Childminder inspection report. Faulds, Janette Newton Stewart

Transcription

1 Faulds, Janette Newton Stewart Inspection completed on 25 May 2016

2 Service provided by: Faulds, Janette Service provider number: SP Care service number: CS Inspection Type: Announced (Short Notice) 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 17

3 1 Introduction The Care Inspectorate regulates care services in Scotland. Information about all care services is available on our website at This service was registered on 6 October Requirements and Recommendations If we are concerned about some aspect of a service, or think it needs to do more to improve, we may make a recommendation or requirement. - A recommendation is a statement that sets out 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 the National Care Standards, relevant codes of practice and recognise good practice. - A requirement is a statement, which sets out what is required of a care service to comply with the Public Services Reform (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 Care Inspectorate. 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 the 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. page 3 of 17

4 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. This is a childminding service and Mrs Janette Faulds may look after a maximum of 5 children at any one time under the age of 16, of whom a maximum of 5 will be under 12, of whom no more than 3 are not yet attending primary school, of whom no more than 1 is under 12 months. There may be 4 children not yet attending primary school on Tuesdays only. This condition 1.(b) will cease to apply if a child leaves the service or reaches school age. Numbers are inclusive of children of the Child Minder's family. The parts of the premises not to be used are: All areas of the first floor. There will be no overnight child minding provision. The service is located in a residential area within the town of Newton Stewart in Dumfries and Galloway near to local schools, shops and parks. The childminder provides her service in her home a terraced house. Minded children have access to all areas of the ground floor and, the enclosed rear garden. The childminder has issued a range of written information to families using her service. This includes the aims of her service. At the time of the inspection, three children were using the service and we met two of them during our inspection. The childminder is registered with the following conditions: To provide a care service to a maximum of 5 children at any one time under the age of 16, of whom a maximum of 5 will be under 12, of whom no more than 3 are not yet attending primary school, of whom no more than 1 is under 12 months. page 4 of 17

5 There may be 4 children not yet attending primary school on Tuesdays only. This condition will cease to apply if a child leaves the service or reaches school age. Numbers are inclusive of children of the Childminder's family. The parts of the premises not to be used are: All areas of the first floor. There will be no overnight childminding provision. What we did during our inspection We wrote this report following a short announced inspection on Wednesday 25 May 2016 between the hours of 3.30 and 5.15pm. This was after making an attempt to inspect on an unannounced basis on 27 April We found the childminder was caring for two after school children. We used the feedback from the children, one parent who arrived during the visit and two Care Inspectorate questionnaires to help us determine how the service was operating. Comments from these sources are included in the relevant sections of this report. Views of people using the service There were two minded children aged 9 and 10 present when we arrived. 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 did not receive a completed self assessment before we carried out the inspection. We asked the childminder to update and submit this document. See recommendation in section 4 of this report-management and leadership. What the service did well The childminder was kind to the girls who clearly felt at home. We saw that the kitchen/diner was clean and tidy. page 5 of 17

6 What the service could do better We found very little improvement to the way the service was provided since our last inspection in May We found that the actions we had asked the childminder to take had not been met. We have made recommendations and requirements throughout this report. These must now be met and implemented to improve the outcomes for the children attending the service. 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 2 - Weak not assessed 2 - Weak 3 Quality of care and support Findings from the inspection We found the level of care and support provided by the childminder was weak. We concluded this after talking to her about her approach, looking at records and observing the childminder's practice and the experiences of the minded children present during the inspection. We saw how the childminder cared for the children: she offered them drinks and a snack after their outdoor play. She was kind to them and encouraged them to play in the fresh air on their scooters. The children were clearly comfortable with her. We saw them ask for what they wanted, such as snack and drinks. page 6 of 17

7 We examined three minded children records to see if they included a clear plan for their care. We found very poor documentation of each child's needs. Although the childminder had Scottish Childminding Association (SCMA) record formats, they were not completed well. They lacked details of discussions and reviews with parents about changes to care, such as dietary needs. Most forms were undated which meant it was not clear if the information was accurate. The childminder showed us a record which was described as a care plan. We found this was a basic development record, which did not provide much helpful information. The support from either a fellow childminder or the SCMA was suggested to the childminder to help with finding a useful format for the personal plan improvements.see Requirement 1, below The two minded children were given permission by the childminder to go unaccompanied to a local park. Although she told us she had discussed this with parents, we found that there was no written permission for this from them. There was no risk assessment in place to assure the parents that children were safe from danger during these outings. There was no evidence that the childminder had talked to the children about 'stranger danger' or what action they should take if potential dangers occurred. See requirement below. We spoke with the childminder about how she planned activities for children. We noted here were limited opportunities for children to choose what they wanted to do. We suggested she makes a 'mindmap'. (Mindmaps are a useful way to help children share their ideas in a picture format) One parent told us in our questionnaires they would like to see more activities to be made available. This would be a simple way to achieve this. The children were given access to an ipad without written permissions from the parents. There was no record of the device having parental controls to protect children from unsupervised internet access. This meant that children were at risk of potential harm. We spoke to the childminder about her knowledge of child protection, including internet safety. She had not attended any training to update her understanding since June We were not satisfied that she could confidently protect children from abuse or harm. See requirement 2, below. Grade The quality of care and support is graded 2 - Weak page 7 of 17

8 Requirements Number of requirements To ensure children's individual needs are met, the childminder must ensure that personal plans are in place which: - Include details of children's individual health, well-being, care and support needs. - are reviewed and updated with parents at least once in every six month period. This is in order to comply with Scottish Statutory Instrument 2011/ 210 Regulation 3, Regulation 4(1)(a) and Regulation 5(1) and (2)(b) Timescale for completion: within 14 days of receipt of this report. 2. To ensure children are kept safe from harm at all times, the childminder must: - Provide a written process for children leaving the home unaccompanied, agreed with parents and clearly explained to children. - Develop a robust process for children's use of the ipad, which must include how parental controls are set. - Attend a refresher course about Child protection, including internet safety. This is in order to comply with Scottish Statutory Instrument 2011/ 210 Regulation 4(1)(a) Timescale for completion: within 28 days of receipt of this report. Recommendations Number of recommendations Quality of environment Findings from the inspection We found the quality of the environment provided by the childminder to be good. We concluded this after we saw where children played and reviewed page 8 of 17

9 documents. The kitchen/diner used mainly for children was seen to be clean and tidy. We saw that children had good access to hand washing facilities after outdoor play. We asked the childminder about how she made improvements to her service. We saw that she had used a basic questionnaire with parents to get their views, although some were undated. There were limited opportunities for children and families to give feedback and make suggestions about the environment and we asked that this be added to the next survey. There was some evidence of the childminder considering risks within the home and she had carried out regular reviews and took action when necessary, such as removing unsafe socket covers. We saw that there were fire drill carried out, which helped to maintain a safe environment for children. We made two recommendations following the previous inspection in May One related to improving the outdoor play opportunities for children. We saw that, as the weather was fine, the two children were keen to out to play on their scooters. The other asked that the childminder provides hand towels after washing. We were pleased to see that children took responsibility for their own hand hygiene and washed their hands. We asked the childminder about the new publication for improving active outdoor play - My World Outdoors - however, she did not yet have a copy of this. We have included a link to this document and asked that she assesses her play provision with this in mind. It can also be found in the Care Inspectorate online resource-the Hub. Grade The quality of environment is graded Requirements Number of requirements - 0 Recommendations Number of recommendations - 0 page 9 of 17

10 5 Quality of staffing We only assess this where the childminder employs an assistant. 6 Quality of management and leadership Findings from the inspection We discussed how the service was managed with the childminder, followed up on previous requirements and recommendations and used feedback from the CSQ's to conclude that the quality of the management was weak. We looked at progress, including training and learning specific to minding, ongoing quality assurance and record keeping. We found that there were a number of matters that had not been attended to. 1. There was no return of the action plan we requested after the previous inspection. Action plans are expected from services where we have asked them to make improvements. 2. There was no submission of a self assessment, as requested on 1 March We expect every service to provide an accurate assessment of their work and how they plan to make improvements. The childminder told us she had contacted the Care Inspectorate after having problems with the document. However, no record could be found of this. See recommendation, 1 below. Review and quality assurance by practitioners working with children can highlight areas for continuous improvement. If effective quality assurance is in place, areas for improvement, such as those we have identified in our inspection should have been picked up and progressed. 3. There was limited progress to the requirements and recommendations we identified following the previous inspection. Three out the six matters we asked to see improved had not been satisfactorily developed. page 10 of 17

11 4. The childminder had not attended any training relevant to her childminding work since the last inspection. The childminder was a current member of the Scottish Childminding Association (SCMA) and bought their record keeping system. However, many of the standard forms were not in use by the childminder. We noted that the aims and objectives statement had not been updated for some time. We have recommended that this be carried out to ensure she had accurate information about the service she offers. See recommendation 2, below. All of these matters have led us to conclude that the childminder had little understanding of the importance of continued improvements to her service. Grade The quality of management and leadership is graded 2 - Weak Requirements Number of requirements - 0 Recommendations Number of recommendations It is recommended that the childminder updates her self assessment and submit it to the Care Inspectorate as a matter of urgency. National Care Standards, early education and childcare up to the age of 16. Standard 13 Improving the service. 2. It is recommended that the childminder updates her Aims and Objectives statement to better describe the service she offer to families. National Care Standards, early education and childcare up to the age of 16. Standard 13 Improving the service. page 11 of 17

12 7 What the service has done to meet any recommendations or requirements we made at our last inspection Previous requirements 1. The childminder is required to provide written personal plans for every child using her service. These plans must be reviewed at least every six months. The Social care and Social Work improvement Scotland (Requirements for Care Services) Regulations (1) and (2) Timescale for completion: within three months of receipt of this report. This requirement was made on 28 May 2015 We examined samples of the Personal Plans of three minded children. We found they did not clearly identify how the childminder would care for the children. Not Met 2. The childminder is required to submit an action plan following any inspection which includes recommendations or requirements. Public services Reform Timescale for completion: By the timescale detailed in the post activity letter following this inspection. This requirement was made on 28 May 2015 We did not receive an action plan following our last inspection in May We discussed this with the childminder. Not Met page 12 of 17

13 Previous recommendations 1. The childminder should make early contact with the SCMA to access training in relation to personal care plans and their completion. National Care Standards for early years and childcare up to the age of 16. Standard 12 Confidence in staff. This recommendation was made on 28 May 2015 We found the childminder had not attended any training relating to her childcare service since the previous inspection in May The childminder should improve the range and quality of experiences for all ages of minded children, following their interests and stage of learning. National Care Standards for early years and childcare up to the age of 16. Standard 4 Engaging with children, Standard 5 Quality of experience and Standard 11 Access to resources This recommendation was made on 28 May 2015 We saw very little activities prepared for the minded children present. There was no clear evidence of a planned approach to activities, games, books or arts and crafts within the childminders records. 3. The childminder should improve the outdoor play experiences for children so that they can play in a way which suits their individual needs. She should monitor their development to make sure they are offered flexible play. National Care Standards for early years and childcare up to the age of 16. Standard 5 Quality of Experience. This recommendation was made on 28 May 2015 We observed minded children playing outdoors during our visit. They confirmed they did this regularly, as well as go to the local park. page 13 of 17

14 4. The childminder should follow good practice guidance 'infection control and guidance in childcare settings and (childminders and daycare settings) - Health Improvement Scotland' and ensure that she supports children to wash their hands to prevent the spread of infection. This includes the appropriate use of hand towels for drying after washing. This recommendation was made on 28 May 2015 We saw minded children wash their hands before having snack. 5. It is recommended that the childminder improves her record keeping systems to ensure she holds sufficient information about children to meet their needs effectively. National Care Standards for early years and childcare up to the age of 16. Standard 14 A well-managed service. This recommendation was made on 28 May 2015 We reviewed records for minded children and found there was still an opportunity for improvement. We discussed this with the childminder. 6. It is recommended that the childminder improves her quality assurance and uses this to improve what she does. National Care Standards for early years and childcare up to the age of 16. Standard 14 A well-managed service. This recommendation was made on 28 May 2015 We did not have an up to date self assessment before we inspected the service. We asked the childminder to complete and return this document. 8 Complaints There have been no complaints upheld since the last inspection. Details of any older upheld complaints are published at page 14 of 17

15 9 Enforcements No enforcement action has been taken against this care service since the last inspection 10 Other issues No other issues. 11 Inspection and grading history Date Type Gradings 28 May 2015 Announced (Short Notice) Care and support Environment Staffing Management and Leadership 2 - Weak 3 - Adequate Not Assessed 3 - Adequate 15 May 2014 Announced (Short Notice) Care and support Environment Staffing Management and Leadership 3 - Adequate Not Assessed 2 - Weak 23 May 2013 Announced (Short Notice) Care and support Environment Staffing Management and Leadership Not Assessed 15 Aug 2012 Unannounced Care and support Environment Staffing Management and Leadership Not Assessed 30 Jun 2011 Unannounced Care and support Environment Staffing page 15 of 17

16 Management and Leadership Not Assessed 25 Nov 2010 Announced (Short Notice) Care and support Environment Staffing Management and Leadership 1 - Unsatisfactory Not Assessed Not Assessed Not Assessed 4 Feb 2010 Announced (Short Notice) Care and support Environment Staffing Management and Leadership Not Assessed 2 Sep 2008 Announced (short notice) Care and support Environment Staffing Management and Leadership 3 - Adequate 3 - Adequate 3 - Adequate 3 - Adequate page 16 of 17

17 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 This report is available in other languages and formats on request. Tha am foillseachadh seo ri fhaighinn ann an cruthannan is c?nain eile ma nithear iarrtas. page 17 of 17