learning to share and take turns with the support of the childminder and they behave very well. They play well together and older children support younger children during their play. Parents are kept well informed about the setting and their children, and relationships are well established between the childminder and parents. This provides continuity of care. The childminder and parents share information about the setting through policies and procedures, and daily information sharing. The childminder informs parents how she will investigate any concerns about the care provided and she has a system to log any concerns. She has a complaints policy that she shares with parents. However, all relevant details are not included in the policy to ensure that parents are fully aware of the procedures. Children's individual needs are valued and respected because the childminder supports their routines as discussed with parents. The childminder has a positive approach to promoting diversity in society and the need to respect others. Children have access to a satisfactory range of resources that reflect diversity, such as dolls, jigsaws, play figures and books. Organisation The organisation is satisfactory. Children are very well cared for because the childminder provides a comfortable environment where children's routines are most important. She takes good care to ensure that children have individual attention during their time with her. The childminder effectively organises her space and resources to successfully meet the needs of the children. As a result, children settle well and are happy. Records are stored confidentially and documents about the childcare are kept close to hand so that the childminder can access information quickly if necessary. Overall, the provision meets the needs of the range of the children for whom it provides. Improvements since the last inspection At the previous inspection the childminder was asked to complete an appropriate first aid course and seek permission from parents for emergency medical treatment. She was also asked to improve her knowledge of the complaints procedure. She has successfully completed the first aid course and has written permission from parents to seek emergency medical treatment. She has information regarding the complaints procedure to suitably inform parents. Overall, the improvements made promote children's welfare and safety. Complaints since the last inspection Since the last inspection there have been no complaints made to Ofsted that required the provider or Ofsted to take any action in order to meet the National Standards. The provider is required to keep a record of complaints made by parents, which they can see on request. The complaints record may contain complaints other than those made to Ofsted.

5 THE QUALITY AND STANDARDS OF THE CARE On the basis of the evidence collected on this inspection: The quality and standards of the care are satisfactory. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding. WHAT MUST BE DONE TO SECURE FUTURE IMPROVEMENT? The quality and standards of the care To improve the quality and standards of care further the registered person should take account of the following recommendation(s): review the complaints policy. Any complaints about the inspection or the report should be made following the procedures set out in the leaflet Complaints about Ofsted Early Years: concerns or complaints about Ofsted's role in regulating and inspecting childcare and early education (HMI ref no 2599) which is available from Ofsted's website: