Munro, Sarah Shetland Inspection completed on 24 May 2016
Service provided by: Munro, Sarah Service provider number: SP2003907344 Care service number: CS2011285643 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 14
1 Introduction Childminder inspection report The Care Inspectorate regulates care services in Scotland. Information about all care services is available on our website at www.careinspectorate.com. 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. The childminding service is provided in a detached house set off a side road in the Dunrossness area of Shetland. There is a large fully enclosed garden directly assessable from the conservatory with a large selection of outdoor play equipment. The childminder provides a pick up and drop off service to a local school nearby. The service is registered to provide a care service to a maximum of 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 childminder does not provide an overnight service. page 3 of 14
Included within the aims and objectives of the service were: "As a registered childminder I aim to provide a safe and secure environment for children while their parents are at work.. I will provide toys, activities, outdoor play in my large garden and outings and trips with permission from parents. I will supervise children at all times, ensuring their safety and wellbeing". What we did during our inspection We wrote this report following an unannounced inspection, which took place between 14.30 and 16.30 pm on Tuesday 24 May 2016. One Care Inspector carried out the inspection. There were two minded children present during the inspection the childminder's daughter - then later one after school minded child, and another daughter. At the end of the inspection we gave feedback to childminder. As part of the inspection, we looked at the completed self assessment that we asked the childminder to submit to us. We sent care standards questionnaires to the childminder and asked her to give these to the parents. We received four completed questionnaires which showed us that the parents and carers were very happy with the service provided. During the inspection process we gathered evidence from various sources. We looked at the: Childminder inspection report - childminding policies - childminding information gathering system - care plans - risk assessment - health and safety records - administration of medication - childminding training records - up to date insurance documents (public liability) - four returned care standards questionnaires - equipment, toys and activities for play - environment during a tour of the home and viewing the outdoor play area. page 4 of 14
We observed the: - childmidner as she worked with the children - children playing with the toys indoors and outside in the garden. We talked with the: - childminder - three minded children present. Views of people using the service We talked with three minded children informally during our visit. When asked if they liked coming to play at Sarah's they said they did and that they liked playing in the playroom and on the trampoline in the garden. We observed the children during our inspection and saw they were happy and content. They played happily with the toys provided then asked to play outdoors. We saw them playing together on the trampoline then taking turns on the swings. 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. This was completed and submitted before the inspection took place and gave a brief description of the service provided. page 5 of 14
What the service did well The childminder provided a warm and caring service in a safe and secure environment. Her home was warm, nicely decorated with a high level of cleanliness. The children had access to a large range of toys and resources in the large, bright conservatory. She had given a lot of thought into her outdoor area providing children with an interesting range of toys and equipment. Children could also experience planting and growing activities in the greenhouse and recently built "polycrub". What the service could do better We agreed that: - she should continue with plans to review the children's care plans with parents every six months, or sooner if needed. - it was important to keep up to date with new childcare initiatives and attend refresher training regularly. - she continue to evaluate her service and include the parents and carers with this. We also asked her to update her complaints policy and add the contact details for the relevant professionals. page 6 of 14
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 5 - Very Good 5 - Very Good not assessed 5 - Very Good 3 Quality of care and support Findings from the inspection The childminder was calm and gentle with the children and they were happy and relaxed in her care. She supervised the children well during the inspection. Children were treated fairly and equally and were involved in the service. She promoted free play daily and we saw them choosing and deciding what they wanted to play with. When caring for babies she asked parents for ideas of favourite toys; then she planned activities they would enjoy. Children went outside and freely chose from an extensive range of play activities in the large garden and had fun on the trampoline. The childminder had developed various communication methods with parents to support continuity of care including text messages, telephone calls and we noted that daily conversations were the way parents preferred to keep informed and involved. The childminder had recently introduced a care plan for each individual child. Children's records were up to date. The childminder demonstrated that she had a sound knowledge of the children's individual needs and how she met these. She was well organised and enjoying her role. page 7 of 14
Health and wellbeing All children were supported to lead healthy lifestyles by having regular access to fresh air and exercise. Babies and younger children were able to rest or have a nap when needed. The parents were asked to provide lunch boxes for their child and the childminder promoted healthy eating in her service. Water was available should children be thirsty. The childminder managed behaviour in a calm, considerate way and was a very good role model for children to follow, reminding the children to have good manners. Children were encouraged to be considerate of others and were reminded to share and take turns. The childminder was aware of her role and responsibilities regarding child protection and demonstrated her understanding of keeping children safe. A suitable accident recording system was in place. The childminder had recently obtained a copy of the current medication guidance and had appropriate systems in place. Infection control procedures were in place with good attention given to hand washing with the children. We received four completed care standards questionnaires during this inspection, which showed us that the parents were very happy with the care provided and describing her as "approachable" and "helpful". Grade The quality of care and support is graded 5 - Very Good Requirements Number of requirements - 0 Recommendations Number of recommendations - 0 page 8 of 14
4 Quality of environment Findings from the inspection We noted the home was warm and welcoming and nicely decorated. The childminder had made good use of the space she had for play. This included the living room, kitchen diner, use of one bedroom, bathroom and the large bright conservatory (playroom) with door to the garden. She checked her home for safety before the children arrived, making sure all areas were safe. We saw a high standard of cleanliness. This showed us that she was aware of her role in maintaining a safe, suitable environment for the children. We saw a wide selection of toys and activities in the playroom, which ensured the children could choose from a large range of age-appropriate activities. We noted that all toys and equipment were in a good clean condition. During the inspection we saw the children choosing which toys they wanted and playing happily. When the school children came home they all wanted to play outside. The children had "free flow" play between in and outdoors during our inspection. The garden had a large range of toys and equipment as well-being able to plant and grow seeds in the greenhouse and "polycrub" (strong poly tunnel made locally). They also took the family dog for walks in the local area. We discussed where babies or young children could sleep or where older children could rest and relax. She told us she worked with the parents' wishes and made sure babies and toddlers could sleep when needed and had use of a travel cot in one bedroom. From looking at the care standards questionnaire we noted that parents and carers were happy with the childminder's home and garden. Grade The quality of environment is graded 5 - Very Good Requirements Number of requirements - 0 Recommendations Number of recommendations - 0 Childminder inspection report page 9 of 14
5 Quality of staffing We only assess this where the childminder employs an assistant. Childminder inspection report 6 Quality of management and leadership Findings from the inspection The childminder took her role and responsibilities as a registered childminder seriously and worked to provide a high quality childminding service. We looked at the policies and procedures she had developed which she shared with parents and carers when they first started. We saw some of these needed to be updated and made a recommendation she give attention to this. We saw childminding records were safely stored and well organised. We saw she had obtained public liability insurance as well as appropriate insurance cover for her home and vehicle. We noted she had submitted a Disclosure Scotland application for one of her children who had turned 16. We discussed how to store this information once the Disclosure Scotland certificate was received. This should be the certificate number and date only. We asked how she evaluated her service and she said she regularly talked with parents and made sure she was meeting their needs and that of the children. She had used questionnaires in the past but since the care plans were now in place planned to review these every six months. She told us this would be a good opportunity to ask for parents' views and if they were happy. We talked about how she involved the children and noted this was done informally in a general way. Training The childminder had a training record of courses attended and certificates received. We talked about the need to keep up to date with current practice and how training was one way of doing this. We shared information about "My World Outdoors" and other best practice guidance. We discussed how knowledge and skills gained through training would improve her practice and keep her updated about changes in legislation. page 10 of 14
We noted recent training she had attended included: - first aid - child protection awareness - food hygiene - 'Getting it Right for Every Child' (GIRFEC). Grade The quality of management and leadership is graded 5 - Very Good Requirements Number of requirements - 0 Recommendations Number of recommendations - 1 1. The childminder must review her documents and update with the new contact details for the Care Inspectorate. She must also update her child protection policy add the contact details of the relevant professionals. Reference: National care standards, early education and childcare up to the age of 16 years. Standard 14: well-managed service. page 11 of 14
7 What the service has done to meet any recommendations or requirements we made at our last inspection Previous requirements There are no outstanding requirements. 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 N/A page 12 of 14
11 Inspection and grading history Date Type Gradings Childminder inspection report 27 Apr 2012 Announced (Short Notice) Care and support Environment Staffing Management and Leadership 5 - Very Good 5 - Very Good 5 - Very Good Not Assessed page 13 of 14
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 Childminder inspection report 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 14 of 14