Fortune, Maureen Child Minding Type of inspection: Unannounced Inspection completed on: 28 August 2017 Service provided by: Maureen Fortune Service provider number: SP2003905740 Care service number: CS2003011615
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 Mrs Fortune is registered as a childminder to care for a maximum of 6 children under the age of 16, of whom no more than 3 are not yet attending primary school and of whom no more than one is under 12 months. Numbers are inclusive of the childminder's family. Mrs Fortune provides a childminding service from her home in Maddiston. The home is within easy reach of school, nursery, parks and shops. Childminding mainly takes place on the ground floor of the home although there is an upstairs play room available for older children to use if required. There is a safely enclosed garden for outdoor play with a variety of play equipment. Mrs Fortune currently provides a childminding service for 14 children, ages ranging from one to nine years. All children attend on a variety of part-time and out of school care placements. There was one minded child aged one year present during the first part of our inspection. We then accompanied the childminder to collect another child aged nine years from school who was present for the remainder of our inspection. The main aims of the service included: To provide high quality childcare in a safe, friendly and stimulating environment to support the needs of individual families. A full statement of aims and objectives is available from the service on request. 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. What we did during our inspection We wrote this report following an unannounced inspection which took place on Monday 28 August 2017 between 13:00 and 16:30. This was carried out by an Early Years Inspector. We gave feedback to the childminder during our visit. for Fortune, Maureen page 2 of 10
As part of the inspection, we took account of the completed annual return and the self-assessment that we asked the childminder to complete and submit to us. We sent three care standards questionnaires to the childminder to distribute to parents. We received one completed questionnaire before writing this report. During this inspection process, we spoke to the childminder and the children in her care. We observed how the childminder 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 childminder managed her service and planned to meet the individual needs of children in her care. We considered how the childminder 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 There were two children ages one and nine years present during our inspection visit. Children were relaxed and happy in their environment and confident in their relationships with the childminder. The older child told us about some of the things she enjoyed doing at the service including: baking, arts and crafts and going to parks. She talked about some of the activities that had taken place and the fun children had in the service, for example: seasonal activities, a pirate party and a sports day. She told us that it was a good place to go to after school and that her childminder was; "happy, kind, caring and funny." We received one completed questionnaire from parents using the service. Parents strongly agreed that they were overall happy with the quality of care and support their children received. They indicated a very high level of satisfaction across all aspects of the service including: quality of children's experiences and activities, relationships and communication. Comments included: "She is fantastic and provides a home from home environment for my kids when I'm working. She provides lots of stimulation and educational aspects to the care she provides. You can see that Maureen is very passionate about her job and really cares about the kids in her care." We include further views and comments within this report where relevant. Self assessment The childminder submitted a completed self-assessment for her service. The childminder told us about some of the things she did well and some areas she had developed since her last inspection. This provided a useful insight to the service before we carried out our inspection. What the service did well The childminder had created a warm, welcoming and nurturing environment for children in her care. She knew the children very well and provided a wide range of stimulating experiences to meet their needs, stages, interests and choices. Children benefited from plentiful opportunities to be healthy and active and were supported to achieve new skills through positive learning experiences. The childminder encouraged children and parents to express their views and be involved in the service, creating an environment where they were respected and included. for Fortune, Maureen page 3 of 10
What the service could do better The childminder could streamline how she records and reviews children's personal plans to show their journey through the service. The childminder could keep a record of how she uses her training or learning in practice to benefit children and families and of any improvements she makes to her service. 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 5 - Very Good Quality of care and support Findings from the inspection We found that the quality of care and support was very good. In questionnaires, parents strongly agreed that the childminder asked for their views and used this information to care for their children. They gave positive feedback about the quality of communication and relationships that the childminder had established with children and parents. We found that the childminder knew the children in her care very well. She gathered a range of relevant information at the start of placements which helped her to plan routines and activities to meet individual needs. These took account of home routines, for example, sleeping and feeding arrangements. This helped to promote continuity and consistency of care for children contributing positively to them being secure and nurtured. Through effective personal planning, the childminder encouraged each child's achievements and next steps. For example, supporting children with developing gross and fine motor skills through a variety of activities, including use of larger play equipment, play dough and mark making. Through positive interactions, we saw that she encouraged children's communication skills through song, rhyme and conversation. Children were also supported to develop their self-care and independent skills, for instance, putting on shoes and managing zips, washing hands and feeding themselves. Overall we found that high quality experiences contributed to children achieving and being respected and responsible. We suggested to the childminder that she could streamline personal plans, evidence of experiences and outcomes (in journals) and reviews in one coherent document. Where diaries were not used, she could consider keeping a record of significant discussions with parents, for example, chronology to show on-going planning and decisions about care where relevant. The childminder provided a wealth of stimulating experiences that supported positive outcomes for children linked to the wellbeing indicators. Children were very involved in planning activities, for example, using mind maps to put forward their ideas. The childminder supported the children to develop topics on areas of interest or to try new things. For example, this week, children had suggested making slime and had written a shopping list for the ingredients! for Fortune, Maureen page 4 of 10
Evidence of practice was well-organised in a GIRFEC 'Our adventures' book which gave an overview of children's experiences, learning opportunities and achievements. Children talked about how they kept healthy and active, for example, showing us photographs of them climbing trees and balancing on logs at the park as well as using climbing nets and slides. The older child also talked about developing confidence in the swimming pool during their swim sessions, contributing to her achieving important life skills. Children had taken part in a 'Muddy Puddle' fundraising event for Save the Children which had involved lots of splashing and water play. This contributed positively to children being responsible and included in wider community events. Children also talked about rules to keep safe and about sharing and taking turns in the service. It was evident that the childminder fostered very positive relationships within her service that were founded on fairness and respect for each other. This contributed very well to children being nurtured, respected, responsible and included. Throughout our inspection, the childminder was warm and caring in her interaction with the children. She was attentive to their needs and created a nurturing and friendly environment where children were confident and relaxed. The childminder was aware of her role and responsibilities in keeping children safe and protected and had a policy and procedure in place to follow if required. She had appropriate recording systems in place for reporting accidents or incidents. She had good policies, procedures and record keeping in place for managing medication. Overall, we found that strong practice in care and support was contributing to high quality outcomes for children and families. Requirements Number of requirements: 0 Recommendations Number of recommendations: 0 Grade: 5 - very good 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, clean and stimulating with enough space for their children to get involved in a range of activities. Comments included: "I know that she regularly rotates the toys which are always spotless and in good working order and provides toys which she knows certain children really like to play with. She uses the local community parks, play parks and my child goes to a childminding group which she really enjoys." Children told us that they liked lots of the activities provided and that there was always a lot to do. They commented; "I like things like Happy Land and the kitchen" and "Fit the bit" (memory games). for Fortune, Maureen page 5 of 10
We found that children were cared for in warm, safe, comfortable and homely surroundings. The childminder made effective use of space and had created a child-centred and friendly environment where children could experience a wide range of activities that suited their needs and interests. For example, older children had space to play with smaller construction toys or board games whilst younger children had space for floor play with equipment such as the cars and garage. Children also loved role play and dressing up which supported imaginative play. Children talked about their enjoyment of arts and crafts and baking. We saw strong evidence of effective use of the community and children learning outdoors, for example, making boats and floating these in the river and making patterns with ice and figures made of sticks. They used loose materials such as planks to balance, for example at the pirate party. These experiences supported children to develop their creativity, curiosity and inquiry and to achieve new skills in their all-round development and learning. We sign posted the childminder to current good practice guidance which may support her to further develop loose parts play. During our inspection, children were able to choose what to play with. The younger child slept for part of our visit then enjoyed interacting with the childminder and a favourite puppet. He also explored the cars, pointing out the tractor and the batman car. There was spontaneous singing, laughter, cuddles and chat with the childminder supporting children's speech, language and communication skills. She encouraged children to express their views and to contribute to the inspection. This led to a very relaxed environment where child were nurtured, respected and included. The childminder carried out risk assessments and put measures in place to reduce risks where possible. For example, safe storage of cleaning materials and fire safety equipment was in place. She supported children very well to learn skills in assessing and managing risks so that they were able to keep themselves safe. For example, children told us that they knew what to do in case of an emergency. They talked confidently about road safety and the rules that were in place to keep safe. Further, the childminder also supported children to take positive risks, for instance, climbing trees outdoors. This helped children to develop confidence and resilience and supported them to be active and responsible. The childminder had procedures in place for infection control which included routine cleaning, hand washing and supporting children to develop good hygiene habits. This again supported children to be safe and healthy. The childminder had made improvements to her garden to further promote a safe outdoor play environment, for example, sinking the trampoline to ground level and installing artificial grass for an all-weather surface. Overall we found a very well-managed, stimulating environment that catered for the different needs, stages and interests of children using the service. References: Loose Parts Play available at www.inspiringscotland.org.uk Requirements Number of requirements: 0 Recommendations Number of recommendations: 0 Grade: 5 - very good for Fortune, Maureen page 6 of 10
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 very good. In questionnaires, parents strongly agreed that the childminder involved them and their children when making improvements or changes to the service. They advised that she did this in several ways, including through use of newsletters, social media page and face to face conversations. Comments included: "Sends out regular newsletters to ask if parents have any topics/areas/subject they would like covered whilst in care. My childminder and I have good communication so is very approachable." We found that the childminder routinely involved parents and children in the service and asked for their views and feedback. This enabled her to consider what was working well and if she could make changes or develop new things to make their experiences better. As well as newsletters and conversations, she shared an interactive year book with parents and children to get their views on the quality and range of children's experiences. This gave valuable feedback and highlighted how delighted parents and children were with the quality of care and support with comments such as; "amazing and varied activities", "you go above and beyond" and "everything is fun and interesting.". The childminder should continue to use good practice guidance, standards and feedback from people using the service to develop and improve her service where appropriate. We sign posted her to some information that could support self-evaluation and planning for improvement. The childminder used her skills, knowledge and experience very effectively to provide a well-managed service. She kept up to date with current childcare issues through networking with colleagues, personal research and relevant training where available. She used her learning in practice to help support families and to promote positive outcomes for children, for example: ideas to support children with transitions and advice for parents on health and wellbeing matters. The childminder held relevant childcare qualifications and a First Aid certificate which she planned to update later this year. We encouraged the childminder to keep a fuller record of her continuous professional development (CPD) (training and informal learning) to show how she has used this in practice and how this benefits children and families. The childminder had appropriate insurance in place to cover her childminding business. We advised that she should download and display an up to date certificate of registration. References: How good is our early learning and childcare - (self-evaluation document) Available at www.education.gov.scot National Health and Social Care Standards - available at www.scot.gov.uk for Fortune, Maureen page 7 of 10
Childminding Pathways Document - will be available in due course Ready to Read - available at www.hub.careinspectorate.com 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. What the service has done to meet any recommendations we made at or since the last inspection Previous recommendations There are no outstanding recommendations. Complaints There have been no complaints upheld since the last inspection. Details of any older upheld complaints are published at www.careinspectorate.com. for Fortune, Maureen page 8 of 10
Enforcement No enforcement action has been taken against this care service since the last inspection. Inspection and grading history Date Type Gradings 23 Oct 2013 Unannounced Care and support 5 - Very good Environment 5 - Very good Staffing 5 - Very good Management and leadership Not assessed 5 Nov 2009 Announced Care and support 6 - Excellent Environment Not assessed Staffing 5 - Very good Management and leadership Not assessed 2 Dec 2009 Re-grade Care and support Not assessed Environment Not assessed Staffing Not assessed Management and leadership 5 - Very good 19 Nov 2009 Re-grade Care and support Not assessed Environment Not assessed Staffing Not assessed Management and leadership 2 - Weak 28 Jul 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 Fortune, Maureen 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 Fortune, Maureen page 10 of 10