Home From Home Childminding Services Child Minding Type of inspection: Unannounced Inspection completed on: 22 May 2017 Service provided by: Dougall, Marion Jane Service provider number: SP2012983482 Care service number: CS2012307995
The service Introduction Home From Home Childminding has been registered with the Care Inspectorate since 14 January 2013 to provide care to a maximum of six children at any one time under the age of 16, of whom no more than three are not yet attending primary school and of whom no more than one is under 12 months. The numbers are inclusive of the childminder's own family. The service is provided from the childminder's home close to local schools, shops, parks and other amenities. Marion Jane Dougall is the sole provider of the childminding service and will be known as the childminder throughout this report. The service operates from the childminder's family home, close to local shops, schools, parks and amenities. The areas of the house used for childminding are situated on the ground floor and include a living room/dining area, toilet, supervised access to the kitchen and a garden to the rear of the house. Aims of the service included 'I aim to: provide a welcoming environment that is safe and secure for all children which they find warm and friendly, treat each child in my care as an individual and cater for their individual needs and preferences, provide a healthy and nutritious snack for each child and give them opportunity for outdoor play regularly.' What we did during our inspection We completed this report following a short announced inspection, which took place between 15:00 and 17:30 on 15 May 2017. The inspection was carried out by a Care Inspectorate Early Years inspector. During the inspection, we spoke to the childminder and minded child present. We observed the care given by the childminder and looked at a number of documents including planning information, children's records and the methods in place for evaluating the service. We also looked at the childminding environment and considered the experiences of the children. We check services are meeting the principles of Getting it Right for Every Child (also known as 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 Getting it Right for Every Child: safe, healthy, achieving, nurtured, active, respected, responsible and included. Views of people using the service One minded child aged three years was present during the inspection. The child was happy and relaxed in the childminder's care. Throughout the inspection the child chatted to the childminder as they played, showing a feeling of comfort and confidence in the minding environment. The child told us about some of the things they liked to do with the childminder. for Home From Home Childminding Services page 2 of 9
We sent three Care Standards Questionnaires to the childminder to give to families who use the service. We received one completed questionnaire before the inspection. Throughout the questionnaire the parent responded positively to our questions indicating they and their children experienced a good care service. Their comments included: 'Marion is an excellent childminder... The service that Marion offers is safe and fun with age appropriate activities and emotional support.' The parent gave examples how she and the childminder had worked together to help and support their child. The parent made positive comments about the daily experiences on offer, in particular outside play and activities. The parent strongly agreed that overall they were happy with the quality of care their child received in the service. Self assessment An up to date self assessment had not been requested prior to the inspection visit. What the service did well Children experienced an inclusive environment where they could feel supported and well cared for. Outside activities encouraged fun and new skills whilst promoting the children's physical and emotional wellbeing. What the service could do better Quality assurance methods could be improved to support continued positive outcomes for children and their families. From this inspection we graded this service as: 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 Quality of care and support Findings from the inspection We found the childminder was performing well in the areas relevant to this theme. Children were empowered in making decisions about their time spent in the childminder's care. The ethos of a child-led service meant children's voice was fluent and choice was a key strength within the service. for Home From Home Childminding Services page 3 of 9
Throughout the inspection the child present experienced warm and nurturing interactions, supporting their feeling of belonging, security and being well-cared for. The childminder spoke about all children in a respectful and caring manner, demonstrating a sound knowledge of their individual personalities, specific needs and individual interests. Maintaining strong relationships with children and their families enabled the childminder to continue providing the right level of care and support. These trusting relationships encouraged open communication with parents, promoting working together and continuity of care. A good example of this was parents and the childminder developing strategies together to help a child progress with their development and support communication skills. During the settling in stage the childminder gathered basic information that would help the children to feel comfortable and remain settled. This included information about specific care needs, interests, personalities and preferences. Information gathered at the start and throughout the child's placement could be enhanced. For example building on the current individual care plans in place by making use of the National wellbeing indicators linked to 'Getting it Right for Every Child'. This will support the childminder to identify how she can continue to help children progress and sustain good outcomes and positive experiences. We reminded the childminder that records for all children should be reviewed a minimum of every six months or sooner if changes occur. This will help to ensure information and personal plans remain up-to-date and in line with current legislation. Children were encouraged to develop positive and caring friendships along with an understanding of caring for others, listening and respecting different personalities and abilities. This led to the inclusive environment that children experienced. The childminder described how the older children helped younger children in activities and games, this further demonstrated inclusion and the responsible behaviour older children were learning. Children were further encouraged to take responsibility for their time at the childminder's as they developed house rules which they agreed to and understood. Positive behaviour was promoted through trust, praise, encouragement and realistic expectations. Children's social skills developed as they were reminded to share and take turns with disputes being settled calmly and children learning to understand each other's emotions. This supported the children to gain important life skills. Children's health was encouraged through offering varied and nutritious meals. In the returned questionnaire the parent made positive comments about the meals provided, these were described as home cooked. Children's learning of healthy eating was further encouraged through activities such as planting and harvesting vegetables and collecting brambles and apples to use as ingredients for snacks and meals. Children's continued health and wellbeing was promoted through daily and mostly free flow access to outside play and activities. After school visits to a local park and time spent in the garden enabled children to enjoy fresh air. Requirements Number of requirements: 0 for Home From Home Childminding Services page 4 of 9
Recommendations Number of recommendations: 0 Grade: 4 - good Quality of environment Findings from the inspection We found the childminder was performing to a very good standard in the areas relevant to this theme. Children were cared for in a nurturing, safe, clean, homely and pleasant environment. Throughout the inspection visit the child present remained confident and settled in the childminder's home. A particular strength within the service were the opportunities in place for children to enjoy outside, risk based play. For example paddling in a local burn and building dams, climbing trees, wall climbing, building dens and see-saws with logs and loose wood. Enabling children to engage in this type of play promoted their curiosity, imagination and allowed them to expand their capabilities. This also supported their learning of the benefits of some risk whilst managing their own safety. Resources in the garden area were planned to meet the interests of the children currently attending, for example a large grassy area for ball play and physical games, a swing, an area for using wheeled toys and a large playhouse where children could engage in role play. Older children also used the playhouse as an area to rest, relax, chat to their friends and spend time alone if they wanted. The childminder gave a good example of children working together in the garden to build a scooter ramp using loose plastic guttering and planks of wood. Providing these type of resources promoted play and was in line with current best practice. More information on the benefits of this type of play can be found in the professional guidance document 'Loose Parts'; this can be accessed on the 'HUB' section of the Care Inspectorate website. Children were encouraged to remain part of their local community through use of the library, regular trips to parks and walks within the surrounding area. This and taking part in community events enabled children to contribute to their local area and develop positive relationships with others in their community. During school holidays children developed plans to travel further for trips, for example visits to castles, museums and the airport. This supported their personal interests and added variety to their minding experience. Requirements Number of requirements: 0 Recommendations Number of recommendations: 0 Grade: 5 - very good for Home From Home Childminding Services page 5 of 9
Quality of staffing This quality theme was not assessed. Quality of management and leadership Findings from the inspection We found the childminder was performing well in the areas relevant to this theme. Daily chats enabled parents and the childminder to discuss children's care and share their views on the support provided. This helped the childminder when planning the level of care required. Although there were no formal methods in place for evaluating the service, the childminder did give parents and children regular opportunities to verbally express their views and influence the service provided. To promote improvement the childminder should build on this and develop an evaluation and improvement plan. This will support the childminder to identify what she could do better and ensure continual positive outcomes for the children and families who use her service. To further support quality assurance and improvement the childminder should take steps to remain aware of ongoing changes within the early learning and child care sector. We spoke to the childminder about relevant documents such as 'Building the Ambition', this best practice document has been developed by the Scottish Government to support all practitioners who are delivering early learning and childcare in different settings and areas of Scotland. We also advised the childminder of relevant websites including the 'HUB' section of our website where she can access the document 'Building the Ambition' and other good practice guidance and information on latest developments in policy and legislation. Requirements Number of requirements: 0 Recommendations Number of recommendations: 0 Grade: 4 - good for Home From Home Childminding Services page 6 of 9
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 Recommendation 1 The childminder should enhance the current procedures in place for the storage, administration and recording of medication. Further guidance on procedures to be followed can be found on the Care Inspectorate website under 'The Management of Medication in Daycare of Children and Childminding Services'. National Care Standards, Early Education and Childcare up to the age of 16, Standard 3.6: Health and Wellbeing and Standard 14.2: Well-managed Service. This recommendation was made on 28 November 2014. Action taken on previous recommendation We discussed this recommendation with the childminder. We were told that since the last inspection no children had required medication whilst in her care however new procedures had been developed which included following care inspectorate guidance as stated in 'The Management of Medication in Daycare of Children and Childminding Services'. The recommendation was met. Complaints There have been no complaints upheld since the last inspection. Details of any older upheld complaints are published at www.careinspectorate.com. for Home From Home Childminding Services page 7 of 9
Enforcement No enforcement action has been taken against this care service since the last inspection. Inspection and grading history Date Type Gradings 28 Nov 2014 Unannounced Care and support 4 - Good Environment 4 - Good Staffing Not assessed Management and leadership 4 - Good 6 Jan 2014 Announced (short notice) Care and support 3 - Adequate Environment 3 - Adequate Staffing 3 - Adequate Management and leadership Not assessed for Home From Home Childminding Services 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. for Home From Home Childminding Services page 9 of 9