Inspection report for early years provision

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 Standards Act 2000 and, where nursery education is provided, under Schedule 26 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998.

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: www.ofsted.gov.uk.

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 good. The registered person meets the National Standards for under 8s day care and childminding.

WHAT SORT OF SETTING IS IT?

The childminder was registered in 2003. She lives with her partner and two young children in Scaynes Hill near Haywards Heath, West Sussex. The majority of the childminder’s house is used for childminding and there is a fully enclosed garden for outside play.

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of three children at any one time and is currently minding five children under eight on a part-time basis. The childminder drives to local schools to take and collect children. The family has a dog, a cat and goldfish.

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE PROVISION

Helping children to be healthy

The provision is good. Children's good health is appropriately supported and encouraged by the childminder. Her daily routines such as nappy changing reduce risks of cross infection to children and she ensures her home is clean and tidy. Children are well cared for if they are taken ill while in the childminder's care; the required accident and medication records are in place and are accurately maintained as part of her procedures to safeguard children's welfare. Children have established warm and friendly relationships with the childminder, in order to meet their emotional needs and she is very attentive to their needs. Children are encouraged to develop their own preferences and make choices for themselves about things such as what to eat and drink and play with.

Children are offered a good range of meals and snacks to ensure they are well fed and kept hydrated throughout the day. They benefit from the nutritious meals and snacks such as fresh fruit that are provided for them. The childminder works in partnership with parents to help children develop a healthy eating pattern and also checks that there is no daily repetition of food offered to children if they have been at nursery before coming in to her care. Meal times are a lovely social time of day, when children sit chatting with the childminder and also learn important personal and social skills, such as good table manners.

Children have opportunities for daily physical exercise to get fresh air and promote their physical development. Trips to local farms, indoor soft play centres and play parks provide children with a wealth of opportunities to run around and develop their gross motor skills. While at the childminder's home, they learn how to develop their fine motor skills and hand to eye co-ordination through activities such as bead threading, painting, doing puzzles and playing board games.

Protecting children from harm or neglect and helping them stay safe

The provision is good. Children benefit from playing in a very well organised environment, allowing them to move around safely and play freely. The childminder maximises the space in her home to provide children with as much free floor space as possible. Her home is warm and welcoming and children's work and photographs of them engaged in various activities enhance the physical environment and help them feel an important sense of belonging. They have access to a good range of stimulating and interesting toys and play resources, which are also very well organised and maintained to ensure they are always suitable for use.

Children's safety and welfare is safeguarded because the childminder's home is kept safe and secure. Children have opportunities to learn about their own personal safety, for example on outings they learn about good road safety. Effective child collection procedures are also in place which means that children are only collected by authorised persons. Children are not left alone with unvetted persons as part of the measures to protect them. Child protection procedures are very clearly understood by the childminder; she has attended relevant training, has written procedures in place and is aware of the possible signs and symptoms of abuse. These all contribute to the minded children's welfare being safeguarded.

Helping children achieve well and enjoy what they do

The provision is good. Children are very happy, relaxed and confident in the childminder's care. She is very attentive to children, listening and responding to what they have to say and are doing, helping them feel valued and children are actively involved in decisions about what they do and play with. During the inspection children choose to do water play and have great fun splashing around, supported by the childminder, learning names of play animals and generally developing their communication skills. They also enjoy sitting on the floor listening to a story, joining in and developing their language skills.

The childminder plans a broad range of stimulating and interesting activities, adapted to different children's ages and abilities. These include learning about the seasons, making mobiles, acting out a travel agents in role play, junk modelling and printing using their feet. Older children who attend for out of school care also enjoy activities such as playing board games, dressing up, cooking and doing recycled modelling. This means that they are well occupied and have activities appropriate to their needs and interests.

Helping children make a positive contribution

The provision is good. The childminder has a good understanding of equality of opportunity and all children are able to access a full range of activities to support their play and learning needs. Children do learn about the wider world around them and are able to access toys and resources that reflect positive images of diversity and ethnicity but this is an area for further development, in order to teach children about equality, including disability. The childminder has a positive approach to inclusion, works in partnership with parents to find out about children's individual care, health and developmental needs, including any learning difficulties and disabilities. She is experienced working with children who do have additional learning needs and would ensure that activities are adapted to the child's specific need. All children are treated with equal concern and respect in order to foster their self esteem.

Children benefit from plenty of praise and encouragement from the childminder. This enables them to feel good about themselves and helps develop their self confidence. There is a clear written behaviour policy in place, which focuses on reinforcing positive behaviour and any issues regarding behaviour are dealt with according to the child's age and level of understanding, in order for them to learn about right and wrong.

The childminder works closely in partnership with the parents to ensure the children's needs are met according to their wishes. She collates all relevant information before children are placed in her care ensuring they can be looked after appropriately. She also provides parents with detailed written and verbal information about her childminding practice, which helps ensure they have a clear understanding about how their children are cared for.

Organisation

The organisation is good. The childminder meets the needs of the range of children for whom she provides. The childminder is a qualified nursery nurse and has completed two further training courses around childminding to further develop her knowledge and skills in childcare, which greatly benefits the care she provides. She has a professional and very well organised approach to her childminding business in order for children to be happy, settled and make progress in their development.

The childminder is aware of the need to work within her conditions of registration at all times and to ensure children's welfare is appropriately safeguarded. All of the mandatory and general documentation that contributes to the children's health, safety and welfare is in place and is supplemented by detailed written policies and procedures. This ensures that parents have a secure understanding of the care the childminder provides. All paperwork is accurately maintained and is stored securely to maintain confidentiality.

Improvements since the last inspection

At the last inspection the childminder was set five recommendations. These related to documentation; first aid certificate and hazards both indoors and in the garden.

Since the last inspection the childminder has addressed all the issues raised at the last inspection. She has a current first aid certificate in place and all documentation relating to accidents and medication and emergency medical consent are in place and are being accurately maintained. Hazards in the home and the garden have all been made safe. All of these improvements contribute to the safety and welfare of the children being protected.

Complaints since the last inspection

Since 1 April 2004 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.

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 good. 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):

• continue to develop the range of resources that promote equality.

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: www.ofsted.gov.uk