Pauline Tierney & Martin Tierney Child Minding Type of inspection: Unannounced Inspection completed on: 18 May 2017 Service provided by: Tierney. Pauline Tiernay & Martin a Partnership Service provider number: SP2005948838 Care service number: CS2005101196
The service Introduction The Care Inspectorate regulates care services in Scotland. Information about all care services is available on our website at www.careinspectorate.com Mr and Mrs Tierney are both registered as childminders and work as a partnership. The conditions of registration permit the following ratios: When one childminder working alone, to provide a care service to a maximum of eight children at any one time under the age of 16, of whom a maximum of six will be under 12, 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 children of the childminder's family. When both childminders are working together, to provide a care service to a maximum of 12 children at any one time under the age of 16 of whom 10 are under 12 years with no more than five who are not yet attending primary school and of whom no more one is under 12 months. Numbers are inclusive of children of the childminder's family. At the time of the inspection both Mr and Mrs Tierney were working together and were offering care to 10 children aged between two and 11 years, four of whom were not yet attending school. In total 16 children used the service over the week on various part-time and before and after school placements. The service operates flexible hours to suit the needs of parents, Monday to Thursday only. The service operates from the family home in central Falkirk. Childminding takes place on the ground floor of the property and children have access to the spacious lounge, kitchen/dining room and conservatory for a variety of care, play and learning experiences. There is a large safely enclosed back garden for outdoor play. Toilet and hand washing facilities are also on the ground floor of the premises. The service is well located for access to community facilities including, shops, nursery, school and parks. The main aims of the service are: To provide good quality care within a safe, secure and happy environment and to meet children's needs. 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 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. for Pauline Tierney & Martin Tierney page 2 of 10
What we did during our inspection We wrote this report following an unannounced inspection which took place on Thursday 18 May 2017 between 13:00 and 16:30 hours. This was carried out by an Early Learning and Childcare Inspector. We gave feedback to the childminders during our visit. As part of the inspection, we took account of the completed annual return and the self-assessment that we asked the childminders to complete and submit to us. We sent three care standards questionnaires to the childminders to distribute to parents. We received three completed questionnaires before writing this report. During this inspection process, we spoke to the childminders and the children in their care. We observed how the childminders worked with the children and the experiences and activities available to them. We looked at a range of evidence, records and photographs that showed how the childminders managed their service and planned to meet the individual needs of children in their care. We considered how the childminders promoted positive outcomes for children linked to the Shanarri wellbeing indicators (safe, healthy, achieving, nurtured, active, respected, responsible, and included). Views of people using the service We talked to the children present during our inspection and observed their experiences. Children were relaxed, confident and happy in the setting. They were busy and engaged in a variety of play experiences, mainly outdoors during the afternoon. They enjoyed snacks, playing with friends and chatting to the childminders about their day. Older children told us it was a good place to come after school and that they felt comfortable in the service. Comments included: "I like the snacks and sometimes I try things that I wouldn't at home and like them." "I like playing with my friends." "It's a nice place. I have friends here. I like playing football." "Pauline and Martin are nice and friendly." "Everyone gets on well here." We received three completed questionnaires from parents using the service. We also spoke briefly to two parents as they collected their children. Parents were very happy with the quality of care and support their children received in the service. They spoke highly of the quality of relationships, communication and activities for children. Comments included: "We have used the childminders for over 8 years now for both our children and are very happy with how our children are looked after and know they are safe and happy there." "Both my children have been attending for some years and enjoy going. They are outside at every opportunity which I am grateful for and are kept busy and occupied." for Pauline Tierney & Martin Tierney page 3 of 10
We include further views and comments within this report where relevant. Self assessment The childminders submitted a completed self-assessment for their service. They told us about some of the things they did well and some areas they planned to develop in the service. This provided a useful insight to the service before we carried out our inspection. What the service did well The childminders had created a warm and welcoming environment where children were relaxed and valued. They knew children in their care very well and worked with parents to meet individual needs. Children benefited from a wide range of experiences that supported their all-round learning and development. What the service could do better The childminders should look at ways they could become familiar with and make more use of current good practice documents to further develop and evaluate their service. They should aim to update first aid training as planned. From this inspection we graded this service as: Quality of care and support Quality of environment Quality of staffing Quality of management and leadership 5 - Very Good 5 - Very Good not assessed 4 - Good Quality of care and support Findings from the inspection We found that the quality of care and support was very good. Parents were very happy with the quality of care and support their children received. They strongly agreed that the childminders took account of their views and worked with them to meet children's individual needs and routines. Comments included: "Discussion before any changes to routine/lifestyle change and discussion at each and every drop off/pick up. Puts into practice any changes or amendments that we request." We found that the childminders knew the children in their care very well. They planned routines and activities for Pauline Tierney & Martin Tierney page 4 of 10
based on the different needs, stages and interests of children attending the service. They had developed individual personal plans for children and worked with them to support their development and goals. For example, they supported children with transitions to nursery and school, with self-care skills and helped them to progress in literacy and numeracy skills. They reviewed plans with parents every six months and agreed any next steps. This very good approach to planning and reviewing children's care needs contributed positively to children achieving and being nurtured and respected. We discussed how the childminders could further develop plans to show the outcomes achieved at six monthly reviews and how to link these with the wellbeing indicators. Children continued to benefit from a wide range of activities and experiences that supported them to be safe, healthy and active in the service. For example, we walked to and from school with children and saw that they were learning road safety skills. Children told us that they had to "look both ways" and "we wait until the cars have gone." These skills were further reinforced through fun activities at the service, for example, reading Ziggy books and making traffic lights for the garden when playing on scooters and bikes. Children had plentiful opportunities to be active and play outdoors. They told us that "playing outside" and "playing football" were some of their favourite activities. They engaged enthusiastically in physical activities during our visit and were developing their skills and confidence, for example, climbing the small tree, playing on scooters and using stilts. The childminders supported children to share, take turns and be kind to each other. This contributed to a very positive and nurturing experience where children were respected, included and responsible. We saw that children were relaxed, confident and well-behaved in the setting. They had very positive things to tell us about their experiences and all agreed that this was a "friendly place" that was "nice and relaxed" and where they had "plenty of things to do." Throughout our inspection, the childminders demonstrated a warm, caring manner with the children and were attentive to their individual needs. The childminders provided meals and snacks as part of their service. They were aware of children's likes, dislikes and any special dietary requirements. Children told us that they liked the food and that they tried new things that they may not have at home. The childminders were aware of nutritional guidelines and aimed to provide a varied and balanced diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables. We saw that children enjoyed a sandwich and fruit snack after school. Water and milk was readily available and the childminders ensured that children were kept hydrated on this warm, sunny day. The childminders were aware of their responsibilities in relation to child protection and had procedures in place to support their practice. They had appropriate procedures in place for managing medication and for recording accidents and incidents. Information was shared with and signed by parents where required. This good practice contributed to children's safety and wellbeing needs being met. Requirements Number of requirements: 0 Recommendations Number of recommendations: 0 Grade: 5 - very good for Pauline Tierney & Martin Tierney page 5 of 10
Quality of environment Findings from the inspection We found that the quality of the environment was very good. In questionnaires, parents strongly agreed that the environment was safe, hygienic and stimulating for their children. They were very happy with the range and quality of equipment and activities. They strongly agreed that there was enough space for children to be involved in a range of both indoor and outdoor activities. Comments included: "Toys and equipment to suit all ages and abilities which are all kept clean and to a high standard. Good range of indoor and outdoor toys." Children also told us that they were happy with the variety and choice of equipment and activities and described some of their favourites, especially playing outside, playing football and arts and crafts. Comments included: "There are plenty of things to do and it's nice and friendly here." We found that children continued to be cared for in safe, comfortable surroundings. They had access to a wide range of play experiences that took account of their different interests and developmental stages. Children were able to choose what they wanted to play, with older and younger children mixing naturally to ensure that all could be included in games if they wished. The childminders made very effective use of the space in their home to meet children's needs. For example, children liked to do arts and crafts or play with smaller Lego in the conservatory, whilst younger children could have the larger Duplo and bricks in the lounge. During our inspection, children made very good use of the outdoor garden area. They were able to practice their physical skills and co-ordination on the slide, small climbing frame and on scooters. They were developing their hand-eye co-ordination through ball games such as throwing and catching and football. The childminders managed the needs of the children very well, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere where children were nurtured, respected and included. Children talked about how they enjoyed playing with friends and all the activities available. We sign posted the childminders to some current good practice guidance for loose parts play and outdoor learning. We suggested that they could use these to continue to develop play experiences that encourage creativity, curiosity and inquiry. The childminders managed safety aspects of the environment very well. They carried out risk assessments and put measures in place to reduce hazards where appropriate. For example, safe storage of cleaning materials. We saw that the childminders practiced and encouraged good hand hygiene, for example, washing hands before snack times. They followed good practice guidance for nappy changing, for instance, wearing disposable aprons and gloves. Toys and equipment were visibly clean and routine maintenance procedures were in place to ensure that these were safe and suitable for children. Overall, we found that established good practice should contribute positively to children being safe and healthy at the service. References: Loose Parts Play available at www.inspiringscotland.org.uk My World Outdoors available at www.hub.careinspectorate.com for Pauline Tierney & Martin Tierney page 6 of 10
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 We found that the quality of management and leadership was good. The childminders used their experience and skills effectively to provide a well-managed, professional and reliable childminding service for families in the community. Parents gave positive feedback about the high quality of relationships and communication that had been established in the service. They confirmed that they would be able to raise any issues and were confident that the childminders would work with them to meet individual needs or requests. Comments included: "Childminders have a strong and positive relationship with all children in their care. Children are always happy when you see them interacting." "We've been very happy to have our children looked after by Pauline and Martin. They have a good routine, you can see all the children are happy there and that Pauline and Martin genuinely care - they always remember to ask about the things the children have told them and are encouraging about their interests." Over the years the childminders had accessed a range of training and learning opportunities. Mrs Tierney held a relevant childcare qualification. The childminders also confirmed that they had access to some good practice guidance, including Setting the Table, which at times, they used for ideas for practice. We agreed that Mrs Tierney should update her first aid certificate as a matter of priority as planned. We also sign posted the childminders to our Hub website and some current useful good practice documents which we agreed would be useful in keeping up to date with early learning and childcare developments and practice. We again discussed how the childminders could further develop a record of continuous professional development (CPD) to show how they are keeping their skills and knowledge up to date. for Pauline Tierney & Martin Tierney page 7 of 10
The childminders routinely used questionnaires as well as daily discussion to help them evaluate the service and to make any changes or improvements. Children were able to make suggestions for activities, outings and food choices which informed developments. We saw a range of positive feedback that indicated parents and children were very happy with the service and outcomes for their families. We spoke to a parent during the inspection that summed things up by saying; "children love it here." We suggested to the childminders that they could use documents such as Building the Ambition to help them evaluate their service against current good practice. References: Building the Ambition available at www.hub.careinspectorate.com Requirements Number of requirements: 0 Recommendations Number of recommendations: 0 Grade: 4 - 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. What the service has done to meet any recommendations we made at or since the last inspection Previous recommendations There are no outstanding recommendations. for Pauline Tierney & Martin Tierney page 8 of 10
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 13 Jul 2015 Announced (short notice) Care and support 5 - Very good Environment 5 - Very good Staffing Not assessed Management and leadership 4 - Good 18 Jul 2013 Announced (short notice) Care and support 4 - Good Environment 4 - Good Staffing 4 - Good Management and leadership Not assessed 10 Sep 2010 Announced (short notice) Care and support 5 - Very good Environment Not assessed Staffing 4 - Good Management and leadership Not assessed 19 Nov 2008 Announced (short notice) Care and support 5 - Very good Environment 5 - Very good Staffing 5 - Very good Management and leadership 5 - Very good for Pauline Tierney & Martin Tierney page 9 of 10
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 Pauline Tierney & Martin Tierney page 10 of 10