Mathewson, Amanda Child Minding Type of inspection: Announced (short notice) Inspection completed on: 19 October 2017 Service provided by: Amanda Mathewson Service provider number: SP2003904564 Care service number: CS2003007613
The service Introduction Amanda Mathewson provides a childminding service from her family home, situated in a residential area of Dunfermline. The home is close to the centre of the town and is within easy reach of local schools and other facilities. Ms Mathewson is registered to provide a care service to a maximum of 8 children at any one time under the age of 16 years, of whom a maximum of 6 will be under 12 years, 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 children of the childminder's family. There is no restriction on the daytime hours of operation; however, no overnight care may be provided. All parts of the premises may be used, with the exception of the main bedroom. At the time of inspection there were seven children registered to use the service, five of whom were present during our visit. What we did during our inspection We wrote this report following a short notice announced inspection visit on Thursday 19 October 2017 from 13.30-15.45. The inspection was carried out by one inspector. Ms Mathewson submitted an annual return, as required. She also took the opportunity to submit an updated self assessment, as part of the inspection process. We asked Ms Mathewson to issue questionnaires to the parents of her minded children, to allow them to comment on the service. We received three completed questionnaires. During the inspection visit we gathered evidence from various sources, including: - discussion with the childminder - comments from children - observation of interaction between childminder and minded children - observation of activities and the environment - children's records. We took account of all of the above information when writing this report. page 2 of 9
Views of people using the service The children were settled and relaxed in the setting and told us that they enjoyed spending time there. Individual comments included the following: "I'll make one for granny too." (picture) "We collected stones for painting." "We had pizza. It's from Italy." "We made sponge cakes and put marshmallows on." "We had to roll the icing and cut out the shapes." "I'll tell you about the worry monster. If anyone is worried they write it down and put it in here, inside the monster's tummy. Amanda takes it out and then we discuss it." Three parents submitted questionnaires to the Care Inspectorate, as part of the inspection process. Comments reflected a high level of satisfaction with the service and included the following: "We all love Amanda. Such a caring childminder who is such fun too. She needs a medal!" "Fruit is eaten daily. All snacks and meals are healthy with one day a week being treat day. Our daughter eats better at Amanda's than she does at home." "The children are very happy with Amanda. She treats them well and is able to find activities to suit individuals and the group of children she cares for. I am always secure that Amanda will provide a home from home setting." "Amanda is active and highly motivated. She provides my child with a varied routine of activities throughout his day." "Amanda's home is safe and secure." "There's a huge range of toys, both stimulating and fun." Self assessment The self assessment was completed well and included relevant information about the service. What the service did well Ms Mathewson provides a caring, child centred environment where children are valued and nurtured. What the service could do better Children's personal plans need to be further developed. page 3 of 9
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 Ms Mathewson had formed very good working relationships with parents who valued her support. Effective communication helped ensure continuity of care between home and the service. The children were valued and respected. They were encouraged to express their views and make choices. Those children who were present appeared very much 'at home' in the service and clearly enjoyed spending time with their childminder. Ms Mathewson offered children a range of experiences, both indoors and outdoors. The pace of the day took account of children's ages and stages, as well as their individual needs and interests. Older children learned about the differing needs and abilities of babies and toddlers and enjoyed being involved in their care, for example reading stories. Positive, supportive interaction and effective use of praise contributed towards children developing confidence and self esteem. Ms Mathewson provided healthy snacks for children and was willing to supply meals, in line with parents' wishes. Children were encouraged to try new foods and snack time provided an opportunity to talk about healthy eating. Ms Mathewson knew the children well and felt that they were all progressing as expected. She recorded relevant information at the start of each placement, to help her plan the child's care. Diaries were completed for younger children which helped day to day communication and were later passed to parents as a keepsake; however, Ms Mathewson was not yet routinely recording information about each child's progress and any issues arising. She agreed to address this in line with the requirement for all childminders to maintain a personal plan for each child in their care. Ms Mathewson was willing to administer medication, should parents request this. She was aware of the importance of obtaining written permission and clear instructions from parents, prior to accepting responsibility for any medicines. The forms she was using did not support her in complying with current guidance and she agreed to review and improve this aspect of her record keeping. Ms Mathewson understood her obligation to act on any concerns regarding the children's wellbeing and knew who to contact should she require advice or information about child protection, or need to involve any other agencies. page 4 of 9
Requirements Number of requirements: 0 Recommendations Number of recommendations: 0 Grade: 5 - very good Quality of environment Findings from the inspection The accommodation was very well maintained, smoke free and provided a welcoming environment for minded children. The spacious dining kitchen/family area provided a base for many of the children's activities. This area offered sufficient floor space to set out toys and play equipment as well as a dining table for mealtimes, crafts and other table top activities. A sofa provided a comfortable place where children could rest or relax. There was easy access to the enclosed garden. Parents confirmed that daily routines were varied and stimulating. The children had access to a range of play resources both indoors and outside. They regularly enjoyed outings to local parks, soft play centres and the library. Extended trips were possible during school holidays and had included visits to the zoo, Edinburgh Castle, the museum and safari park. Younger children were able to take part in organised groups which provided opportunities for them to socialise with others. The children told us that they often used the nearby school playground as this was a safe space where they could play energetically. They also enjoyed exploring the woods where they had fun building dens, for example. Children were encouraged to learn to be responsible and to think about their safety while enjoying these experiences. Ms Mathewson promoted good hygiene. Handwashing was carried out routinely and nappy changing was carried out safely. Ms Mathewson confirmed that she observed exclusion periods for infectious illness. These measures reduced the risk of infection and contributed towards children being healthy. Ms Mathewson confirmed that she had recently renewed her first aid certificate. There had been no significant accidents. Any accidents or incidents would be recorded and parents informed. Requirements Number of requirements: 0 Recommendations Number of recommendations: 0 Grade: 5 - very good page 5 of 9
Quality of staffing This quality theme was not assessed. Quality of management and leadership Findings from the inspection Ms Mathewson clearly enjoyed her role as childminder and impressed as conscientious. Written and verbal information was shared with parents so that they would be fully informed about the care she provided. She welcomed feedback on the service from parents and children, and took account of their wishes when planning the children's care. Ms Mathewson had submitted necessary information to the Care Inspectorate. She was maintaining required records. She agreed to improve medication forms to ensure that parents state the reason that the medication is required, in each case. Ms Mathewson knew the children well and was sensitive to individual needs and circumstances; however, children's personal plans did not fully reflect the child's experience in the service or the very good partnership working which was taking place. By further developing the children's plans, Ms Mathewson will be better able to demonstrate ways in which children's learning, development and interests are being consistently supported in the service, in consultation with parents. Ms Mathewson kept a record of her professional development and we saw that she had attended relevant training since the last inspection. She had contact with other childminders and was aware of various sources of information and guidance, including the Scottish Childminding Association and the Care Inspectorate websites and had copies of a range of relevant documents to which she could refer. We directed her to further recent publications which support good practice and can contribute towards positive outcomes for children. These included Getting Ready to Read and Loose Parts. Public liability insurance was in place. Ms Mathewson was aware of the need for business cover within her motor insurance policy, should she wish to use the car for childminding purposes. Requirements Number of requirements: 0 Recommendations Number of recommendations: 0 Grade: 5 - very good page 6 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. page 7 of 9
Inspection and grading history Date Type Gradings 5 Oct 2015 Unannounced Care and support 5 - Very good Not assessed Management and leadership 5 - Very good 28 Jun 2013 Announced (short notice) Care and support 5 - Very good Management and leadership Not assessed 28 Oct 2011 Announced (short notice) Care and support Not assessed Management and leadership Not assessed 13 Apr 2010 Announced (short notice) Care and support Not assessed Management and leadership Not assessed 27 Feb 2009 Announced (short notice) Care and support Management and leadership Not assessed 25 Mar 2008 Announced (short notice) Care and support Management and leadership 5 - Very 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