Kim's Childminding Child Minding

Transcription

1 Kim's Childminding Child Minding Type of inspection: Unannounced Inspection completed on: 19 April 2018 Service provided by: Agnew, Kimberley Service provider number: SP Care service number: CS

2 The service Introduction This service was registered with the Care Inspectorate on 07 August The childminding service is located in Prestwick, South Ayrshire. The accommodation used for childminding is on one level and comprises of a comfortable open plan kitchen/lounge, a bathroom and a large enclosed garden. Mrs Agnew confirmed that the conditions recorded on her registration certificate were accurate and that she worked within these conditions. These conditions state that she may provide a care service to a maximum of 7 children at any one time under the age of 16, of whom no more than 6 are under the age of 12 years, of whom no more than 3 are not yet attending primary school and of whom no more than 1 is under 12 months. Mrs Agnew aims to: 'Provide a care service where my main priority is to fulfil the wishes of the parents so far as parents can feel confident that they are leaving their child in a secure, safe and happy environment where I will try to follow individual routines as near as possible.' What we did during our inspection We wrote this report following an unannounced inspection which took place between 1200hrs and 1500hrs on Thursday 19th April The inspection was carried out by a Care Inspectorate Early Learning and Childcare inspector. During the inspection, we spoke to the childminder and the child present. We observed the care given by the childminder and looked at a number of documents including health and safety records, planning tools and certificates of training. We looked at feedback given by service users: we sent out four questionnaires to parents and four were returned. We check services are meeting the principles of Getting it Right for Every Child (also known as GIRFEC), Scotland's national approach to improving outcomes and wellbeing for children by offering the right help at the right time from the right people. It supports them and their parent(s) to work with services that can help them. There are eight wellbeing indicators at the heart of Getting it Right for Every Child: safe, healthy, achieving, nurtured, active, respected, responsible and included. Views of people using the service The child present during inspection enjoyed playing with the toys and resources available to her. She told us that she liked going to the childminder's house and she enjoyed painting and going to the park. Four parents returned questionnaires to us. The responses from these demonstrated that they were happy with the quality of care their child received. Included in the comments were: "Kim has been great for my child. She has helped her to write her name and numbers and she has made lots of wee friends being there. Kim has lots of time for my child and has made her being at a childminder lots of fun. My child also speaks fondly of Kim and looks forward to going, which makes me know she is enjoying it and Kim is good with her. All happy here". page 2 of 9

3 "Kim is a fantastic childminder. She has great communication skills and always provides information on my child's day. She makes appropriate recommendations and adapts to meet the needs of my child. Kim has built a fantastic rapport with my child and this is evident in the way my child responds when she meets Kim. She is welcomed into the home and treated with care, and nurtured whilst in Kim's care. I have absolutely no concerns and would highly recommend Kim's service to others. She is friendly, approachable, empathetic, flexible and professional". Self assessment The Care Inspectorate received a fully completed self-assessment from the childminder. The provider identified what the service did well and gave examples of how she worked closely with parents to ensure that she met the care needs of every child. The self-assessment clearly identified how the childminder seeks feedback from children and families. She told us that she uses this to examine how the service can be improved. What the service did well We saw that the childminder provided a warm, caring, nurturing environment for children. She provided a very good standard of care and support to the children and their families, while meeting their individual needs. What the service could do better The childminder should continue to develop opportunities for outdoor play experiences that will support children's learning and development further. She should continue to develop personal plans to ensure that they give a clear indication of parent's regular involvement in their child's plan. 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 4 - Good Quality of care and support Findings from the inspection We found that children experienced very good care and support from this service. The childminder was established within her local community. Children and their families were offered a settling in period which was flexible to meet their individual needs. This helped the childminder to build good relationships with children and families. page 3 of 9

4 Our discussions with the childminder demonstrated that she knew the minded children well. She had gathered a range of information on each child and used this to form her personal plans. We found that the plans had been reviewed with parents. On the day of the inspection, the childminder had one minded child in her care. We found that the support offered by the childminder related to information recorded in the child's personal plan. This told us that the childminder worked in partnership with parents and respected their views, which provided positive outcomes for the children in her care. We asked the childminder to revise her records to show clearly when children's plans had been reviewed. During our inspection, we observed the childminder's interactions with the minded child. We saw that she was nurturing and supportive towards the child and she offered lots of praise and encouragement. The childminder used her knowledge and observation of the child to guide her in positive play. Throughout the inspection, the child presented as happy and secure in the childminder's care, confident that her needs would be met. The childminder was confident in her role to safeguard children. She had a child protection policy in place and she told us how she would respond to any concerns. Should children require any medication, a procedure was in place and the childminder was confident in her role to meet children's identified health needs. We discussed the best practice guidance for medication procedures and advised the childminder to update her policy. We found that some medication forms did not record parent's consent to administer medicine. The childminder should continue with her plans to use improved medication forms that record consent. This will ensure that information about medication is shared appropriately and administered safely. Requirements Number of requirements: 0 Recommendations Number of recommendations: 0 Grade: 5 - very good Quality of environment Findings from the inspection We found that the childminder's home environment was child-friendly, well maintained, clean, warm and welcoming for children attending the service. The childminder used her open plan kitchen/lounge area for the minded children with access to a large, secure outdoor area. A range of resources were provided, including a table and chairs, and comfortable sofas for the children to relax. There was a good range of toys and resources available that children could easily access; we found these to be clean and in good condition. We saw that the minded child was able to select toys and resources that she wanted to play with. This allowed her to make choices and promoted her independence. We saw the minded child enjoying a painting activity where the childminder was patient and responsive to her requests for additional resources. This told us that the childminder respected the child's views which helped her to feel valued. page 4 of 9

5 The bathroom used by minded children was clean and cleaning products were securely stored. The childminder provided individual cloths for children to dry their hands on, reducing the risk of infection. A procedure for recording accidents and incidents was in place; completed forms had been appropriately shared and signed by parents. There was a secure back garden area that children could access for fresh air and energetic play; a small range of resources were available. We could see that the childminder had started to gather 'loose parts' such as tyres and wood. She told us about her plans to develop the outdoor area in order to improve play opportunities and allow children to plant and grow fruit and vegetables. She should continue with her plans to develop this. The childminder had several risk assessments in place for the premises and various activities. However, we asked that she complete risk assessments for contact with her pet dog and use of a large climbing frame in the garden. She should also obtain written permission from parents for children to access the climbing frame and trampoline situated in the garden. The childminder advised us that she used buggies for children to sleep in. We signposted her to recent guidance on safe sleeping arrangements and suggested that she share this with parents. 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 We found the quality of management and leadership to be good within this service. We asked the childminder to tell us how she ensured that she was aware of and up-to-date with best practice and legislation. She told us she keeps up-to-date with best practice through a variety of ways, including being a member of the Scottish Childminding Association. The childminder told us that she networks with other childminders, to discuss good practice and to organise larger scale activities for the children in her care. During discussion, the childminder demonstrated an awareness of the most recent publications in relation to daycare of children. We felt that the childminder had taken a balanced approach to keep her skills and professional knowledge current. page 5 of 9

6 We asked the childminder if she had undertaken any training since her previous inspection. She told us that she had attended several training courses including 'Setting the Table', 'Play at Home' and child protection training. She did not have any further training planned but told us that she would continue to seek training opportunities. We discussed how she could continue to develop her practice through online support, including accessing guidance on the Care Inspectorate 'Hub'. The childminder had a complaints policy which was made available to parents and families. Parents confirmed that they would be happy to approach the childminder in person if they had any concerns. We found that the childminder evaluated her service through informal daily discussions with service users. She had also issued a questionnaire to parents in order to gain their views. The childminder told us that she now takes children dancing as a result of parents' comments; this demonstrates that the childminder respects the views of service users. The childminder had begun to seek children's views through an 'ideas board' which she used to plan holiday activities. The childminder should continue to develop this. We asked that the childminder continue to build on her self-evaluation processes and share any changes made, as a result of feedback, with children and parents. Requirements Number of requirements: 0 Recommendations Number of recommendations: 0 Grade: 4 - 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 6 of 9

7 What the service has done to meet any recommendations we made at or since the last inspection Previous recommendations Recommendation 1 The childminder should develop a personal plan for each child using her service and carry out a review of these plans every six months or sooner if needed. National care standards for early education and childcare up to the age of 16. Standard 3: Health and wellbeing and Standard 6: Support and development. This recommendation was made on 28 April Action taken on previous recommendation We found that personal plans were in place for every child. Information contained in the plans indicated that reviews had been carried out but some dates had not been recorded in the file. We asked that the childminder consistently records dates to ensure plans reflect regular involvement of the parents. Recommendation 2 The childminder should review the positioning of the swing set in the garden using her risk assessment processes. She should then implement any changes identified to ensure children's safety. National care standards for early education and childcare up to the age of 16: Standard 2.4: A safe environment. This recommendation was made on 28 April Action taken on previous recommendation The childminder had removed the wall that had been situated behind the swing set, removing any risk in relation to the position of the swing set. 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. page 7 of 9

8 Inspection and grading history Date Type Gradings 28 Apr 2014 Unannounced Care and support 4 - Good Environment 5 - Very good Staffing Not assessed Management and leadership 4 - 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