Galligan, Jean Child Minding Type of inspection: Announced (short notice) Inspection completed on: 29 November 2016 Service provided by: Galligan, Jean Service provider number: SP2004919862 Care service number: CS2004065024
The service Introduction This service registered with the Care Inspectorate on 1 April 2011. Mrs Galligan may care for a maximum of 5 children at any one time under the age of 16, of whom a maximum of 5 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 the childminders family. Mrs Galligan confirmed that she worked within these numbers. Mrs Galligan provides her service from her home, which is located in a residential area of the town of Dumfries in the Dumfries and Galloway region. The accommodation used for childminding is on one level and comprises of a comfortable lounge with a dining area, a bathroom and a fully enclosed garden. Children have direct access to the garden from the lounge. Mrs Galligan aims to: "Provide a safe and caring environment for the children in my care." What we did during our inspection We wrote this report following a short notice announced inspection, which took place between 9.20am and 11.20am on 29 October 2016. During this inspection, we spoke with the childminder and the child present. We observed the care given to the child by the childminder. We also looked at the information the childminder had gathered about the children using the service, the childminder's training records and the services policies and procedures. We check services are meeting the principles of Getting it Right for Every Child (also known as GIRFEC), 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 'getting it right for every child' safe, healthy, achieving, nurtured, active, respected, responsible and included. Views of people using the service Throughout this report, any reference to "parents" also includes carers and guardians. The child present was very happy and relaxed in the childminder's care. Throughout our visit, the child played contentedly with a variety of toys that reflected their current interests. The child particularly enjoyed drawing pictures for her family and one for another childminder she knew well. We sent three care standards questionnaires to the childminder to give to parents or carers of children using the service. We received three completed questionnaires. We used the information contained in the returned questionnaires to help us evaluate the quality of the service. The respondents to our questionnaire were very happy with the quality of the childminding service provided. page 2 of 9
Their comments included: "My daughter adores Jean as she has been with her since she was nine months old. I could not be happier about the service Jean provides. It's just like being in a home environment and my child has come on a treat since being with Jean." "There's always plenty for my son to play with inside and outside." "We have a cup of tea on a Friday and discuss what's been happening in the week gone by and what will happen the following week." Self assessment We received a completed self assessment from the childminder. The self assessment accurately identified what the childminder did well. The childminder did not include any information about planned areas of improvement, or further development. What the service did well The childminder provided a safe, welcoming and comfortable environment for children and their families. She worked closed with children's families and as a result, knew the children very well. She used this knowledge to provide a service tailored to the individual needs of the children in her care. Further information is contained in the main body of this report. What the service could do better We asked the childminder to extend her use of children's personal plans to include older children using the service. In order to improve the effectiveness of hand washing routines, we have asked the childminder to provide children with individual hand towels. The childminder advised us that she was in the process of registering her service as a food providing business with the local authority. She also intended to enquire about registering with the Information Commissioner's Office. Further information is contained in the main body of this report. 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 page 3 of 9
Quality of care and support Findings from the inspection We found that the quality of care and support provided by the childminder was very good. The childminder had established open, effective relationships with the families using the service. As a result, parents were comfortable sharing the information the childminder needed to provide appropriate care and support of each child in her care. The childminder recorded the information shared by parents. Children's records were very well organised. Parents confirmed that the childminder worked with them and took account of their wishes and views. Comments from parents included: "She asks how I deal with situations, for example tantrums at home and works alongside me and my approach towards helping my son learn right from wrong." "My child is with Jean in the morning when they do day-to-day routines such as shopping, toddler group and visiting people just what she would do at home." Younger children using the service had a personal plan in place. The childminder agreed to provide a personal plan for all of the children using the service. Older children should be involved in developing their personal plan. The personal plans we sampled were fully completed and focused on children's achievements and potential next steps. We suggested the childminder consider using the SHANARRI wellbeing indicators when completing these plans. We also suggested that the childminder review and record children's progress prior to updating each child's plan. The childminder demonstrated that she clearly understood her responsibility to keep the children in her care safe. We found that she used previous training and her experience to provide her service in a manner that promoted children's health and wellbeing. For example, we found that the childminder followed good practice relating to child protection and promoting positive behaviour. She had also completed first aid training. The childminding routine kept children healthy and active by providing regular opportunities for outdoor play. Attending toddler groups and meeting up with other childminders enabled children to get involved in a wide range of activities and socialise with other children of a similar age. Parents generally provided snacks and packed meals for their child. However, if necessary the childminder provided these. Parents confirmed that the childminder provided healthy options for their children. As required, the childminder had contacted the local authority with a view to registering her service as a food providing business. The childminder commented that she enjoyed working closely with the families using her service and being included in their special events, such as birthday parties and a graduation ceremony. Requirements Number of requirements: 0 page 4 of 9
Recommendations Number of recommendations: 0 Grade: 5 - very good Quality of environment Findings from the inspection We found that the quality of the childminding environment was very good. The childminder provided a comfortable, welcoming environment for children. The lounge provided ample space for children to play and relax. The children benefited from direct access to the fully enclosed garden from the lounge. The child present commented that she liked playing outside and that she liked the toys the childminder provided. The childminder provided a safe childminding environment. She achieved this through a combination of daily checks and written risk assessments. Overall, we found that the childminders practice in relation to controlling the spread of infection was very good. For example, appropriate nappy changing procedures were in place and children were encouraged to wash their hands at appropriate times. However, the childminder did not provide children with individual hand towels. The childminder advised that she would provide these immediately. We suggested the childminder revisited the good practice document "Infection Prevention and Control in Childcare Settings (Day Care and Childminding Settings). The childminder should use this guidance to assess her current practice and if necessary amend her practice accordingly. The childminder made very good use of the facilities available within the local community, such as parks and play areas. Parents provided written permission for activities outwith the childminders home. This helped to ensure parents were happy for their children to participate in the activities provided. Children were involved in making decisions about the toys, activities and outings provided. The childminder was mindful of children's preferred routines and she took steps to respect their preferences. Requirements Number of requirements: 0 Recommendations Number of recommendations: 0 Grade: 5 - very good Quality of staffing This quality theme was not assessed. page 5 of 9
Quality of management and leadership Findings from the inspection We found the quality of management and leadership provided by the childminder was very good. The childminder used childcare publications issued by the Scottish Childminding Association and the Care Inspectorate to keep up to date with developments in childcare practice. She also attended training events. She had used recent training in relation to "Building the Ambition" to review her practice and provided additional outdoor activities for the children in her care. Parents received a copy of the services handbook. This ensured that parents were aware of the aims of the service and the policies and procedures the childminder used to operate her service. The childminder welcomed feedback from parents. Parents confirmed that the childminder asked for their views. Their comments included: "Jean is very approachable and if I have any concerns or particular requests I'm confident she would accommodate them without hesitation." The childminder advised that as she stored data relating to the children in her care electronically. She intended to contact the Information Commissioners' Office (ICO) and enquire about registration. The ICO is the UK's independent public body set up to promote access to official information and protect personal information. The ICO enforces and oversees the Data Protection Act. 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. page 6 of 9
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. Enforcement No enforcement action has been taken against this care service since the last inspection. Inspection and grading history Date Type Gradings 24 Mar 2016 Announced Care and support 5 - Very good 5 - Very good Management and leadership 4 - Good 18 Dec 2014 Announced (short notice) Care and support 4 - Good 4 - Good Management and leadership 3 - Adequate 14 Dec 2010 Announced Care and support 5 - Very good Management and leadership page 7 of 9
Date Type Gradings 11 Feb 2010 Announced Care and support 5 - Very good 5 - Very good Management and leadership 14 May 2008 Announced (short notice) Care and support 4 - Good 4 - Good 4 - Good Management and leadership 4 - Good page 8 of 9
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. page 9 of 9