Mandy's House Child Minding Type of inspection: Announced (short notice) Inspection completed on: 16 November 2016 Service provided by: Niblo, Mandy Service provider number: SP2014986568 Care service number: CS2015334580
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 This service was registered with the Care Inspectorate in August 2015. This was the first inspection of the service. Mandy Niblo is registered to provide a childminding service to a maximum of six children at any one time under the age of 16, of whom no more than three are not yet attending primary school and of whom no more than one is under 12 months. Numbers are inclusive of children of the childminder's family. Mandy Niblo currently provides a childminding service to six children ages ranging from one to 11 years. All children attend the service on part-time or out of school placements. There were two children ages one and four years present during this inspection. The service is provided from the family home in Maddiston. Children have access to the living room and dining kitchen on the ground floor and toilet facilities upstairs. There is a large, sloped enclosed garden available however most active and outdoor play is provided at local parks and community facilities. 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 a short notice announced inspection which took place on Wednesday 16 November 2016 between 9:15 and 12:00 hours. This inspection was carried out by a Care Inspectorate Early Years Inspector. As part of the inspection, we took account of the completed annual return and self-assessment that we asked the service to complete and submit to us. page 2 of 9
We sent three care standards questionnaires to the service to distribute to parents. We received two completed questionnaires before we carried out our inspection. During this inspection process, we spoke to the childminder and 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 four years present during our inspection. Children were happy and relaxed in their environment and confident in their relationships with the childminder. They enjoyed playing with the building bricks and shopping trolley. The childminder managed their needs and routines well during our visit, including providing lunch before getting ready for the nursery run. The older child told us about some of the things she liked to do, including; going to groups, making pancakes and playing on the 'skittle bug car.' We received two completed care standards questionnaires from parents using the service. Parents indicated a high level of satisfaction across all aspects of the service, including; activities for children, relationships and communication and the overall quality of care provided. Comments included: "Mandy's House is a 5* service. I'm very happy with everything." "[Name] always has fun whatever Mandy plans. She always goes the extra mile." "Mandy is a fantastic childminder. She provides a safe environment and a range of stimulating activities. She appears to have a genuine interest in the children's wellbeing." We include further views and comments within this report where relevant. Self assessment The childminder submitted a completed self-assessment before our inspection. This gave some information about the strengths of the service and how the childminder worked with families to meet their needs. We encouraged the childminder to continue to develop her self-assessment to give more examples of practice and how she is promoting positive outcomes for children linked to the wellbeing indicators. What the service did well The childminder provided a warm, caring environment for children. She provided a range of activities that supported children to be healthy and active as well as included in their community. She did training to help her meet children's needs and to learn new things to help her develop her service. She was flexible to the needs of families in the community. page 3 of 9
What the service could do better The childminder should continue to develop and review children's personal plans in consultation with parents and link these to the wellbeing indicators. The childminder should continue to review and update record keeping, policies and procedures to bring these in line with current good practice or requirements. The childminder should consider ways of involving parents and children in evaluating 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 4 - Good 4 - Good not assessed 4 - Good Quality of care and support Findings from the inspection We found that the quality of care and support was good. In questionnaires, parents strongly agreed that the childminder took account of their views and worked with them to meet children's individual needs. For example, around dietary needs and supporting children's interests and wellbeing. Comments included; "Mandy is very good with my views. When I've had small worries she deals with it on the next visit" and "We have open communication via email and phone." As a result of positive partnerships with parents, the childminder was able to promote consistency and continuity of care for children which supported them to feel safe and nurtured in the setting. We found that the childminder gathered a range of useful information about children to help her meet their needs, for instance, routines, interests, likes and dislikes. She had started to develop personal plans for children and was working with them to help achieve positive outcomes. For instance, she was supporting children to taste and try new foods, to develop fine motor skills to encourage pencil control and to become more independent. With older children she had introduced some strategies to help with homework, for example, maths number line. She was working with parents to support children's self-care skills such as toilet training. She discussed how she had done some training on bullying and was using learning to build children's confidence and self-esteem in the service. We agreed that the childminder should now ensure that she reviews personal plans in consultation with parents at least every six months and agree any next steps. We discussed how she could further link record keeping to the wellbeing indicators to show outcomes for children. We also discussed keeping a record of any significant issues that crop up and how she is supporting families where appropriate. The childminder should ensure that information records include the name, address and telephone number of each child's G.P. The childminder had created a warm, welcoming setting where children were relaxed and happy. She supported their play throughout our visit and encouraged early literacy and numeracy skills, for example, comparing the height of the building bricks tower. The older child wanted this to be; "as tall as me!" Children ate their lunch at the kitchen table and were encouraged to be independent and to develop good manners. The childminder advised that she planned to get suitable seating for the younger child to further support his independent skills. page 4 of 9
We sign posted the childminder to national good practice guidance; Setting the Table and encouraged her to use this for ideas for menu planning and food related activities for children. Through photographs and discussion, it was evident that children had a good range of opportunities to learn about being safe, healthy and active. For example, learning about road safety when out on walks. They enjoyed regular outings to parks and soft play facilities where they could develop their physical skills and co-ordination. They were able to develop social skills when playing with their friends at community groups. We saw that the childminder encouraged the children to share and be gentle and kind with each other. Overall we found these experiences contributed well to children being respected, responsible and included in the service and in the wider community. We discussed how the childminder could further develop evidence of children's experiences and outcomes linked to the wellbeing indicators. For example, extending the information in the photograph album or using a floor book to record these throughout the year. The childminder used Scottish Childminding Association records for managing medication in her service however had not been fully clear on what was required. We advised that she should always obtain written instructions and signed consent from parents before administering medication and sign posted her to appropriate forms. The childminder had appropriate record keeping in place for accidents and incidents. She had a child protection policy in place and was aware of the steps she should take if she had concerns about children. References: Setting the Table - available at www.hub.careinspectorate.com The management of medication in daycare and childminding settings - available at www.hub.careinspectorate.com Requirements Number of requirements: 0 Recommendations Number of recommendations: 0 Grade: 4 - good Quality of environment Findings from the inspection We found that the quality of the environment was good. In questionnaires, parents strongly agreed that the childminder's home was safe and stimulating and that children could get involved in a range of activities. Comments included: "Mandy has a very wide range of toys and things to do and her house is very safe." page 5 of 9
"The childminder has a range of books, arts and crafts and games and a range of baking and cookery utensils." My children are taken out regularly to local parks and amenities." We saw that children were cared for in warm, comfortable and homely surroundings. They were able to choose from a variety of play materials suitable for their interests and developmental stages. Children enjoyed playing with the building blocks, making towers and problem solving about how to make it balance. They also enjoyed role play with the kitchen and shopping trolley. They liked looking at books and enjoyed some singing rhymes. The childminder managed the different needs of children well and provided support and encouragement in their play where appropriate. We discussed how the childminder could further develop natural and sensory resources to support children's play experiences and sign posted her to some relevant information. The childminder made good use of the space in her home to meet children's needs. For example, we saw that children could choose from accessible play materials in the lounge. They were able to eat at the kitchen table or do arts and crafts or homework in this space. Additionally, the childminder made effective use of the community to enhance the quality of children's experiences. For instance, they visited parks, sea life centre, museums and community groups. This contributed positively to children being active and included. The childminder carried out risk assessments for her service and put measures in place to keep children safe. For example, she used safety catches on kitchen doors, a stair gate and had appropriate fire safety equipment in place. We agreed that she should ensure that aerosols were relocated from the hallway and kept out of children's reach. The childminder was aware of new car seat legislation and had appropriate seats to meet this requirement. We saw that the childminder practised good hygiene when changing nappies and before preparing food. She encouraged children to wash their hands at appropriate times to develop their skills and understanding. This supported children to be safe and healthy. We agreed that the childminder should update her infection control policy with a 48 hour exclusion period for certain illnesses in line with current guidance. References: Loose Parts Play available at www.inspiringscotland.org.uk www.theimaginationtree.com My World Outdoors - available at www.hub.careinspectorate.com Requirements Number of requirements: 0 Recommendations Number of recommendations: 0 Grade: 4 - good page 6 of 9
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 good. In her first year since registration, the childminder had established a flexible childminding service that met the needs of children and families in the community. She had developed a framework of relevant policies and procedures to help her manage her service in a professional way. We agreed that she should continue to review and add to these in line with good practice guidance. For example, she should update her medication policy to advise that she will not give the first dose of a new medication to a child. The childminder was committed to continuing her professional development and learning new things that would benefit families using her service. As well as various e-learning courses, for example, child protection and bullying, she had accessed school based workshops on topics such as early literacy and numeracy. She discussed how she was using her learning in practice to support positive outcomes for children. For instance, talking about signs in the environment outdoors, introducing matching dominoes games and using relevant websites like 'alpha blocks' to help children achieve new skills. We encouraged the childminder to keep a fuller record of her continuous professional development (informal and formal learning) to show what she does as a result and how this benefits children and families. The childminder also showed a keen interest in attending local groups where she could network with colleagues to share practice. This enabled her to evaluate what she was doing and to look for ideas that could support her to further develop her service. In questionnaires, parents commented positively about the way that the childminder communicated with them and involved them in the service. They found her approachable and willing to act on their suggestions or feedback. The childminder should now consider ways that she can actively seek feedback to help her evaluate her service and look at ways she can continue to develop this where appropriate. Keeping an ongoing record of action taken in response to parents' views would show how people using the service are included and influence change or improvement. We also discussed how the childminder could show children's involvement in planning and evaluating their experiences, for example, in a big floor book or similar. The childminder held relevant insurance to cover her childminding business. Requirements Number of requirements: 0 Recommendations Number of recommendations: 0 Grade: 4 - good page 7 of 9
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. Enforcement No enforcement action has been taken against this care service since the last inspection. Inspection and grading history This service does not have any prior inspection history or grades. 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