Cassidy, Angela Child Minding

Transcription

1 Cassidy, Angela Child Minding Type of inspection: Unannounced Inspection completed on: 3 August 2017 Service provided by: Cassidy, Angela Service provider number: SP Care service number: CS

2 The service Introduction This service registered with the Care Inspectorate on 1 April Angela Cassidy, referred to as 'the childminder' in this report, is registered to provide a service to a maximum of seven children under the age of 16, of whom no more than three are not yet attending primary school and of whom no more than one is under 12 months. Numbers are inclusive of the childminder's family. The service is provided from the childminder's home in a residential area near Harrison Park in Edinburgh. The service is near the local primary school, shops, union canal and public transport routes. The children have access to the living room, play room, kitchen and four garden areas which surround the house. The Care Inspectorate is committed to improving the health and wellbeing of all children receiving a care service. We want to ensure they have the best start in life, are ready to succeed and live longer, healthier lives. We check services are meeting the principles of Getting it Right for Every Child (also known as GIRFEC). Set up by Scottish Government, GIRFEC is a national approach to working in a consistent way with all children and young people. It is underpinned by the principles of prevention and early intervention. The approach helps services focus on what makes a positive difference for children and young people - and what they can do to improve. Getting it Right for Every Child is being woven into all policy, practice, strategy and legislation that affect children, young people and their families. There are eight wellbeing indicators at the heart of Getting it Right for Every Child. They are: safe, healthy, achieving, nurtured, active, respected, responsible, and included. They are often referred to as the SHANARRI indicators. We use these indicators at inspection, to assess how services are making a positive difference for children. Information on SHANARRI can be found at: gettingitright What we did during our inspection We wrote this report following an unannounced inspection. This was carried out by a Care Inspectorate inspector. The inspection took place on Thursday 27 July 2017 in the afternoon. We gave feedback to the childminder over the phone on Thursday 3 August As part of the inspection, we took account of the completed annual return and self assessment forms that we asked the childminder to complete and submit to us. We sent three Care Standards Questionnaires to the childminder to distribute to relatives and carers of people who used the service. We received three completed questionnaires before the inspection. page 2 of 9

3 During this inspection we gathered evidence from a number of sources, including the following: We spoke with: - the children - the childminder. We observed and viewed: - the environment - the childminder's practice and interactions with children - the children playing. We looked at the following evidence: - evidence from the most recent self assessment - children's records - accident and incident records - written policies and procedures - overview of work, training and projects carried out since our last inspection - information for parents - photographs - questionnaires - children's personal learning plans (PLPs)/Learner's Journeys. - thank you cards from children and parents. We took account of all of the above information when we evaluated this service and wrote this report. Please note that parents and carers will be referred to as parents throughout the report. Views of people using the service There were three minded children and the childminder's own three children present during our visit. They played in the living room and play room. The younger children played doctors in the playroom and were practising putting bandages on each other. The older children played with the dinosaurs and magnetic kit to create 3D shapes and models. The children appeared happy and comfortable in the childminder's care. They went to her for a cuddle or to ask for help when needed which showed they were confident and found her approachable. We received three Care Standards Questionnaires from parents of children who attend the service. All three parents strongly agreed that overall they were happy with the quality of care their child received in the service. Comments included: 'There are two rooms available and they play outdoors which is well-secured. There are a wide range of scientific toys as well as books and educational DVD's.' 'I was very impressed with the service. The childminder offered more activities and themed playing than I was expecting. My child was looking forward to going.' page 3 of 9

4 'Angie is an excellent childminder who provides high quality care in a caring and stimulating environment. She also provides thorough written reports.' Self assessment We received a fully completed self assessment from the childminder. We were satisfied with the way this was completed and with the relevant information included. We advised the childminder that this form could be adapted throughout the year so a current self assessment remained available. The childminder identified what she thought the service did well, some areas for development and any changes she had planned. She told us how the people who used the care service had taken part in the self assessment process. What the service did well The childminder has remained dedicated to advancing her service in line with best practice. Being passionate about early learning she has researched and introduced many aspects which children have enjoyed since the last inspection. These include increased outdoor play and exploration in natural areas, transient art, science activities, loose parts play and natural creative play (mud kitchen). What the service could do better The childminder should ensure to update the information held on children at least once every six months with parents. From this inspection we graded this service as: Quality of care and support Quality of environment Quality of staffing Quality of management and leadership 5 - Very Good 5 - Very Good not assessed 5 - Very Good Quality of care and support Findings from the inspection Parents and children were regularly able to contribute to the service improvement and daily activities. The successful methods of communication and information sharing resulted in meaningful collaboration. Parents and children being included and continuing strong relationship with them was a key strength of the childminder's. page 4 of 9

5 Systematic questionnaires and meetings allowed parents to give the childminder feedback. We read some positive comments in returned questionnaires which included; 'XX has always enjoyed his time in your care' and 'I'm really impressed how you have taught XX how to wash his hands, thumbs and all.' These helped the parents to feel respected because their opinions mattered to the childminder and had resulted in some developments to the service over the years. Opportunities to play and learn outdoors were plentiful. Additions to the garden and the types of play the children could engage in included a mud kitchen, tree climbing and loose parts play. The older children had also been given the opportunity to take part in activities relating to the 'STEM' programme (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths). Photographs showed the children taking part in many learning opportunities where they had to problem solve and work together. These very good play and investigation opportunities allowed children to gain a deeper sense of the world around them and helped them to find out what they could do. Photographs confirmed that children had regular, varied and beneficial play times outdoors. The childminder encouraged the children to assess their own risk when climbing trees or building with the large loose parts in the garden. Creativity and imaginative play opportunities were plentiful in the garden and we could see the mud kitchen resulted in many a 'mud cake' and 'potions' being created. Having regular access to the outdoors helped to support children's overall wellbeing and health. Individualised support for children and their families remained in place. The childminder discussed and agreed with parents any strategies that were to be put in place. For example, by breaking down requests for children to ensure they were not overwhelmed. This made it more likely for the child to succeed with requests and gave them an overall sense of achievement. Being sensitive to children's anxieties and fears helped the childminder to work out how best to support them. She used a stepped approach which didn't rush or force children into situations but gradually introduced them until they realised there was nothing to be worried about and became comfortable. This respectful way of interacting with and supporting children would contribute to children's achievements and feelings of security. Requirements Number of requirements: 0 Recommendations Number of recommendations: 0 Grade: 5 - very good Quality of environment Findings from the inspection The home was welcoming and a pleasant place for children to be. The children played on the floor in the living room and in the play room and also relaxed on the couch during our visit. They seemed to get on well together and felt comfortable to move around and use the available space to play their games. page 5 of 9

6 The children had many resources to play with and the playroom provided a space they could call their own. We noted that the children asked for toys or materials they needed from the childminder or helped themselves to items that were displayed. One child told us his favourite was the car outside and that he liked to steer it with his feet. Using the local community gave the children opportunities to take part in more natural play experiences. Making art out of sticks, leaves and stones was one of the ways this was achieved. Other examples included mud face painting, fishing with sticks in a pond and rolling down grassy hills. The childminder explained that these experiences were on offer and part of her service before 'My World Outdoors' was published. She told us this document reassured her that she was giving children wide-ranging and positive outdoor learning experiences. These outdoor opportunities gave children a chance to engage in risky play or build up their awareness of how to keep safe. Examples included walking near the canal and looking out for cyclists; being aware of dogs they did not know, road safety and scooter safety. The children also spoke about what to do if they got lost and who would be a safe person to go to for help. We noticed the childminder helped to promote sharing and turn taking amongst the children. One child got quite upset and frustrated when he couldn't fix together the magnets to make a cube as he wanted to. The childminder offered to help the child and gave guidance on how it could work by using magnetic balls which were the same size. She asked the other children to allow the child space and time to figure it out. This respected the child's feelings and showed sensitivity to them. Requirements Number of requirements: 0 Recommendations Number of recommendations: 0 Grade: 5 - very good Quality of staffing This quality theme was not assessed. Quality of management and leadership Findings from the inspection The childminder demonstrated a willingness to increase her knowledge and understanding of early childcare and education by undertaking additional training. She had completed a Scottish Vocational Qualification at level three in Social Services for Children and Young People since our last inspection. This gave her a deeper understanding of the theory behind her practice. page 6 of 9

7 The childminder had also started to work at a local playgroup. This gave her opportunities to engage in professional discussion, work in a different environment and engage with more children and families in the local community. During discussion the childminder was able to tell us how she applied the learning gained from courses. Examples included how a speech and language course enabled her to give a parent some advice when she was worried that her child's speech may be delayed. Challenging gender stereotypes was a useful course as the school aged children were very aware of this. The childminder had conversations with the children to challenge and discuss their comments about what clothes boys and girls wear or what were jobs for men etc. This helped the children to have a wider view of the world and begin to think about equality and diversity. Sharing information with parents allowed future support and goals to be agreed upon. The childminder gave the parents an overview of their child's year which discussed the main learning and gave photographs of children's experiences. Development plans for younger children included aims such as increasing independence, pencil control and giving more responsibility. Although the childminder held appropriate information on each child we reminded her that this needed to be updated with parents at least once every six months. She agreed to do this. It was evident the childminder remained passionate and committed to advancing her service and giving children the best experience she could. She was keen to hear ways in which she could continue to improve so we signposted best practice and suggested a few documents and approaches she may wish to look into. Requirements Number of requirements: 0 Recommendations Number of recommendations: 0 Grade: 5 - very good What the service has done to meet any requirements we made at or since the last inspection Previous requirements There are no outstanding requirements. page 7 of 9

8 What the service has done to meet any recommendations we made at or since the last inspection Previous recommendations There are no outstanding recommendations. Complaints There have been no complaints upheld since the last inspection. Details of any older upheld complaints are published at Enforcement No enforcement action has been taken against this care service since the last inspection. Inspection and grading history Date Type Gradings 5 Sep 2013 Announced (short notice) Care and support 6 - Excellent Environment 6 - Excellent Staffing 6 - Excellent Management and leadership Not assessed 27 May 2009 Announced Care and support 6 - Excellent Environment 6 - Excellent Staffing 6 - Excellent Management and leadership Not assessed 25 Apr 2008 Announced (short notice) Care and support 4 - Good Environment 4 - Good Staffing 4 - Good Management and leadership 5 - Very good page 8 of 9

9 To find out more This inspection report is published by the Care Inspectorate. You can download this report and others from our website. Care services in Scotland cannot operate unless they are registered with the Care Inspectorate. We inspect, award grades and help services to improve. We also investigate complaints about care services and can take action when things aren't good enough. Please get in touch with us if you would like more information or have any concerns about a care service. You can also read more about our work online at Contact us Care Inspectorate Compass House 11 Riverside Drive Dundee DD1 4NY enquiries@careinspectorate.com Find us on Facebook Other languages and formats This report is available in other languages and formats on request. Tha am foillseachadh seo ri fhaighinn ann an cruthannan is cànain eile ma nithear iarrtas. page 9 of 9