Amber Stewart Childminding Services Child Minding

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1 Amber Stewart Childminding Services Child Minding Aberdeen Type of inspection: Unannounced Inspection completed on: 29 August 2016 Service provided by: Stewart, Amber Service provider number: SP Care service number: CS

2 About the service The service registered with the Care Inspectorate on 13 August Current registration allows the childminder: To provide a care service to a maximum of 4 children at any one time under the age of 16, of whom no more than six will be under 12, of whom no more than three are not yet attending primary school and no more than one is under 12 months. Numbers are inclusive of children of the childminder's family. See more at: The childminder provides the service from her family home in Aberdeen. The premises were a semi-detached villa with children being cared for on the ground level. They had access to a living room, playroom, hallway, enclosed back garden and a downstairs WC. The property was close to local schools, parks and other amenities. What people told us Three children were present during our visit, two of which had started on the morning of the inspection. All three children were noted as being very relaxed and at home in the environment. They played happily together and looked to the childminder for encouragement. Self assessment The childminder identified what the service did well and gave examples of improvements. The self-assessment identified some key areas that they believed can be improved and showed how the service intended to do this. 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 Children were observed as being relaxed and confident in the care of the childminder. They talked to the childminder with confidence and moved around her home with a sense of belonging. The childminder provided children with very caring, supportive and secure experiences. The children were comfortable and happy in the care of the childminder. One parent who completed out CSQ told us: "Amber knows my child very well and asks her regularly how she is feeling, and asks me for feedback". We found the childminder knew the children in her care very well. She worked closely with parents to identity each child's individual care needs and stage of development. At the start of any new placement parents for Amber Stewart Childminding Services page 2 of 7

3 completed childcare registration forms prior to leaving their children at the service. Older children were encouraged to complete their own "All About Me" form. These forms provided the childminder a with range of useful information relating to children's health and wellbeing. We saw that the childminder used this information to provide care routines that reflected children's individual needs and respected the views of parents Communication with parents was through daily diaries and text and private messaging. A noticeboard within the conservatory displayed planned activities informing parents what activities children have been offered during their time with the childminder. The childminder had made links with children's home routines and planned her activities to support children. We heard from one of the children about the activities the childminder offered. This included making cakes, playing on the trampoline and swings. One child present during the inspection also told us how they were encouraged to keep themselves safe: "When we're out we look for cars so we don't get squashed. We're also not allowed to do front flips on the trampoline." The childminder ensured that the snacks and meals provided were healthy and nutritious and followed guidance for early years. Children were encouraged to try different foods as part of establishing and promoting healthy eating patterns. On the day of inspection we observed children eating a well prepared lunch which included chopped cucumber, ham sandwiches followed by mixed fruit. There were no children with health needs or additional support needs attending the service. We discussed medication procedures and we were satisfied that the childminder had a good understanding of the information she needed to ensure she could administer medication safely when needed. Requirements Number of requirements: 0 Recommendations Number of recommendations: 0 Grade: 5 - very good Quality of environment Findings from the inspection The areas of the house used by the children were clean and very well organised. The children moved confidently around all areas available. Minded children used the living room and conservatory mainly for play. The conservatory was well equipped with a wide range of resources. These were suitable to the ages and stages of the children. Children's safety was promoted because the childminder took appropriate steps to ensure that hazards to children on the premises, both inside and outside, were minimised. For example, hazardous materials were stored out of children's reach, mains connected smoke detection systems were in place and equipment accessed by the children was cleaned regularly. for Amber Stewart Childminding Services page 3 of 7

4 The childminder also completed daily visual checks and risk assessments on the safety of equipment. She confirmed that new netting had recently been replaced on the trampoline to ensure it continued to provide an appropriate level of safety. We also saw that the childminder followed trampoline guidance to ensure children's safe play. Children benefitted from a secure garden area. This provided children with safe areas where they could get active outside, benefitting from exercise in the fresh air. 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 was committed to her personal and professional development. She had updated her knowledge of current best practice through personal study including attending training courses. The childminder was a member of the Scottish Childminding Association (SCMA). She told us she found her membership helped her to keep up to date with current best practice and gave her ideas for activities. To further develop her knowledge and skills, the childminder since registration had attended training in relation to Child Protection, First Aid and Food Hygiene. The childminder also involved her parents and children in reviewing her service. She had done this in a variety of ways including: daily diaries where appropriate, children's personal plans, and daily discussions. This ensured that children and parents were actively involved in planning and reviewing the service. Again the childminder used comments and feedback from the children and parents to improve the quality of the service. It was the childminders intention to issue parent questionnaires. The childminder had a broad understanding of regulatory issues and had submitted information to the Care Inspectorate when asked to do so. for Amber Stewart Childminding Services page 4 of 7

5 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. 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. for Amber Stewart Childminding Services page 5 of 7

6 Inspection and grading history This service does not have any prior inspection history or grades. for Amber Stewart Childminding Services page 6 of 7

7 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 Amber Stewart Childminding Services page 7 of 7