Bruce, Mandy Child Minding Type of inspection: Unannounced Inspection completed on: 16 May 2018 Service provided by: Mandy Bruce Service provider number: SP2003900624 Care service number: CS2003002002
The service Introduction The Care Inspectorate regulates care services in Scotland. Information in relation to 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. The childminder was registered to provide a care service to a maximum of 8 children at any one time under the age of 16; of whom a maximum of 6 will be under 12; of whom no more than 3 are not yet attending primary school and of whom no more than 1 is under 12 months. Numbers are inclusive of children of the childminder's family. The service was provided from the childminder's home in Turriff, Aberdeenshire. Minded children had access to the living room, kitchen/dining area and bathroom. A large, safe enclosed back garden was also available. The aims and objectives of the service included: - To provide safe and secure surroundings for children - To provide healthy living, promote exercise and fun - To treat each child with dignity and respect - To work in partnership with parents. 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 compiled this report following an unannounced inspection, which took place on the 16 May 2018 between 9:15am and 1:45pm. The inspection was carried out by two Early Years Care Inspectors. During the inspection we spoke to the childminder and the minded child present. We observed the care given by the childminder and looked at a number of documents including children's records, policies and certificates of training. for Bruce, Mandy page 2 of 10
We check services are meeting the principles of Getting it right for every child (also known as GIRFEC). This is 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 the services that can help them. There are eight wellbeing indicators at the heart of GIRFEC. They are: safe, healthy, achieving, nurtured, active, respected, responsible and included. They are often referred to as the SHANARRI wellbeing indicators. Views of people using the service There was one child present during the inspection. He was settled and confident, able to show the inspector the outdoor area and tell her what he did during his time at the service. Prior to the inspection we received three completed CSQs. All of them showed that the parents were very happy with the service. Comments given included: "My child gets to go to the library, toddlers' group and meet other boys and girls at a childminding meet." "I am most satisfied with Mandy's service. My children really enjoy going and even ask for her during the holidays. The house is a calm and relaxing atmosphere and my son especially has come on in leaps and bounds since being in her care." "My child is treated as part of Mandy's family. Although I no longer require childcare my child wants to continue going. This speaks volumes about the level of care provided." Self assessment The Care Inspectorate received a completed self-assessment document from the childminder before the inspection. The childminder identified what they thought they did well. The childminder told us how parents and children had taken part in the self-assessment process and how their feedback directed the development of the plans for improving the service. However, the document could have been more evaluative and discussed the impact on outcomes for children. What the service did well The childminder knew the children in her service well and provided care and activities which suited their interests and preferences. She made good use of local amenities and the large garden enclosed, providing lots of opportunities for outdoor physical play. What the service could do better The childminder could use current best practice guidance to support her in self evaluating her service, identifying areas for improvement and developing her policies and procedures. From this inspection we graded this service as: Quality of care and support Quality of environment Quality of staffing 5 - Very Good not assessed for Bruce, Mandy page 3 of 10
Quality of management and leadership Quality of care and support Findings from the inspection The childminder interacted well with the child in her care. She was affectionate and nurturing, encouraging the child to try tasks on his own, offering support when appropriate. She encouraged the child to contribute his own ideas and be involved in decision making about their day. This supported the child's feelings of self-esteem and wellbeing. We observed lovely interactions, which used opportunities to support awareness of language and numeracy in a natural way. We saw that the childminder supported children to develop their skills, confidence and self-esteem to progress successfully in their learning. For example, she was supporting one child to learn to ride a bike after observation of, and discussion with the parents, about his progress on a balance bike. We advised that she should record things like this in the child's personal plan or diary, identifying what she planned to do to support her in identifying next steps for children's development and learning. This will make it easier to track and share the children's progress with parents. In order to support the childminder in meeting the individual needs of the children, she had effective communication processes in place. These included sharing information with parents through verbal exchanges, text and Whatsapp messages. Since the last inspection she had introduced a daily diary for younger children. She used this to record the child's experiences and achievements through the day. The information was shared with parents; supporting them to feel valued and involved in their child's care. The childminder had attended child protection training and had an appropriate policy in place. Through discussion she was able to demonstrate the knowledge required to safeguard children in her care. The childminder promoted healthy choices for the children in her care. During the inspection she shared a healthy breakfast with one child, role modelling these choices. She had recently refreshed her knowledge of the nutritional guidance "Setting the Table". She used this to pass information to parents regarding packed lunches. Children were involved in choosing and preparing the fruit available for snack; further supporting their ability to express preferences and build independence. Requirements Number of requirements: 0 Recommendations Number of recommendations: 0 Grade: 4 - good Quality of environment for Bruce, Mandy page 4 of 10
Findings from the inspection The childminder's home was welcoming and comfortable for children and parents. The minded child present had a choice of resources available. These reflected his needs and interests, such as cars and a garage and a wipe board for drawing. The child had time and space to concentrate on activities and to develop his own interests. There was a range of activities offered, including craft and baking, in response to children's interests. Since attending Loose Parts training, the childminder had started to encourage the children to gather outdoor resources, to be used in craft activities. There were photos displayed of the children participating in these activities. This supported children to feel valued and included. Children were encouraged to participate in active outdoor play. Accessing the garden as well as the adjacent park, other local parks and wooded areas. Younger children were accompanied to the park but, after discussions with parents and setting limits with the children involved, older children were allowed to access the nearest park independently. This supported their independence and provided the opportunity to build relationships with peers. However, we advised that the childminder should get written rather than verbal permission for this. The childminder made good use of local amenities, helping children to grow into responsible, confident individuals. She accessed library story sessions and toddler group with the younger children, supporting the development of their social skills and interactions. The childminder told us how she supported children to make choices about what they wanted to do. Older children had been encouraged to take some responsibility for activities. For example, they had planned a treasure hunt which all children took part in. They had also arranged an obstacle course, finding resources and planning the activity. This encouraged the children to risk assess their play as well as express ideas and take responsibility for individual tasks. We found that the childminder had a very good understanding of practices to maintain a safe environment. Children's safety was promoted through discussions of road safety and the use of protective equipment, such as, helmets when riding bikes. The childminder had completed first aid training and kept a well stocked first aid box, further contributing to the safety of the children. Requirements Number of requirements: 0 Recommendations Number of recommendations: 0 Grade: 5 - very good Quality of staffing This quality theme was not assessed. for Bruce, Mandy page 5 of 10
Quality of management and leadership Findings from the inspection The childminder was a member of the SCMA and attended the local childminding group. She found this helpful in keeping up to date with best practice. This was supported by information from the SCMA magazine, which she also used for activity ideas. She had recently completed the "changing colour flower" experiment from the magazine with the older children. This helped her provide activities, which promoted the children's curiosity, enquiry and creativity. She was aware of some of the best practice guidance such as "Building the Ambition" and the new Health and Social Care Standards. During discussion, we advised that a better knowledge of guidance available would support the childminder in evaluating her service and identifying any area for improvement. The childminder had attended training in Child Protection, First Aid, Loose Parts and Food Hygiene. She told us how the training had impacted on her practice. For example, the childminder's recent attendance at Loose Parts training had influenced her use of community areas. Her attendance at food hygiene gave her more confidence when children were baking or preparing snack. She had already identified her need for further training on GIRFEC, to support her understanding of how to assess children's wellbeing needs. This can then be reflected in developing more relevant personal plans for the older children. We discussed the use of Loose Parts play and how referring to current guidance such as Our Creative Journey, My World Outdoors and the Play Strategy could support the childminder to further develop her service. These are all available on the Hub at http://hub.careinspectorate.com To evaluate her service the childminder took account of regular, verbal feedback from parents. She also issued an annual questionnaire to parents and children. The questionnaire was well thought out with a few short, open ended questions. There was very positive feedback from these including a parent's comment saying "nothing could improve your business, it is perfect". However, at the suggestion of one parent she now ensured children had the opportunity and space to complete homework while in her care. Policies for the service were clear, concise and reflected in the childminder's practice. They were shared with parents, so they knew what to expect from the service and how to deal with any issues they may have. However, the child protection policy should be developed to ensure clarity of procedures for parents. Requirements Number of requirements: 0 Recommendations Number of recommendations: 0 Grade: 4 - good for Bruce, Mandy page 6 of 10
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 To ensure children's care and support needs are met, children's records must be updated every six months or earlier if necessary. National Care Standards early education and childcare up to the age of 16. Standard 3: Health and Wellbeing; and Standard 14; Well-managed service. This recommendation was made on 12 May 2016. Action taken on previous recommendation Children's records are now reviewed at least every six months and the review is recorded. Recommendation 2 To ensure the safe administration of medication, the childminder must have a written policy and record all relevant information to help keep children safe. Nation Care Standards early education and childcare up to the age of 16. Standard 3: Health and wellbeing; and Standard 14; Well-managed service This recommendation was made on 12 May 2016. Action taken on previous recommendation The childminder now has a statement saying she administers and records medicine in line with the current guidelines and has a copy of the guidelines. Recommendation 3 To help inform parents and safeguard children, the childminder should ensure her policies and procedures make reference to current guidance and documents. This recommendation was made on 12 May 2016. for Bruce, Mandy page 7 of 10
Action taken on previous recommendation Policies and procedures have been reviewed and amended. 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 12 May 2016 Unannounced Care and support Environment Staffing Management and leadership 16 Jul 2014 Announced (short notice) Care and support Environment Staffing Management and leadership 16 Aug 2012 Unannounced Care and support Environment Staffing Management and leadership 21 Dec 2009 Announced (short notice) Care and support Environment Staffing Management and leadership for Bruce, Mandy page 8 of 10
Date Type Gradings 18 Mar 2009 Announced (short notice) Care and support Environment Staffing Management and leadership for Bruce, Mandy 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 Bruce, Mandy page 10 of 10