Dodds, Pauline Child Minding Type of inspection: Unannounced Inspection completed on: 31 October 2018 Service provided by: Service provider number: SP2006959467 Care service number: CS2006122530
Introduction Pauline Dodds (referred to as the childminder throughout this report) 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 are under the age of 12, of whom no more than three are not yet attending primary school, of whom no more than one is under 12 months. Numbers are inclusive of the childminder's family. From 17 April 2018 until 25 June 2019 inclusive on Tuesday's from 8:00 to 12:30, term time only a care service can be provided to a maximum of 6 children at any one time under the age of 16, of whom no more than six are under the age of 12, of whom no more than four are not yet attending primary school, of whom no more than one is under 12 months. Numbers are inclusive of the childminder's family. The childminders home is situated in the Portobello area of Edinburgh close to local amenities and bus links. The children have access to a separate playroom, a conservatory, a toilet and a safe enclosed garden to the back of the house. On the day of the inspection, two minded children aged two and four years were present. What we did during our inspection During the inspection we gathered evidence from various sources including talking to the childminder, talking to and observing the minded children, looking at key information kept to ensure that children's needs were met. We also looked at resources, equipment and the environment. We took account of the comments parents gave us in our care standards questionnaires. All of the above information was taken into account and reported on under the relevant quality themes within this report. We check services are meeting the principles of Getting It Right For Every Child (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 them and their parent(s) to work with services that can help them. There are eight wellbeing indicators at the heart of GIRFEC - Safe, Healthy, Achieving, Nurtured, Active, Respected, Responsible, and Included, also known as the SHANARRI wellbeing indicators. Views of people using the service The minded children were too young to comment on the care they received in the service. We did see that they enjoyed each others company and were actively occupied throughout our visit. We received all of the three questionnaires we gave to the service to give to parents. The parent strongly agreed with the statement 'overall, I am happy with the quality of care my child receives at this service'. Comments included: "We are delighted to have found our childminder, we are very grateful to her for everything she does for my child. He has really flourished in the last year and credit is due to the passion and dedication she puts into her job. She is able to give him experiences and opportunities which we couldn't and is also very supportive of us as parents". "A range of toys, games and puzzles. Always a monthly/sessional theme for activities and arts and crafts. Pauline takes the children to various groups eg Playgroup, rhyme time, soft play and Dobbies which we like. Suitable daily routine for each child". page 2 of 9
Other comments were discussed with the childminder during the inspection. Self assessment The childminder submitted a comprehensive self assessment document from the service provider. We were satisfied with the way the service provider had completed this and with the relevant information they had given us for each of the headings that we grade them under. What the service did well The childminder was committed to providing very good outcomes for children and their families. Parents told us that they were included in the service and their views and suggestions taken on board. Children were cared for by a warm and caring childminder who provided a very high standard of support. What the service could do better The childminder should continue to work with the families who use her service to promote good outcomes for children. From this inspection we graded this service as: Quality of care and support Quality of environment Quality of staffing Quality of management and leadership 6 - Excellent 5 - Very Good not assessed 5 - Very Good Quality of care and support Findings from the inspection Children were very happy, content and confident with the childminder who was caring and nurturing towards them. She provided comfort and encouragement when the children needed it. The childminder knew each of the children very well and had developed the service to meet their individual needs and preferences. Outcomes for children were positive. Parents input was valued and she used a variety of ways to communicate with them. This included daily chats and daily dairies. Questionnaires were used to gain more formal information on the service. The childminder knew each child very well. Before a new child started the service, meetings took place with parents. Parents confirmed that information was gathered to help plan each child's care and support. This information had been developed into personal plans for each child, and the childminder had improved these since the last inspection. These plans clearly set out how the childminder was meeting each child's targets or next steps and she gave examples of how she supported children to achieve developmental milestones. We have asked the childminder to ensure that the strategies of support for each child are clearly defined and discussed with the parents. Her knowledge of the children enabled her to fully support them in a nurturing and professional manner, this supported their development. page 3 of 9
We discussed the amount of paperwork the childminder was completing and she has agreed to review and combine some aspects of it. The childminder also had a personal folder that contained photo's and children's art work for each child. A daily diary was completed to inform parents about their child's day. A 'Me and My family' book was used for children to complete with their parents. This was a very good link between the childminder and the child's home as it contained photographs of the children taking part in activities with their parents and the child could then share this whilst at the childminders house. Activities provided were varied and exciting. Children were fully involved in making decisions and the childminder recognised and valued each child's contribution. The childminder respected and listened to children and families' opinions about what children wanted to do during the summer holidays and when purchasing or replacing resources. The childminder told us that she had not any children on medication at this time. We noted however, that she had safe systems in place to gather consent and record details of medication administered if necessary. This contributed to the health and safety of children who used the service. The childminder had a good knowledge and understanding of her roles and responsibilities in safeguarding and protecting children. She had attended child protection training and had adopted an effective child protection policy that included contact details for the relevant agencies. This had been a recommendation at the last inspection. Requirements Number of requirements: 0 Recommendations Number of recommendations: 0 Grade: 6 - excellent Quality of environment Findings from the inspection The childminder cared for children in a welcoming and comfortable home. Children had room to be active and there was space for them to rest and sleep if needed. The childminder had a range of resources for children which were mostly kept in the designated playroom. Children ate meals and snacks in the playroom. Parents provided all the food we saw that it was healthy and nutritious. Children were encouraged to be independent and it was a lovely sociable time learning how to share positive mealtimes together. The childminder provided a range of resources and activities in line with children's interests and stages of development. Resources we looked at were well maintained, clean and reflected the interests of the child attending. The childminder described her garden as being well used by children of all ages. We asked the childminder to access 'loose parts' resources for children so they could design page 4 of 9
their own play. Loose parts create richer environments for children, giving them the resources to promote their imagination. The childminder agreed to further develop this kind of play both in the indoor and outdoor environment. Children were kept healthy by hand washing after toileting, playing outside and before eating. They were learning about good health, keeping safe and being independent. The childminder informed us about changing nappies, we were satisfied this followed best practice. The childminder has a current first aid certificate. Recording methods were in place to inform parents with details of any accidents and incidents their child had been involved in. The childminder described where she took children out to in the community and this included parks and walks by the beach. She recognised how children benefited from fresh air and exercise on a daily basis. Visits to local groups allowed children to socialise with others, have fun and be active. A parent commented "I am delighted she takes them out to spend time with other children at playgroups and meet-ups. I'm pleased that there is an emphasis on arts and crafts and the wider arts - I know she includes dance and movement for example. Its also very important to me they spend time outdoors both in the garden and at the beach or parks". 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 A strong commitment to personal development provided the childminder with up to date knowledge and ideas. The childminder had attended a range of training courses since the last inspection and was able to explain how these had impacted on the service she provided. The childminder had a sound understanding of GIRFEC and her responsibilities and this supported children's emotional health and wellbeing. She was using the SHANARRI indicators to develop her service and the outcomes for children. The childminder completed a self assessment to the Care Inspectorate. We have reported under the quality of care and support section of this report how well the childminder involved children and families in assessing and improving the quality of the service. The childminder explained she continuously reviewed her service and uses page 5 of 9
this information to make changes if needed. She informed us that any improvements made were for the benefit of the children and families who use her service. Parents confirmed "Pauline has monthly newsletters, daily diary and will speak to us to inform us of any changes or improvements. Pauline is receptive to feedback and has made changes/improvements based on this". "She keeps us informed with new ideas eg there's a board with pictures of the toys so children can pick what they'd like to play with because she noticed the older children were always choosing first. I see her practice is always adapting according to the needs of the children as they develop and we often talk about that. My child attended on their birthday and we came up with ideas together to make that special". Updates from SCMA and Care Inspectorate were used to keep up to date with good practice guidelines and legislation. She informed us that she regularly checked 'the 'HUB' section on the Care Inspectorate website for further information about new policies or procedures. She used any good ideas from best practice documents to improve her service and promote positive outcomes for children. We asked the childminder to display her most up to date certificate, she confirmed after the inspection this is now in place. The childminder should also keep records of the times the children attend her service. 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. page 6 of 9
What the service has done to meet any recommendations we made at or since the last inspection Previous recommendations Recommendation 1 It is recommended that the childminder should up date her child protection policy to include the local Social Work Department contact details. National Care Standards Early Education and Childcare up to the age of 16 Standard: 3 Health and wellbeing. This recommendation was made on 14 August 2014. Action taken on previous recommendation The childminder had updated her child protection policy to include the contact details of the local authority. This recommendation is met. Recommendation 2 It is recommended that the childminder should up date the children's care plans every six months. Parents should be involved in this process. National Care Standards Early Education and Childcare up to the age of 16 Standard: 3 Health and wellbeing. This recommendation was made on 14 August 2015. Action taken on previous recommendation The childminder ensured that parents updated the children's care plans every six months. This recommendation is met. Recommendation 3 It is recommended that the childminder ensures children wash their hands under running water prior to eating meals and snacks. National Care Standards Early Education and Childcare up to the age of 16 Standard: 2 A safe environment. This recommendation was made on 14 August 2014. Action taken on previous recommendation Children were taken upstairs to wash their hands before eating. The childminder had updated her policy to include new routine. This recommendation is met. page 7 of 9
Complaints There have been no complaints upheld since the last inspection. Details of any older upheld complaints are published at www.careinspectorate.com. Enforcement No enforcement action has been taken against this care service since the last inspection. Inspection and grading history Date Type Gradings 14 Aug 2014 Announced (short notice) Care and support Environment Staffing Management and leadership 4 - Good 20 Aug 2010 Announced (short notice) Care and support Environment Staffing Management and leadership 6 - Excellent Not assessed 4 - Good Not assessed 13 May 2008 Announced (short notice) Care and support Environment Staffing Management and leadership page 8 of 9
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 www.careinspectorate.com Contact us Care Inspectorate Compass House 11 Riverside Drive Dundee DD1 4NY enquiries@careinspectorate.com 0345 600 9527 Find us on Facebook Twitter: @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 cànain eile ma nithear iarrtas. page 9 of 9