The Village Childcare Aberdeen Inspection completed on 09 September 2015
Service provided by: Linda Carroll and Michael Carroll a Partnership Service provider number: SP2004916493 Care service number: CS2004059962 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 11
1 Introduction The service was provided from a detached villa in the Balmedie area of Aberdeen. Children were cared for mainly in the conservatory area which had been created into a main playroom. However, children on occasions had access to the kitchen area as well as the living room, downstairs WC, an additional room for older children and an enclosed garden. The current conditions of registration allowed the childminders to provide a care service to a maximum of eight children under 16 years at any one time, of whom no more than six are not yet attending primary school and of whom no more than two is under 12 months. In the event of a childminder being in sole charge of the children; to provide a care service to a maximum of four children under 16 years at any one time, 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 the children of the childminder's family. The part of the premises not to be used is the upper floor of the house. Overnight service will not be provided. What we did during our inspection We wrote this report following a short notice inspection that took place on the morning of 9 September 2015. The inspection was undertaken by one inspector. Feedback was given to the childminder's on the same day. During this inspection process we gathered evidence from various sources, including the following: Discussion with the both childminder's and observations of five child who were present during the visit. We considered the service's: - aims and objectives - certificate of registration - the service's public liability insurance - a range of policies and procedures - personal plans and individual records - risk assessments. page 3 of 11
We issued six Care Standards Questionnaires (CSQs) and received four completed questionnaires from parents. We took the findings from the above into account for the purpose of reporting. Views of people using the service All children attending during our visit were observed as happy and very comfortable in the childminders home and their company. No child offered verbal comments on the service. 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. Every year all care services complete a 'self assessment' telling us how their service is performing. We check to make sure this is accurate. The childminder's had completed the self assessment prior to the inspection. They had described areas of strength within the service and gave examples of how they achieved these strengths. What the service did well Through our observations and discussion we concluded the service was very relaxed and children were cared for in a "family" type environment. We noted very positive and supportive relationships between childminder's, family members and children attending. Children were encouraged to play and cooperate together while having fun. What the service could do better No areas for improvement were identified during this inspection visit. The childminders should continue to maintain existing good standards. 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 page 4 of 11
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 not assessed 3 Quality of care and support Findings from the inspection We found that both childminders had an open and friendly relationship with parents and that they responded to children gently and with respect. Parents told us that they were "fair, responsive, caring and really cared about the children". We found that parents were well-informed about the service. Parents were welcomed into their home and often stayed for a chat about the service. The childminders told us that parents were given copies of policies and procedures and that they were given a clear explanation about how the service worked, before they started using it. A two month probationary period was given to each new family, this was to ensure the childminders could meet the children and family's needs, to ensure new children and existing children could be cared for together and all parties were happy with the way this would be carried out. It was clear that the childminders knew the children in their care very well and that they spent time with parents very regularly and talked about what the children needed. Both childminders made time to speak to parents on a day-to-day basis and also used text messaging and phone calls to keep in touch. They did not complete a daily diary but preferred to share information verbally. Photographs and children's art work were shared, which gave parents more insight into their child's time in the setting. The childminders told us that they talked to the children every day about what they wanted to do. They used this information and their knowledge of the page 5 of 11
children's interests to plan activities. We saw from the children's individual folders and photographs that the childminders provided activities that encouraged and extended children's learning. As a result, children were confident and were treated with respect in a fair and just way. We noted from the response to our questionnaire that all parents strongly agreed that the childminder listened to and acted upon their views regarding their child's development needs, culture, interests and personality. The childminder's knew the children well and were able to offer examples of ways in which they had supported their development. They were aware of the requirement that service providers must have a personal plan in place for each child. We saw that children's individual folders had been set up. Required enrolment information had been collated and 'all about me' forms completed. These were being updated at regular intervals in consultation with the parents. The childminders told us that they routinely talked to the children about their responsibility in keeping themselves safe, for example, road safety, always cross at the zebra crossing. The childminder's also confirmed that they ensured children were aware of keeping themselves healthy by washing their hands at appropriate times, for example, before snacks, and she also confirmed they wore Personal Protective Equipment when dealing with bodily fluids. We saw children prepare for snacks and meals by visiting the toilet and washing their hands. While at the childminders children were offered healthy home cooked food which always included vegetables and fruit. Both childminders were knowledgeable on what promotes a healthy and balanced diet and the service was registered with the Food Standards Agency. No children at the time of inspection were on medication or suffered from any allergies, however, we provided the childminders with the most recent guidance "Management of Medication in Daycare for children and Childminding Settings" to ensure their policy and practice was inline with best practice guidance. Grade The quality of care and support is graded Requirements Number of requirements - 0 page 6 of 11
Recommendations Number of recommendations - 0 4 Quality of environment Findings from the inspection The childminders had dedicated a main playroom for children to use during childminding hours. However, they also had access to a kitchen area, living room and downstairs WC. In addition to this they had access to an enclosed garden area that was neat and tidy and gave good opportunities for play. During our discussions the childminders had expressed an interest in utilising an upstairs bedroom to allow young baby's a calm quiet area for sleep purposes, we advised them to contact the local Fire Safety Officer for guidance on the suitability of the upstairs for this purpose. The childminder's home was clean, tidy and smoke-free at the time of our visit. Age appropriate toys and play materials were readily accessible so that the children could select for themselves. Toys and equipment were rotated for variety. The childminders supervised the children well during our visit so that they could play safely. They were encouraged to help tidy up when finished playing. This helped them to learn to be responsible, whilst at the same time reducing the risk of accidents. Children were able to pick and choose from a range of good quality toys and resources. They had activities made available to them by the childminder, but we also saw them choose their own activities. Toys and equipment were well presented, and easily organised. This allowed children to see what was available and make choices from that. A number of policies were available and when implemented would ensure children were being cared for in a safe, clean and hygienic environment. Policies we sampled included Health and Safety, Child Protection and Infection Control. Risk assessments were in place and documented. The childminders told us if dealing with body fluids of any kind they would wear PPE, Personal Protective Equipment, this would reduce the spread of infection. Grade The quality of environment is graded page 7 of 11
Requirements Number of requirements - 0 Recommendations Number of recommendations - 0 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 found that both childminders had a very good understanding of their role and responsibilities for protecting children. They had attended child protection training and had developed a child protection procedure, which parents were aware of. Both childminders had also attended First Aid training and had found this to be informative and useful. They knew the children in their care very well and had developed very good relationships with parents. Parents were confident that their children were safe in their care and trusted them. Both childminders had a broad understanding of regulatory issues and had submitted information to the Care Inspectorate when asked to do so. They involved parents and children in reviewing the service. They had done this in a variety of ways including: questionnaires, 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. They were members of the Scottish Childminding Association, which was a helpful source of information. They had accessed online publications and guidance, including the Care Inspectorate website. They had sourced information on GIRFEC and the SHANARRI indicators and how these could be used to help her assess the children's wellbeing. If training relating to GIRFEC page 8 of 11
becomes available in the area the childminders confirmed they would be happy to attend. Grade The quality of management and leadership is graded Requirements Number of requirements - 0 Recommendations Number of recommendations - 0 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. page 9 of 11
9 Enforcements No enforcement action has been taken against this care service since the last inspection. 10 Other issues None. 11 Inspection and grading history Date Type Gradings 23 May 2013 Announced (Short Notice) Care and support Environment Staffing Management and Leadership Not Assessed 18 Aug 2009 Announced Care and support Environment Staffing Management and Leadership Not Assessed 30 Apr 2008 Unannounced Care and support 4 - Good Environment 4 - Good Staffing 4 - Good Management and Leadership 4 - Good page 10 of 11
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 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 11 of 11