Childminding by Nicola Child Minding

Transcription

1 Childminding by Nicola Child Minding Type of inspection: Unannounced Inspection completed on: 22 August 2017 Service provided by: McDonald, Nicola Service provider number: SP Care service number: CS

2 The service Introduction This service registered with the Care Inspectorate on 24 June 2015 to provide care to a maximum of six children at any one time 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 children of the childminder's family. Childminding by Nicola provided her service from her home in Drumlithie near Stonehaven in Aberdeenshire. The service was located in a small residential area close to local amenities in the village. Children have access to the lounge, kitchen and a large enclosed garden to the rear of the home. The aims of the service are 'to create a homely environment where children are safe, valued and cared for in a friendly, welcoming environment, while parents are at their place of employment/study'. 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 children and their parent(s) to work with the services that can help them. There are eight wellbeing indicators at the heart of GIRFEC. They are: safe, healthy, achieving, nurtured, active, respected, responsible and included. They are referred to as the SHANARRI wellbeing indicators. What we did during our inspection We compiled this report following an unannounced inspection which took place between 9.30am and 12.00pm on 22 August The inspection was carried out by a Care Inspectorate early years inspector. During this inspection we spoke to the childminder and the one child present. We observed the care given by the childminder and looked at a number of documents including health and safety records, children's records and certificates of training. We had sent out three Care Standards Questionnaires (CSQs) for distribution to parents prior to the inspection, but none had been returned. Views of people using the service The child who was present was seen to be very happy with the childminder and enjoyed going to her for a cuddle. She was able to choose from the toys which were available and said she liked playing in the garden. She also wanted to see the childminder's dog who was being kept in the kitchen. Self assessment The Care Inspectorate received a brief self-assessment from the childminder. The childminder identified what they thought the service did well and how they tried to meet the needs of families. The self-assessment identified that she planned to keep up-to-date with her training. The childminder told us how she communicated regularly with the people who used the service and how their feedback influenced the development of any plans for improving the service. for Childminding by Nicola page 2 of 10

3 What the service did well The childminder provided a flexible, warm and welcoming service which met the needs of the family she minded. She showed a caring and nurturing approach to the child who obviously enjoyed her time with the childminder. She provided opportunities for the child to play with other children and have a variety of experiences and outings. What the service could do better The records maintained by the childminder should be further detailed and updated regularly showing how she is meeting the needs of the children in her care. Areas for digging and growing in the garden could be further developed to increase children's learning experiences and achievements. From this inspection we graded this service as: Quality of care and support Quality of environment Quality of staffing Quality of management and leadership 4 - Good 4 - Good not assessed 4 - Good Quality of care and support Findings from the inspection We found the childminder provided a good level of care and support to children using her service. The childminder was observed to be nurturing in her approach and the child in her care was happy and relaxed. Children were able to choose from a range of resources with support from the childminder where appropriate. The childminder also introduced new resources and activities based on the children's likes and dislikes, which she learnt about through speaking to parents and children. As well as activities at home she took children on outings such as the two's group in the village, where they were able to meet and play with other children. The childminder had a thorough child protection procedure in place and she had sufficient knowledge and understanding of these procedures to be clear about the actions she would take if she had a concern. She held contact details for the local child protection team and she was aware of the importance of discussing any concerns with them. As health visitors often have the most regular contact with families it is important that she ensures she has the details of the health visitor for each family and this information is kept up-to-date. We reviewed the childminder's paperwork and procedures for administering medication to children. She had introduced a new permission for medication form following best practice as detailed in the 'Management of Medication in Daycare of Children and Childminding Services'. The childminder would use this form if she is asked by a parent to administer medication. However, the children she cares for are normally kept at home if they are unwell so she had never needed to ask parents to complete the new form. The childminder was aware of the importance of diet to children's health and she ensured they had healthy for Childminding by Nicola page 3 of 10

4 snacks and lunches such as sandwiches, fruit, raisins, toast, pancakes and homemade soups and dishes such as pasta with vegetables. Children were given a choice of snack and the childminder respected their wishes. They were also given daily opportunities for active play to help their physical development which is vital for their wellbeing. The childminder was seen to have a kind and nurturing approach to the child in her care. She responded gently and gave encouragement to her and suggested activities which she might enjoy. As well as giving praise to children's efforts, we discussed how important it is for children to be creative, rather than trying to copy adult-led artwork. For young children especially the process is much more important than the product. We looked at the children's records, but found these only gave basic information and did not reflect the childminder's knowledge of the child and their needs and achievements. We discussed how to improve the recording of information, such as children's development and achievements, in their personal plans. These should take into account the Getting It Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) approach and the SHANARRI wellbeing indicators. Additional information should be gathered to build up an 'All About Me' record of the child using information from parents and from the childminder's knowledge of the child. The childminder should keep children's personal plans which show a picture of the developing child, their interests and achievements. Requirements Number of requirements: 0 Recommendations Number of recommendations: 0 Grade: 4 - good Quality of environment Findings from the inspection The childminder provided a very safe, clean and tidy environment for children to play and be cared for. Children were kept safe through a range of measures taken by the childminder, including visual checks each morning to ensure it was safe, clean and free from any hazards for the children attending. Stair gates were in place to prevent children climbing the stairs or accessing the dog unsupervised. The childminder had risk assessments in place which covered all areas within the home and garden. These identified any actions that were taken to ensure the risks to children were kept to a minimum. These assessments should be reviewed regularly to ensure any new hazards were identified and appropriate actions were taken to minimise these. She discussed how she helped children to learn about keeping themselves safe by following instructions and explaining the importance of always staying with the childminder on outings. Children were supported to be independent and were able to choose from a range of toys and activities which were stored in the living room or in a cupboard in the hall. These were changed regularly to give children a good variety of experiences and choice. Train set and small world toys were being enjoyed during the inspection. Children also had access to a range of arts and crafts resources depending on their age and interests. for Childminding by Nicola page 4 of 10

5 The childminder discussed the opportunities which she gave the children to be active on a daily basis both inside and out. The layout of the house allowed children good space to move about and play indoors. There was also a large enclosed garden with a range of resources such as slides, ride on cars and balls. There were areas for digging and the garden could be further developed to encourage role play, as well as creativity. The childminder also made good use of local resources such as parks and soft play, including the Auchenblae den and playpark. They enjoyed going to the beach at Stonehaven and the local school millennium garden wood and Fettes forest. Sometimes they took the chance to join up with other childminders to go on outings with other children, which she knew the children all enjoyed. The childminder had a dog, which had been getting used to the children since it was a puppy. The minded child was used to pets and was pleased to see the dog who was friendly to her. The dog was normally kept away from the children when they were playing or eating and the garden was always checked before the children went out to play. The childminder told us her procedures for changing children and she was aware of the 'Infection Prevention and Control in Childcare Settings' document, which is available from the Care Inspectorate Hub ( If children needed changed, it was done following best practice guidance to minimise the spread of infection. The childminder should help children wash their hands after being changed to prevent the spread of infection and to encourage good habits from an early stage. There was a toilet on the ground floor of the childminder's home which helped children to become independent when they were toilet training and children learned to wash their hands after being outside and before eating. Requirements Number of requirements: 0 Recommendations Number of recommendations: 0 Grade: 4 - good Quality of staffing This quality theme was not assessed. Quality of management and leadership Findings from the inspection Nicola was registered with the Scottish Childminding Association (SCMA) and she made good use of the information provided by them through s to keep up-to-date with any changes to legislation or practice. She also meets with a local childminding group which helps her to discuss current practice and be aware of changes. The childminder had her current registration certificate, training certificates and PVGs to hand, in a folder, should parents wish to view them. She had attended some training since registering as a childminder, for Childminding by Nicola page 5 of 10

6 including child protection, first aid and food hygiene training. We discussed with her the online training from SCMA which can be more convenient and accessed when required, especially as she lives in a very rural area. The childminder's policies and procedures were seen to be generally of a good standard, but should be reviewed as she becomes more experienced and knowledgeable as a childminder, and to take account of best practice guidance such as 'Building the Ambition'. The behaviour policy should be based round the encouragement of positive behaviour for the children. For most children positive experiences and consistent boundaries will be sufficient to help them learn acceptable social behaviour. At present the childminder had a very small service based round one family, but she should develop and expand on her policies as her service grows in the future. The service had a clear complaints policy which was shared with parents when they first registered with the service. The childminder had introduced a system for recording all accidents and incidents in the service and what action she took. She had a duplicate book so that parents could have a copy of the accident report, but no child had yet had an accident in the service, however, she knew that it was important to ask parents to sign the report as confirmation that the details had been shared with them. As detailed under Quality of care and support, we found that the childminder could improve on the information that she held for children. This would support her knowledge of each child, and identify areas of development and support needed by each child. Care plans should be written in conjunction with parents and where appropriate, children, and reviewed at least every six months. (See requirement 1). The childminder confirmed that she kept in regular contact with parents through text and phone calls, as well as day-to-day meetings when they arrived and left. If her service was bigger she would formalise her contacts with parents, but her present family is happy with their daily contact and communication. Requirements Number of requirements: 1 1. To ensure they have a personal plan in place for each child which sets out how each child's health, welfare and safety needs are to be met, in consultation with the parent/carer and child where appropriate. The provider must update children's records with the parents/carers every six months, or sooner if required. This is to comply with: The Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (Registration) Regulations 2011 (SSI 2011/210) Regulation 5(1) Personal Plans. Timescale for meeting this requirement: By 30 September Recommendations Number of recommendations: 0 Grade: 4 - good for Childminding by Nicola page 6 of 10

7 What the service has done to meet any requirements we made at or since the last inspection Previous requirements Requirement 1 To ensure that accurate records are available to share with parents and to refer to, the provider should keep a record of all accidents and incident that take place whilst in the care of the service. This is to comply with: The Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (Requirements for Care Services) Regulations 2011 (SSI 2011/210) Regulation 4(1)(a) - Welfare of Service Users. National Care Standards, Early Education and Childcare up to the age of 16 - Standard 3: Health and Wellbeing Timescale: By 2 May This requirement was made on 10 May Action taken on previous requirement Childminder had system in place to record accidents and incidents using a duplicate book so that she could give parents the details of the event and retain a copy signed by the parents to show she had shared the details with them. Met - within timescales Requirement 2 To ensure they have a personal plan in place for each child which sets out how each child's health, welfare and safety needs are to be met, in consultation with the parent/carer and child where appropriate. The provider must update children's records with the parents/carers every six months, or sooner if required. This is to comply with: The Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (Requirements for Care Services) Regulations 2011 (SSI 2011/210) Regulation 5(1) - Personal Plans. Timescale for meeting this requirement: By 27 May This requirement was made on 10 May for Childminding by Nicola page 7 of 10

8 Action taken on previous requirement The childminder still needs to develop the personal plans she holds for each child with up-to-date information which helps to show how she is meeting their needs. This requirement is carried over in the report. Not met Requirement 3 To ensure children are safe and healthy, when medication is required to be administered by the childminder, an accurate and up-to-date record should be kept in line with the 'Management of Medication in Daycare of Children and Childminding Services' document. Current records, procedures and policies should be reviewed to ensure they meet the recommendations of this good practice document. This is to comply with: The Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (Requirements for Care Services) Regulations 2011 SSI 2011/210 Regulation 4(1)(a) - Welfare of Service Users. National Care Standards, Early Education and Childcare Up to the Age of 16 - Standard 3: Health and Wellbeing. Timescale: By 27 May This requirement was made on 10 May Action taken on previous requirement Childminder is aware of the up-to-date guidance and has updated her recording system to ensure she records the necessary information. Met - within timescales What the service has done to meet any recommendations we made at or since the last inspection Previous recommendations There are no outstanding recommendations. for Childminding by Nicola page 8 of 10

9 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 11 Apr 2016 Unannounced Care and support 4 - Good Environment 4 - Good Staffing Not assessed Management and leadership 3 - Adequate for Childminding by Nicola page 9 of 10

10 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. for Childminding by Nicola page 10 of 10