Childminder inspection report. Granger, Eileen Prestwick

Transcription

1 Granger, Eileen Prestwick Inspection completed on 07 April 2015

2 Service provided by: Granger, Eileen Service provider number: SP Care service number: CS Inspection Type: Unannounced Care services in Scotland, including childminders, cannot operate unless they are registered with the Care Inspectorate. We inspect, award grades and set out improvements that must be made. We also investigate complaints about care services and 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. Contact Us Care Inspectorate Compass House 11 Riverside Drive Dundee DD1 4NY enquiries@careinspectorate.com page 2 of 18

3 1 Introduction Childminder inspection report The Care Inspectorate regulates care services in Scotland. Information about all care services is available on our website at This service was previously registered with the Care Commission and transferred its registration to the Care Inspectorate on 1 April Requirements and recommendations If we are concerned about some aspect of a service, or think it could do more to improve its service, we may make a recommendation or requirement. - A recommendation is a statement that sets out the actions the care service provider should take to improve or develop the quality of the service but where failure to do so will not directly result in enforcement. Recommendations are based on National Care Standards, relevant codes of practice and recognised good practice. - A requirement is a statement which sets out what is required of a care service to comply with the Public Services Reforms (Scotland) Act 2010 and Regulations or Orders made under the Act, or a condition of registration. Where there are breaches of the Regulations, Orders or conditions a requirement must be made. Requirements are legally enforceable at the discretion of the Inspectorate. Mrs Granger provides a childminding service from her home in the town of Prestwick. The family home, a detached house, is situated within a residential housing estate at the top end of the town. The service is registered to care for 6 children under the age of 16 years of whom no more than 3 will be under primary school age and no more than one will be under 12 months. Numbers are inclusive of children of the childminder's family. Mrs Granger is currently providing a care service for 7 children, between the ages of 1 and 9 years, at various times throughout the week Three minded siblings were attending the service during the inspection visit. All children were well settled and at ease in both the childminder's care and the home environment. The older children were happy to chat with us about the things they liked to do while at the childminder's home. page 3 of 18

4 What we did during our inspection We wrote this report following an unannounced inspection that took place between the times of 10:50 and 12:20 on Tuesday 7 April, We sent three care standards questionnaires to the childminder to distribute to parents/carers. Two questionnaires were returned to us after the inspection visit had taken place. During the inspection process, we gathered evidence from various sources, including the following: We spoke with: Childminder inspection report the childminder the minded children attending the childminder's children We looked at: the service leaflet business contracts sampled completed minded child information forms three personal plan for individual children permission forms signed by parents risk assessments for the home, garden and outings gas servicing record childminding public liability and car insurances the indoor and outdoor areas used by the children Views of people using the service The childminder is currently caring for seven minded children between the ages of 1 and 9 years. Three minded children were attending the service during the inspection visit. The two older children chatted with us about what they liked to do. They enjoyed football and told us about their favourite football team. page 4 of 18

5 They were particularly fond of ball games and playing along with Mrs Granger's son. They told us about the judo sessions they attend, including their judo belt colour and their "mons" and "kata" achievements. All children were relaxed throughout the inspection and independently decided what they wanted to play with. We received two questionnaire returns following the inspection visit. Both respondents indicated satisfaction with all aspects of the care provided. A respondents comment included: "Eileen is a fantastic childminder. She is very flexible to our needs and is a fabulous support to my childcare needs." Self assessment Every year all care services complete a 'self assessment' telling us how their service is performing. We check to make sure this is accurate. We had not received a self-assessment document prior to this inspection. We used the information contained in the self-assessment document submitted in 2014 and the action plan from the last inspection report, received in July 2014, to focus on areas for this inspection. What the service did well The childminder provides a welcoming and homely environment for children. The children attending were happy and content in the childminder's care. The childminder has reviewed and updated business paperwork and has demonstrated a commitment to self- improvement. The children's parents are happy with the care service provided. What the service could do better During this inspection, we have made two recommendations: Childminder inspection report The childminder should gather individual information on minded children, in relation to their developmental needs, interests and personality. page 5 of 18

6 The childminder should access training to help her to update her childminding skills and knowledge. 2 The grades we awarded We grade the quality of care and support, the quality of the environment and the quality of management and leadership. If the childminder employs an assistant, we also grade the quality of staffing. In each case, we award a grade on a scale from 1 to 6, where 1 is unsatisfactory and 6 is excellent. Quality of care and support Quality of environment Quality of staffing Quality of management and leadership 4 - Good 4 - Good not assessed 4 - Good 3 Quality of care and support Findings from the inspection The childminder provided some opportunities for parents to become involved in the service; mainly through daily verbal and personal plan discussions. This enabled important information to be shared and decisions made in partnership with families. We observed the interactions between the childminder and the children and it was clear that the minded children were happy and well settled in the childminder's care. The younger child was interested in all that was going on around her and liked to join in with the older children's play. She snuggled in for cuddles from time to time and the childminder was aware of when she was tired or wanted a snack. This told us that the childminder knew the minded children well. We also chatted with the older children for a short time. They told us that they liked playing with the childminder's son and also that Eileen (the childminder) knew what they liked to play with and would provide them with the games/ equipment they preferred. page 6 of 18

7 They also told us that they could bring in items from home. On the day of inspection, the older child had brought his computer tablet with him. This told us that the childminder was responsive of children's views and that their views impacted on how they spent their time. During the visit, the childminder joined in with a bean bag ball game and this was an activity they all enjoyed. Her involvement ensured that everyone was included and we could hear the peals of laughter from the older children and the squeals of delight from the younger child. It was clear that the children were having a good time. Since last inspection, the childminder had made good progress on gathering children's information and on the construction of their personal plans. A review of children's personal plans confirmed that they had been individually targeted towards children's developmental achievements and progress and that parents had been consulted on the content and future targets. We discussed with the childminder the need to establish a review process for personal planning and also to regularly update children's information. Also, as children's information is stored on computer, we directed the childminder to the Information Commissioner Office (ICO) to check if registration was required. At the previous inspection we had made a recommendation on the benefits of gathering "all about me" information on minded children's individual likes and preference to assist in planning children's care. We still feel that this more targeted individual information would be beneficial. Grade The quality of care and support is graded 4 - Good Requirements Number of requirements - 0 Recommendations Number of recommendations - 1 Childminder inspection report 1. The childminder should consider the benefits of gathering individual information on minded children, in relation to their developmental needs, interests and personality. page 7 of 18

8 National Care Standards for Early Education and Childcare up to age 16. Standard 6: A Caring Environment. page 8 of 18

9 4 Quality of environment Findings from the inspection There had been no material changes to the home environment since the last inspection. We again found the areas of the family home used for childminding to be warm, homely and comfortable and to provide ample indoor space for children to play and relax in. They could make use of the lounge area to relax on a large sofa and watch TV, the dining table for home work or table top/craft activities and the play room to chill out on the large brightly coloured bean bags or select toys and games to play with. The kitchen, which was accessed from the lounge/dining area, had child proof safety catches fitted on units where materials unsuitable for young children were stored. We reminded the childminder of the fire guidelines regarding keys and final exits and asked her to risk assess the entrance hall/stairway and to record in the environmental risk assessment. A good selection of toys and resources had been well organised into large tubs set at floor level to be easily accessible to younger children or effectively stored in the large walk-in adjacent toy cupboard. A ground floor toilet, located off this area eliminated the need for children to access the upper floor of the premises. The rear garden provided an attractive enclosed outdoor play area. It was equipped with a good range of outdoor toys and resources and was generally well maintained. Updated, concise risk assessments had been completed for the home environment, rear garden and for some outings. The childminder should continue to augment and keep risk assessments updated. The childminder provided us with confirmation of childminding insurance cover. Grade The quality of environment is graded 4 - Good page 9 of 18

10 Requirements Number of requirements - 0 Recommendations Number of recommendations Quality of staffing We only assess this where the childminder employs an assistant. 6 Quality of management and leadership Findings from the inspection The childminder speaks with parents on a daily basis to ensure that she is kept updated on their childcare requirements. (Please see information in quality of care and support). She had produced an informative and user-friendly service leaflet to assist new parents with their childcare choices. She now needs to ensure that her service leaflet is regularly updated. She had formalised childcare arrangements through business contracts so that all parties were clear as to the service requested and provided. Bi-annual review dates were noted on contracts. This helped clarify arrangements for all parties. Parental permission for children's outings, playing on the trampoline, face painting, applying sun creams and plasters and for emergency medical procedure were in place. This tells us that the childminder prepares well and plans ahead. We made a recommendation at the previous inspection that the childminder should access training to keep her childcare skills and knowledge updated. The childminder told us that she had not managed to attend any training sessions this year. However, she had recently been meeting up with a local childminder to look at the similarities and differences in their childcare practices and record keeping. page 10 of 18

11 This indicated that the childminder was keen to further develop her service. We advised the childminder of a few organisations that provide online or self-study training courses that she could look into. The childminder had returned an action plan from the previous inspection detailing her plans to meet the requirements and recommendations made at that time. We could see that good progress had been made on most areas with all requirements being met. This tells us that the childminder is receptive to and acts upon advice given. The respondents who returned our questionnaires either agreed or strongly agreed that the childminder had involved them and their children in developing the service, for example, by asking for ideas and feedback. Both respondents also strongly agreed that overall, they were happy with the quality of care their children receive in the service. Grade The quality of management and leadership is graded 4 - Good Requirements Number of requirements - 0 Recommendations Number of recommendations - 1 Childminder inspection report 1. The childminder should access training to keep her childminding skills and knowledge updated. She should particularly consider, in the first instance, updating her child protection and first aid training. National Care Standards for Early Education and Childcare up to age 16. Standard 12: Confidence in Staff. page 11 of 18

12 7 What the service has done to meet any recommendations or requirements we made at our last inspection Previous requirements 1. It is a requirement that a provider must keep a record of the following matters in respect of each service user:- (a) the service user's name, address and date of birth; (b) the name, address and telephone number of the service user's next of kin or any person authorised to act on behalf of the service user; (c) the name, address and telephone number of the service user's general practitioner; and (d) the date on which the service was first provided to the service user. This is to comply with SSI: 2002/114 Regulation 19 (1) (a), (b), (c) and (d). Timescales for implementation is immediately on receipt of this report. This requirement was made on Wednesday 23rd April 2014 We made a follow-up visit to this service on 17 July 2014 to check on progress made by the childminder on addressing the requirements and recommendations made at the previous inspection. At that, we found the children's records had been completed and contained all of the required information. Met - Within Timescales 2. A provider must, within 28 days of providing a service, prepare a written plan ("the personal plan") which sets out how the service user's health, welfare and safety needs are to be met. The provider must consult with the service user's representatives as appropriate and review the plan at least every six months or sooner if required. This is to comply with SSI/2011: 210 Regulation 5 (1), (a), (b), (c) and (d). This requirement was made on Wednesday 23rd April 2014 page 12 of 18

13 By the follow-up visit of 17 July 2014, the childminder had begun to complete personal plans for minded children detailing how she planned to meet children's health, welfare and safety needs. Met - Outwith Timescales 3. The service provider should confirm that she holds appropriate car insurance to transport minded children by forwarding a copy of her car insurance documents to SCSWIS. This is to comply with the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010 Section 53 (6) whereby SCSWIS may at any time require a person providing any social service to supply it with any information relating to the service which it considers necessary or expedient to have for the purposes of its functions under this part. Timescale for compliance is 2 weeks from the date of this report. This requirement was made on Wednesday 23rd April 2014 We were provided with car insurance details following the visit on 17 July Met - Outwith Timescales 4. The service provider should confirm that she holds appropriate maintenance records for equipment used in the provision of the service by forwarding a copy of her gas servicing record to SCSWIS. This is to comply with SSI 2011/210, Regulation 4: (1), (a) whereby a provider must make proper provision for the health, welfare and safety of service users. Timescales for compliance is 2 weeks from the date of this report. This requirement was made on Wednesday 23rd April 2014 We were provided with confirmation of gas maintenance following the visit on 17 July Met - Outwith Timescales 5. Childminder inspection report page 13 of 18

14 Previous recommendations 1. The content of the Parent's Handbook should be reviewed on a regular basis and where necessary updated. National Care Standards Early Education and Childcare up to the age of 16. Standard 1.2: Being Welcomed and Valued. This recommendation was made on Tuesday 20th April 2010 A reviewed, updated and informative handbook had been produced and was available for parents at the time of the previous inspection held on 23 April The Recommendation is. Met. 2. The childminder should consider the benefits of gathering individual information on minded children, in relation to their developmental needs, interests and personality. National Care Standards for Early Education and Childcare up to age 16. Standard 6: A Caring Environment. This recommendation was made on Wednesday 23rd April 2014 No progress had been made on meeting this recommendation. Please see report section on quality of care and support. The Recommendation is. Not Met. 3. The childminder should update and regularly review her environmental risk assessments documents to clear identify risks and the measures put in place to eliminate. National Care Standards for Early Education and Childcare up to the age of 16: A Safe Environment. This recommendation was made on Wednesday 23rd April 2014 Some progress had been made on developing risk assessments. Please see report section on quality of environment. The Recommendation is. Partially Met. page 14 of 18

15 4. The childminder should ensure that her assistant keeps up to date with current best practice guidance. This should include child protection, first aid and infection control. National Care Standards 'Early Education and Childcare up to the age of 16', Standard 12 - Confidence in Staff. This recommendation was made on Wednesday 23rd April 2014 Mrs Granger no longer works with an assistant therefore, this recommendation is no longer applicable. 5. The childminder should access training to keep her childminding skills and knowledge updated. She should particularly consider, in the first instance, updating her child protection and first aid training. National Care Standards for Early Education and Childcare up to age 16. Standard 12: Confidence in Staff. This recommendation was made on Wednesday 23rd April 2014 No progress had been made on meeting this recommendation. Please see report section on quality of management and leadership. The Recommendation is. Not Met. Childminder inspection report page 15 of 18

16 8 Complaints There have been no complaints upheld since the last inspection. Details of any older upheld complaints are published at 9 Enforcements No enforcement action has been taken against this care service since the last inspection. 10 Other issues There are no other issues at this time. 11 Inspection and grading history Date Type Gradings 23 Apr 2014 Unannounced Care and support 3 - Adequate Environment 4 - Good Staffing 3 - Adequate Management and Leadership 3 - Adequate 20 Apr 2010 Announced (Short Notice) Care and support Environment Staffing Management and Leadership 4 - Good 4 - Good Not Assessed Not Assessed 27 Apr 2009 Announced Care and support 4 - Good Environment 4 - Good Staffing 4 - Good page 16 of 18

17 Management and Leadership Not Assessed 28 May 2008 Announced (short notice) Care and support Environment Staffing Management and Leadership 3 - Adequate 3 - Adequate 3 - Adequate 3 - Adequate page 17 of 18

18 To find out more This inspection report is published by the Care Inspectorate. You can download this report and others from our website. You can also read more about our work online. Contact Us Care Inspectorate Compass House 11 Riverside Drive Dundee DD1 4NY Other languages and formats Childminder inspection report This report is available in other languages and formats on request. Tha am foillseachadh seo ri fhaighinn ann an cruthannan is c?in eile ma nithear iarrtas. page 18 of 18