Childminder inspection report Hannah Smith Childminding Forfar Inspection completed on 07 July 2016
Childminder inspection report Service provided by: Smith, Hannah Service provider number: SP2015987428 Care service number: CS2015341627 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 0345 600 9527 www.careinspectorate.com @careinspect page 2 of 14
1 Introduction Childminder inspection report The childminder provides her childminding service from her detached villa on the Glamis Castle Estate. The house has an open area to the front and a fully enclosed garden to the rear. The minded children have access to the kitchen, bathroom and living room. A bedroom on the ground floor has a travel cot, which is used by younger children requiring sleep. There is a dining table in the kitchen which is used for eating as well as art and craft activities. The children have access to a large, secure grassed area to the rear of the house, in which there is a range of traditional and natural outdoor resources. The childminder is registered to provide a care service to a maximum of six 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. From 5 July 2016 until 4 October 2016 on Tuesdays and Thursdays, to provide a care service to a maximum of six 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 two are under 12 months. Numbers are inclusive of children of the childminder's family. Other conditions unique to the service are minded children cannot be cared for by persons other than those named on the certificate and overnight service will not be provided. We found that the childminder adheres to the conditions of her registration. 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. page 3 of 14
Childminder inspection report We check services are meeting the principles of Getting it Right for Every Child (also known as GIRFEC). Set up by 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. 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. What we did during our inspection We wrote this report following an unannounced inspection between 9.15am and 10.45am on 7 July 2016. We gave feedback to the childminder at the end of the inspection. The childminder had not completed an annual return as she did not have any children at the time this was requested. We received three completed questionnaires about this service. In addition to the information provided by parents, we gathered information on the service from a range of other sources. These included: - observations of the children during activities - observation of the childminder and her interactions with the children in her care - care plan information - observation of the environment - discussion with the childminder - discussions with the children - toys and resources - children's diaries - the childminder's policies - registration certificate. page 4 of 14
Views of people using the service During the inspection we saw the childminder working with four children, two of whom were her own. The children were very comfortable and happy in the care of the childminder. The children showed us some of the toys and activities they enjoyed and we saw that they were able to select these easily from a range on offer. They told us: "I like playing on the swing." "I like to climb the trees." "Do you want to see how high I can climb the tree?" The parents who responded to our questionnaires were very positive about the experiences for their children. They all 'strongly agreed' that they were happy with the care received by their children when using the service. They told us: Childminder inspection report "We are extremely impressed with the level of care provided and the activities our child is involved in. We are communicated with every visit and provided with a full update. We are so happy with the service we have removed our child from his nursery placement to attend the childminder's on those days." "My child takes part in many activities through the day which I am very happy with, they are outside regularly. Resources are brilliant." page 5 of 14
Childminder inspection report 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. Despite being registered in December, the childminder did not have any children attending until April this year because of this a self assessment was not submitted. We discussed the importance of completing these each year within the required timescales, as it forms an important part of the inspection process and is used to evidence service evaluation and improvement. What the service did well The service provided a very warm and caring atmosphere for children. The childminder was kind and respectful of the children within her care. She had formed very close relationships with the minded children and their families and clearly enjoyed being with the children. The childminder engaged in a wide range of activities within her locality and provided a very good range of experiences and resources. The outdoor experience provided was of a high quality and was managed very well, with older children engaging in tree climbing and activities on the Glamis Estate. What the service could do better The childminder used a closed social media group to share photographs of children enjoying their play and activities. We suggested that she should seek written permission from parents before using social media in this way. The childminder should begin to consult with the children on a regular basis, encouraging them to contribute to the service through evaluations and become more involved in the day-to-day running of the service. page 6 of 14
Childminder inspection report 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 5 - Very Good not assessed 4 - Good 3 Quality of care and support Findings from the inspection From the evidence gathered during the inspection we found that the service was performing to a good standard in this area. The childminder had a planned approach to settling a new child into her service. She met with parents and children and they had visits to her home. She encouraged parents to leave their children with her for short periods of time, this was tailored to the needs of individual children. She spent time each day with parents as they dropped off or collected children. She promoted an open discussion where families felt confident to share their suggestions and talk through any concerns. We looked at the 'all about me' information for each child. The childminder told us that this would be updated every six months. page 7 of 14
Childminder inspection report The childminder used a daily diary to share the experiences, reactions and achievements of the younger children in her care. She used a closed group on social media to share photographs of the older children's experiences. She had obtained verbal permission, however, we recommended that she seek written permission from parents before continuing with this (see Recommendation 1). The childminder had a comprehensive folder of policies which she intended to update on a regular basis. These were made available for parents to read during children's initial visits. The childminder was very aware of her role in making sure that the children were kept active. She offered daily opportunities for outdoor play. The children enjoyed visits and outings within the local community during term time. They had compiled a mind map listing places they would like to visit and activities they would like to undertake during the holidays. On the day of inspection children were preparing for a trip to Crombie Country Park. Snacks were provided by the childminder who used the Setting the Table document. The minded children brought a packed lunch. A parent told us: "Fruit is available all the time. The children are well catered for with regards to snacks." We saw that the childminder had a very nurturing approach to the children in her care. She knew them very well and respected their individual needs and wishes. Grade The quality of care and support is graded 4 - Good Requirements Number of requirements - 0 page 8 of 14
Recommendations Number of recommendations - 1 Childminder inspection report 1. The childminder should ensure that written permission is sought before uploading photographs of children on her closed social media group. National Care Standards, Early Education and Childcare up to the age of 16, Standard 3: Health and Wellbeing, Standard 14: Well-managed Service. 4 Quality of environment Findings from the inspection From the evidence gathered during the inspection we found that the service was performing to a very good standard in this area. We concluded this after talking with the childminder and looking round the childminder's home. From our observations we saw that the childminder's house was clean, tidy and smoke free. We saw a large range of resources which were appropriate to the age and stage of the children in her care. Children were able to select toys from a range provided. This ensured the children were beginning to become responsible for their choices. The childminder used her garden on a daily basis. It appeared to be safe and secure and contained a large range of resources to ensure that children were kept healthy and active. On the day of inspection the children were enjoying playing with 'cloud' dough, playing football and tree climbing. The childminder informed us that she made regular outings within the local community and further afield, these included the local park and visits during the holidays, to the beach and other places of interest. Younger children were given the opportunity to attend local toddler and playgroups during term time. We saw that the childminder was aware of the need for children to have regular daily outdoor active play. This contributed to the health and wellbeing of the children. page 9 of 14
The childminder encouraged the children to take responsibility for hand washing. The children washed their hands when they came in from playing outside and before snack time. A clean towel was provided daily. This helped to prevent the spread of infection. Nappies, gloves and aprons were appropriately stored. We did not observe a nappy change but following discussion we were satisfied that the childminder followed the correct guidance. She talked about how she washed children's hands following a nappy change to encourage them to take responsibility for hand washing as they became independent. The childminder had not had any cause to record any accidents or incidents. We saw that she did have the appropriate paper work in place. She told us that she would record the cause, effect and any actions she had taken and give a signed and dated record to the parent whilst keeping a copy for her own records. Grade The quality of environment is graded 5 - Very Good Requirements Number of requirements - 0 Recommendations Number of recommendations - 0 Childminder inspection report 5 Quality of staffing We only assess this where the childminder employs an assistant. 6 Quality of management and leadership Findings from the inspection From the evidence gathered during the inspection we found that the service was performing to a good standard in this area. We concluded this after talking with the childminder and looking at supporting paperwork and individual records. page 10 of 14
Childminder inspection report We discussed child protection and through training the childminder was aware of and confident in her role and responsibilities in keeping children safe. The childminder was about to complete her SVQ 3 in Children and Young People. She was a member of the Scottish Childminding Association (SCMA) and used their publications and website for advice and support. We suggested that she access www.hub.careinspectorate.com regularly for up-to-date information and guidance. We looked at the childminder's training record. We saw that she had kept a record of the training events and courses she had attended. We found that she used what she had learned to improve her service and the outcomes for children in her care. The childminder had not yet asked parents to provide her with any written feedback. She was aware of the need to do this and talked about how she was going to develop a settling in questionnaire and regular questionnaires to evaluate the service she provides. We suggested some ways in which children could be involved in the evaluation and development of the service which the childminder provides. The childminder had built up a very good relationship with families she worked with. They told us that they found her to be very approachable. The childminder promoted openness with the families with whom she worked. She had a complaints policy which was shared with parents. This contained all of the necessary information. A full range of policies was shared with parents when they began to use the service. From this inspection we found that the childminder had made a very good start to her childminding service. She was enthusiastic and committed to providing the very best for the children and the families she worked with. We saw happy, well nurtured children who were being treated with respect and were enjoying their play. page 11 of 14
Grade The quality of management and leadership is graded 4 - Good Requirements Number of requirements - 0 Recommendations Number of recommendations - 0 Childminder inspection report 7 What the service has done to meet any recommendations or requirements we made at our last inspection Previous requirements There are no outstanding requirements. Previous recommendations There are no outstanding recommendations. 8 Complaints There have been no complaints upheld since the last inspection. Details of any older upheld complaints are published at www.careinspectorate.com. 9 Enforcements No enforcement action has been taken against this care service since the last inspection. page 12 of 14
10 Other issues There are no other issues. Childminder inspection report 11 Inspection and grading history This service does not have any prior inspection history or grades. page 13 of 14
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 enquiries@careinspectorate.com 0345 600 9527 www.careinspectorate.com @careinspect 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 cànain eile ma nithear iarrtas. page 14 of 14