Kelly, Elaine Kilmarnock Inspection completed on 19 January 2016
Service provided by: Elaine Kelly Service provider number: SP2003901786 Care service number: CS2003003484 Inspection Type: Unannounced 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 13
1 Introduction The Care Inspectorate regulates care services in Scotland. Information about all care services is available on our website at www.careinspectorate.com This service was previously registered with the Care Commission and transferred its registration to the Care Inspectorate on 1 April 2011. Requirements and Recommendations If we are concerned about some aspect of a service, or think it could do more to improve, we may make a recommendation or requirement. - A recommendation is a statement that sets out actions the care service provider should take to improve or develop the quality of the service but where failure to do so will not directly result in enforcement. Recommendations are based on the National Care Standards, relevant codes of practice and recognised good practice. - A requirement is a statement which sets out what is required of a care service to comply with the Public Services Reforms (Scotland) Act 2010 and Regulations or Orders made under the Act or a condition of registration. Where there are breaches of the Regulations, Orders or conditions, a requirement must be made. Requirements are legally enforceable at the discretion of the Care Inspectorate. Mrs Kelly provides her childminding service from her home in a residential area of Hurlford, in East Ayrshire. Mrs Kelly is registered to care for a maximum of six children of whom no more than three are not yet attending primary school and of whom one may be under twelve months. Numbers are inclusive of children of the childminder's family. Children are cared for on the ground floor and have access to a secure, well resourced rear garden. Mrs Kelly's aim is, 'To provide and maintain a caring, educational and fun childminding day care service in a friendly open environment.' It is her objective for all the children in her care to be happy. What we did during our inspection We wrote this report following a short notice announced inspection of the service. This took place on Tuesday 8 December 2015. We returned on Tuesday 19 January 2016 to review documentation that was not accessible during our first visit. page 3 of 13
As part of the inspection, we took account of the completed annual return form that we asked Mrs Kelly to complete and submit to us. We sent three care standards questionnaires to be distributed to parents of children who used the service. All three questionnaires were returned before the inspection. During the inspection process, we spent time with Mrs Kelly and the children she was caring for in her home and we accompanied Mrs Kelly and the children on a walk to the local school. We observed and discussed how Mrs Kelly cared for children and worked with their families and observed the environment and resources that children had access to. We looked at training records, children's files and risk assessments. Views of people using the service We saw that children who were present on both days of our inspection were happy in the childminder's care and were confident in the environment and with the daily routines. Some of the children talked to us about things they liked to do, which included cooking and baking activities and playing outside. All three parents who returned questionnaires confirmed that they were happy or very happy with the quality of care provided. Parents commented that their children enjoyed attending and that they had close bonds with Mrs Kelly. One parent commented: "Elaine provides an excellent service and I am always happy to leave her in charge of my child. There is always a happy vibe in the house and thekids are always happily playing, I think of Elaine as a family member now and am delighted that she cares for my child when I am at work". Another said: "Elaine provides a fab service and can go that extra bit to help like pick ups and drop offs which makes it easier on us". We have included parents' views and comments within the relevant sections of this report. page 4 of 13
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. Mrs Kelly gave us a good level of information about what she felt she did well and areas for continued development within her self assessment We discussed how to further develop the self assessment in the future and how to reference the SHANARRI (safe, healthy, achieving, nurtured, active, respected, responsible and included) wellbeing indicators. What the service did well Children had lots of fun in Mrs Kelly's care. They enjoyed a relaxed and child friendly environment with a very good range of toys and resources and regular opportunities to play outside. Mrs Kelly provided children with home cooked snacks and meals and involved children in baking and cooking activities. What the service could do better We discussed the importance of continuing to review all children's personal plans on a six monthly basis with parents, and of regular access to ongoing training and best practice information. 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 3 Quality of care and support page 5 of 13
Findings from the inspection The childminder provided very good care and support for children. She was warm and nurturing with the children being cared for during the inspection, and clearly knew them all well. The childminder provided a very service, and responded well to children's requests. During our inspection this was evident when the childminder made macaroni and cheese, with help from the children to make the sauce, when they requested this for their snack. Children enjoyed a child centred, relaxed and homely environment with lots of outings in the local community. The childminder had developed very good relationships with parents and communicated well with them to meet their child's individual needs. She shared information about children's daily experiences and routines through daily discussion, written daily diaries, regular texts and by maintaining records about children's progress, needs and interests. Parents reviewed these at least every six months. This showed that the childminder respected parents' views and provided continuity of care to promote children's health and to support their achievements. All of the parents who returned questionnaires to us agreed or strongly agreed that the childminder asked them for their views about the care provided and respected their wishes. The childminder encouraged children to eat healthily and offered a very good variety of home made, nutritious meals and snacks. During our inspection, the children were able to help themselves to fruit from a side selection and enjoyed a hearty afterschool snack of home made macaroni and cheese. The childminder had given parents written information about potential allergens in the food that she provided. Children told us that they loved their childminder's food and parents said they were very happy with the range of home made snacks and meals provided. The childminder's very good practice regarding snacks and meals meant that children were receiving safely prepared, nourishing, enjoyable food and were being helped to develop good eating habits. page 6 of 13
Lots of opportunities for energetic play outside helped children to be healthy and active. Children regularly walked to the local school and nursery with the childminder. We went on one of these walks during our inspection. We saw that the childminder made good of these to help children to learn about road safety and to be aware of the risks of animals and Children enjoyed playing actively in the well resourced garden and had lots of visits to a range of parks and indoor play resources. This helped children to be active, healthy and included in the local community. Parents and children told us that they were very happy with the range of outings and outside play. Children were safe and protected from harm and abuse as the childminder was clear about what to do if she had any concerns. She had recently updated her child protection training to ensure that she was aware of current legislation and practice. Grade The quality of care and support is graded Requirements Number of requirements - 0 Recommendations Number of recommendations - 0 4 Quality of environment Findings from the inspection The childminder provided a very good environment for children. Children enjoyed a homely, clean and well maintained environment inside and a very good range of outings to places of interest and regular outdoor play opportunities. Children had enough space to take part in different types of activities in the living room and kitchen and a large well resourced outdoor area. They had a very good range of toys and equipment to choose from. The childminder had chosen these carefully to reflect the children's individual interests and learning. page 7 of 13
During our inspection we saw that children enjoyed taking part in cooking and craft activities, and playing with a range of well maintained, stage appropriate, toys. Our first visit was just before Christmas and we saw children having lots of fun with the childminder's extensive range of interactive Christmas toys and enjoying a treat from the childminder's advent calendars. This showed that children's preferences and interests were respected and that the childminder was helping children to learn and develop through play. Parents told us that they felt there was a very good range of toys to suit all ages. The childminder's garden was well equipped with play equipment to provide children with opportunities for physical play to support their health and development. This included a trampoline, which was currently not being used as it needed repaired. A parent commented that she was pleased the childminder had told the parents about this, as she felt this demonstrated a good approach to keeping children safe. We suggested to the childminder that she should access information about trampoline safety from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (ROSPA). The childminder's car was well maintained and had appropriate child seats to promote children's safety. All of the parents who completed questionnaires told us that they thought the environment was safe and stimulating. The childminder had completed and recorded a comprehensive range of risk assessments, that detailed how she would keep children safe. She told us that she checked the home and garden for risks prior to children arriving. We saw that the house was well maintained and there were no obvious hazards. The childminder did not allow anyone to smoke in the home to ensure that children were not subjected to harmful fumes. The childminder had systems in place to record and share information with parents about any accidents or incidents. This meant that parents were kept informed about issues affecting their children. These approaches helped to promote children's health and safety. The childminder had a good understanding of how germs can spread and referred to best practice guidance to ensure that she minimised the risk of this. Appropriate aprons and gloves for changing nappies would be used as needed. Children were learning to develop good personal hygiene through being encouraged to wash their hands after playing outside or using the toilet and before eating. This was helping children to learn to be healthy and responsible. page 8 of 13
Grade The quality of environment is graded 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 was very good at keeping up to date with current best practice and legislation. She did this by making herself familiar with, and implementing, best practice information received from the Care Inspectorate, the Scottish Childminding Association and East Ayrshire Council. The childminder was a Daycarer for East Ayrshire council and through this had access to a very good range of training and support. She had recently accessed training on Child Protection and First Aid and had previously accessed Getting it right for every child (GIRFEC) training. These approaches helped to ensure the childminder had the right skills and knowledge to provide a very good quality of care. The childminder told us that she loved her job, and was committed to doing the best she could for children and their families. As part of this inspection, we looked at the childminder's last self assessment document. This showed us that she was aware of GIRFEC and the SHANARRI wellbeing indicators. We did however discuss developing the self assessment document further and using the process to support quality assurance. page 9 of 13
The childminder involved children and their parents in assessing the quality of service provided through regular reviews, and by encouraging parents and children to share their views and ideas. The childminder had developed a range of written policies and procedures that she shared effectively with parents. This helped to ensure that parents knew what to expect of her service and how they could raise concerns and be involved in service developments. This helped promote respectful relationships. All of the parents who returned questionnaires confirmed that they were involved in developing the service. Grade The quality of management and leadership is graded 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 1. The provider must ensure that an appropriate policy and procedure is in place for Child Protection and that this is followed at all times. This is in order to comply with The Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (Requirements for Care Services) Regulations 2011 [SSI 2011 No. 210] Regulation 4 (1) a - Welfare of users. Timescale for implementation -1 month from the date of this report. This requirement was made on 10 November 2014 page 10 of 13
The childminder had accessed child protection training and reviewed her child protection policy and procedures in line with best practice guidance. Through discussion the childminder demonstrated a commitment to ensuring all children were safe and protected from harm and abuse and that she was clear about her role and responsibility in relation to this. Met - Within Timescales Previous recommendations 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 11 Inspection and grading history Date Type Gradings 10 Nov 2014 Unannounced Care and support 4 - Good page 11 of 13
Environment Staffing Management and Leadership 4 - Good Not Assessed 4 - Good 25 Nov 2010 Announced (Short Notice) Care and support Environment Staffing Management and Leadership Not Assessed Not Assessed Not Assessed 29 Jan 2010 Announced (Short Notice) Care and support Environment Staffing Management and Leadership 4 - Good Not Assessed 4 - Good Not Assessed 8 Sep 2008 Announced (short notice) Care and support Environment Staffing Management and Leadership page 12 of 13
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 13 of 13