Eleanor Cullen Childminding Glasgow Inspection completed on 14 September 2015
Service provided by: Cullen, Eleanor Service provider number: SP2014986223 Care service number: CS2014329883 Inspection Type: Announced (Short Notice) 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 12
1 Introduction The service is located in Cambuslang, South Lanarkshire. The service is provided from the childminder's home, situated in a quiet residential area. There are gardens to the front and rear of the property. The service is registered to provide a care service to a maximum of six children at any one time under the age of sixteen. Numbers include the childminder's own children. One young child was present at the inspection. We were satisfied the childminder adhered to the registration conditions. The aim of the service is to provide a safe, caring, and nurturing environment where the children will be respected and included at all times. The full statement of aims and objectives is available to people who use the service. What we did during our inspection We compiled this report following an inspection announced at short notice which took place on 14 September 2015 from 4.50pm to 5.30pm. This is the first inspection we have carried out since the childminder registered with us. In this inspection, we gathered evidence from various sources, including the relevant sections of policies, procedures, records and other documents: - Observation of the childminder and her interactions with the child in her care, - Records, profiles and personal plans, - Photographs, - Written feedback that had been requested, filled in and returned to the childminder, - Discussions with the child, who used the service, - Training records and certificates, - Examining equipment and the environment, - Quality assurance systems and audits of service user involvement. The Care Inspectorate is committed to improving the health and wellbeing of all children receiving a care service to ensure they have the best start in life, are page 3 of 12
ready to succeed and live longer, healthier lives. The Care Inspectorate has an important role to play in supporting this approach in inspecting care services for children. The Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) approach is underpinned by the principles of prevention and early intervention. It's a consistent way for people to work with all children and young people. The approach helps practitioners focus on what makes a positive difference for children and young people - and how they can act to deliver these improvements. Getting it right for every child is being threaded through all existing policy, practice, strategy and legislation affecting children, young people and their families. In Scotland, the Getting it right for every child (GIRFEC) approach puts wellbeing at the very heart of its approach. The eight 'indicators' of wellbeing that form the basis of GIRFEC are - safe, healthy, achieving, nurtured, active, respected, responsible and included - often referred to as 'SHANARRI'. Views of people using the service In written feedback to the childminder parents wrote: "We are very happy with the care provided". "The happiness and well-being of our children has been a priority and they both look forward to going". "The children's confidence has been built through mixing with other people". "I am pleased with 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. The self-assessment was submitted to us before the inspection. Strengths and areas of development were identified. What the service did well The childminder had developed warm and friendly relationships with parents, which enabled parents to be confident that their children were well cared for and safe. The childminding home provided children with a secure and stimulating environment, where children's interests were recognised and encouraged. Children played safely and the child present told us about the wide variety of page 4 of 12
experiences and activities they enjoyed and looked forward to. Children were comfortable in the environment. They were happy, engaged, and content. They accessed a good range of experiences both indoors and outside. Outdoor play was part of the routine. Personal plans were in use for each child. What the service could do better Personal plans should include a statement of intent about what the service will provide over the next twelve months and could be used to evaluate the service. 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 4 - Good not assessed 4 - Good 3 Quality of care and support Findings from the inspection The childminder had developed warm and friendly relationships with parents, and this meant that parents were confident about speaking to them and telling them about their child and their interests so that they would be able to meet their needs. Diaries inform parents about their child's day and include a comment/query page 5 of 12
section so that the parent can give their view regularly. Parents are asked to provide written feedback about how to improve the service. The childminder continued to keep parents up to date by talking to them about their plans. Parents spoke with the childminder to discuss their child's care. Reassurance and guidance was provided to parents, regarding their child. Parents were advised about their child's play experiences. The childminder told us it was important for parents to know how their child was nurtured and cared for in the setting. There was a range of documentation in use and although each child had a personal plan, these could be linked to the well-being indicators of SHANARRI. We discussed how these plans could be used as a tool to evaluate the service. The personal plans should also include a statement of intent about what the service will provide over the next twelve months. See recommendation one. Children were able to influence their care and support, the environments they used and the work of the childminder. The children are consulted on a daily basis about snacks, and activities. They told us about the range of topics they participated in and reviewed and these were based around children's interests. This resulted in improved outcomes for children. Children at the inspection spoke about trips, outings and the activities they enjoyed. The childminder told us they spoke with children to gain their views and suggestions. They discussed rules and safe use of toys and equipment and chose activities, trips, and outings and provided verbal opinions about what they would like to do. The child present played freely at their own pace, made decisions and applied choice, they were motivated and happy. The care routines in place were appropriate. The childminder's interaction was encouraging and confidence and self-esteem for the child present was reinforced. The childminder gave examples of how she met the needs of children in their care. The outcome was that the she was responsive to the children and their families. Children were encouraged to make choices; they decided what they wanted to do. The environment, activities, routine and work of the childminder enabled and encouraged the children. The outcome was that children directed and determined their own play. page 6 of 12
Based on the findings at this inspection, the grade for this quality statement is good. Grade The quality of care and support is graded 4 - Good Requirements Number of requirements - 0 Recommendations Number of recommendations - 1 1. Personal plans should include a statement of intent about what the service will provide over the next twelve months. National care standards for early education and childcare up to the age of 16, standard 14: well-managed service. 4 Quality of environment Findings from the inspection The childminder made sure that her home was a clean and safe place for the children. Toys and other equipment were regularly checked and she made sure that they were safe for the children to use. Toys and games were appropriate for the ages and stages of the child present. The layout of the home also supported children's interests and development, because there was space for children to play quietly or be more energetic. Toys and games were stored in a way, which meant that children could make choices about what they wanted to play with. The children were encouraged to be aware of others by talking to them about their feelings and supporting them to share toys and to be kind to one another. Children were spoken to gently and calmly and their good behaviour and achievements were praised. page 7 of 12
The children were able to access most areas within the home and showed us the rooms they used. The premises were smoke free. The level of cleanliness throughout the home was good. We observed children being supported during their play. Children knew their way around the home and were comfortable here. The rear garden of the property was fully enclosed and the childminder told us this area was used well. The layout, resources, and daily routine contributed positively in creating an environment that gave children independence. They were motivated and happy in the childminder's care. We found that experiences were enjoyable and stimulating for the children and the children told us they enjoyed these. There were a variety of individual risk assessments and children confirmed how the played safely. We saw that regular hand washing was promoted and occurred before meal times and after outdoor play. Children at the inspection had a good knowledge of this. Road safety was reinforced the childminder said this ensured that risks were measured and strategies were put in play to protect the families who used the service. The childminder said that the service policies she had developed assisted her delivering a safe and effective childcare. The policies we reviewed were appropriate, and supported practice. The childminder ensured that parents were aware of the appropriate exclusion periods when children were ill by talking to them and giving them written information. Fire safety within the home was endorsed; there were smoke detectors and a fire evacuation plan. Based on the findings at this inspection, the grade for this quality statement is good. Grade The quality of environment is graded 4 - Good page 8 of 12
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 The childminder displayed experience and enthusiasm. Her friendly, reassuring and professional manner meant that they provided a quality service that was supportive and caring to the families she works with. The importance of working in partnership with the children and their families was valued. The childminder was very well-informed about children's needs and development. We observed her interaction with the child present. The outcomes for the children using the service were positive. This led to children being provided with care and support that met their individual needs. The childminder was attentive in ensuring children felt included and respected. Children's achievements are nurtured and celebrated. Families and children influenced the service they received. Documentation provided information and supported the work of the childminder and demonstrated the views of people who use the service. Written information was used to plan activities and select resources to best meet identified care and learning. The childminder evaluated own practice against a range of guidance and documentation to improve. She was motivated and committed to providing a high quality service. The national framework getting it right for every child was considered along with the well-being indicators of shanarri. Since registration the priority has been to establish the care service and involving children and page 9 of 12
improving outcomes. She consulted with and used children's interests to plan activities which were challenging for them. There was an ethos of working in partnership with people who use the service and this created a welcoming and friendly working environment. The children were supported, felt valued, and enjoyed the service. Children received praise, encouragement and affection. They were treated with respect and dignity. The has attended a range of training including first aid and child protection and plans to attend courses about infection control and food hygiene. Based on the findings at this inspection, the grade for this quality statement is good. Grade The quality of management and leadership is graded 4 - Good 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 page 10 of 12
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 10 Other issues Not applicable. 11 Inspection and grading history This service does not have any prior inspection history or grades. page 11 of 12
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 12 of 12