Helen's Happitots Childminding Penicuik Inspection completed on 09 April 2015
Service provided by: Foster, Helen Service provider number: SP2014985778 Care service number: CS2014324661 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 0845 600 9527 www.careinspectorate.com @careinspect page 2 of 14
1 Introduction The Care Inspectorate regulates care services in Scotland. Information about all care services is available on our website at www.careinspectorate.com. Helen Foster, referred to as 'the childminder' in this report, is registered to provide a service to a maximum of six children 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 the childminder's family. The service is provided from the childminder's home in a residential area in Penicuik, Edinburgh. The service is near local schools, shops and public transport. The children have access to the living room, kitchen, back garden, upstairs toilet and a playroom upstairs. The childminder had a set of aims which included: Childminder inspection report "I will be providing a safe warm environment to the children I am minding. I shall teach them through playing activities and outings. I shall also show them a homely environment doing day to day things with them such as homework or trips to the shops. I will treat the children I am minding the way I'd expect my own to be treated. I will work with parents to discuss objectives we can work on regarding their children's learning and growth. I will aim to be as flexible as I can possibly be to suit the needs of both the parents and children." What we did during our inspection We wrote this report following an unannounced inspection. This was carried out by an inspector of the Care Inspectorate. The inspection took place on Thursday 9 April 2015 between 8.30am and 10am. We gave feedback to the childminder on the same day. As part of the inspection, we took account of the completed annual return and self-assessment forms that we asked the childminder to complete and submit to us. We sent four care standards questionnaires to the manager to distribute to relatives and carers of people who used the service. Two completed questionnaires were returned before the inspection. page 3 of 14
During this inspection we gathered evidence from a number of sources, including the following: We spoke with: The children The childminder We looked at: Evidence from the most recent self assessment Children's records Accident and incident records Written policies and procedures Observation and inspection of the environment, toys and equipment Observation of childminder's interactions with the children Children's development summaries Childminder's training documents Information for parents We have taken account of all of the above information when writing this report. Please note that parents and carers will be referred to as parents throughout the report. Views of people using the service There were two minded children under the age of five and the childminder's own children present during our inspection. All children were comfortable in the childminder's care and seemed confident to ask for help or to get some different toys out. We received two completed care standards questionnaires from parents of children who attended the service. Both parents strongly agreed that overall they were happy with the care their child received in this service. 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. We received a fully completed self-assessment from the childminder in the new page 4 of 14
format. We were satisfied with the way this was completed and with the relevant information included. We advised the childminder that this form could be adapted throughout the year so a current self assessment remained available. What the service did well The childminder is outdoors with the children a lot. They all like to go out walking the dog and visiting local parks. The children enjoyed trips to other points of interest during the school holidays too. The childminder had built trusting relationships with the children who showed signs of feeling safe and secure in her care. What the service could do better The childminder now needs to organise her paperwork to ensure information held on children is in order and easy to find, this will ensure she adheres to personal plan legislation. She should update the information every six months and ensure she is noting how children are progressing and how she is helping them to achieve things they find more difficult. This will help to ensure children's development is supported and documented so it can be shared with parents and other professionals. 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 3 - Adequate 3 - Adequate not assessed 3 - Adequate page 5 of 14
3 Quality of care and support Findings from the inspection Childminder inspection report The childminder provided an adequate standard of care and support to children and their families. We assessed this through looking at how the childminder provided positive outcomes for children using the SHANARRI (Safe, Healthy, Achieving, Nurtured, Active, Respected, Responsible and Included) outcomes which were developed by the Scottish Government. Information on SHANARRI can be found at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/topics/people/young-people/ gettingitright We saw the children were able to ask for toys and equipment to play with. They appeared confident and happy in the childminder's care. The childminder told us she had built trusting relationships with the parents of the children she cared for. She communicated daily with them through text, chats and phone calls. We advised the childminder to begin to implement more formal ways for parents and children to feedback throughout the year. This will ensure they remain respected, included and valued. See recommendation one. The childminder had development summaries for some children. These were shared with parents and we saw that some parents wrote what their child's next goals were. One parent wanted their child to learn to use a knife and fork. This showed the childminder was recognising the children's support needs and getting parents involved in their next steps for learning. We advised the childminder that she should show how all children are progressing during their time using the service. As part of this inspection we focussed on how this service promoted children's health and wellbeing through infection prevention measures. We discussed nappy changing, toilet training, hand washing, food preparation and infectious disease procedures. The childminder had appropriate knowledge and understanding of infection control but should not use alcohol gels to replace hand washing. She should read: Health Protection Scotland (HPS), Infection Prevention and Control in Childcare Settings (Day care and Childminding Settings), March 2011. To ensure she is up to date with best practice. We also advised her to ensure the children's dignity and privacy when they use the potty. Children had opportunities to get fresh air and exercise daily by walking to school, playgroup or nursery. Younger children could enjoy the sights from their page 6 of 14
buggy or have a nap. The children present told us about some local trips they'd been on too. Providing these opportunities helped the children to be active and healthy. The childminder had a dog which the children loved taking out for walks. She ensured the children's health by making sure the dog had all its jags, health checks and promoting good hand hygiene too. The dog was friendly around us and was comfortable around the children. We viewed the medication records of a child. These were incomplete and needed to be much more detailed. See recommendation two. The childminder provided snacks for the children. She offered fruits, vegetables, wholemeal toast and diluting juice. We advised the childminder to ensure children's health is maintained by following 'Setting the table'; the new nutritional guidance for early years. The childminder should consider giving the children just water or milk to drink. Grade The quality of care and support is graded 3 - Adequate Requirements Number of requirements - 0 Recommendations Number of recommendations - 2 1. We recommend the childminder begin to formally seek the views and suggestions of children and parents in a variety of ways. This will help the childminder to demonstrate how she respects parents and children by including them in the planning and delivery of the service. National Care Standards Early Education and Childcare up to the age of 16. Standard 13 - Improving the Service. 2. We recommend that the childminder develop an effective system to record when medication has been given in the service in line with current best practice guidance. Permission forms should include: The name and date of birth of the child Childminder inspection report page 7 of 14
The name and dosage of medication to be given The time the medication is to be given and the time the last dosage was given The reason for the medication to be given If appropriate the length of time the medication is to be given Confirmation the parent or carer has given the first ever dose and sign to confirm there were no adverse reactions A parent or carer's signature giving permission for the service to give the medication The signature of the person who gave the medication A parent or carer's signature to evidence they have been told the medication has been given The child's name should be clearly written on the medication/or a pharmacists label should be on it There should be a daily audit of medication i.e. records of medication brought in from home, medication administered and medication sent home. This should be recorded. All medication should be provided by the parents and carers and not supplied by the service. More information can be found under the publications section of our website in the document named 'The management of medication in daycare and childminding services, Publication code:hcr-0514-087'. National Care Standards Early Education and Childcare up to the age of 16, Standard 3 - Health and wellbeing. 4 Quality of environment Findings from the inspection The childminder was performing to an adequate standard in this area. We concluded this following an inspection of the environment, observing children and speaking with the childminder. The garden was secured with a high fence. It provided children with a grassy area and a pathway to play. We saw there were toys and equipment to promote physical activity which promoted healthy lifestyles. page 8 of 14
The house was in a good state of repair. The childminder had safety gates where needed and this stopped the children having access to any hazardous substances or to the stairs unaided. We saw she was aware of what the children were doing and reminded them of safety rules when needed. This helped to maintain the children's health and kept them safe. Regular fire drills and testing the alarms helped make sure they were in working order. It also got the children used to evacuating the house which meant they were more likely to be prepared in case of an emergency. Risk assessments were carried out annually and checked every six months or so. We advised the childminder to note on them when she made something safer, fixed something faulty or carried out any maintenance on the home. The home appeared clean and tidy, the children's playroom had lots of toys, books and play equipment for the children to explore and investigate. The home in general was bright, warm and comfortable. The childminder should remind the children to flush the toilet after use; younger children may still need reminding to do this. The children had a variety of toys for all ages and they seemed comfortable to go select things they wanted to play with. The children were learning to be responsible by tidying up one set of toys before getting more out. This helped to ensure the floor did not become dangerous with tripping hazards. Grade The quality of environment is graded 3 - Adequate Requirements Number of requirements - 0 Recommendations Number of recommendations - 0 5 Quality of staffing We only assess this where the childminder employs an assistant. page 9 of 14
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6 Quality of management and leadership Findings from the inspection Childminder inspection report The childminder was performing to an adequate standard in this area. We concluded this after observing the children, speaking with the childminder and looking at relevant documents. The childminder was gathering information on each child which helped her to plan their care. However, some parents had not completed the forms and none had been updated. We informed the childminder that all information held on children should be updated every six months and the information gathered should be consistent for every child. This would ensure the childminder adheres to legislation surrounding personal plans. See recommendation one. The childminder had started to keep development records on some of the children. We advised her to use the wellbeing indicators from 'Getting it Right for Every Child' to demonstrate children's positive outcomes. Whilst looking at the children's files we saw some documents were not filed correctly. The childminder should ensure that all paperwork for each child is stored in their own folder or file. This will help make sure nothing is lost and can be easily reviewed at inspection. The childminder was aware of her responsibility to report certain events to us. For example, a serious accident that resulted in a hospital visit. This would ensure the childminder got support to risk assess the situation and see if anything could be put in place to prevent future injuries and keep children safe. The childminder had attended some course and undertaken online training in a number of areas, such as; food safety, first aid, child protection, bullying and GIRFEC. She should continue to update her knowledge and skills in a variety of areas. We suggested she use the document 'Building the Ambition' to compliment her practice. She should also begin to research the Care Inspectorate and The Hub websites to ensure she is up to date with best practice. Grade The quality of management and leadership is graded 3 - Adequate page 11 of 14
Requirements Number of requirements - 0 Recommendations Number of recommendations - 1 1. We recommend the childminder ensures all information regarding minded children and their care needs is reviewed at least once every six months. All information should be stored correctly. This will help to ensure that an appropriate personal plan is in place and remains up to date. This is to ensure the childminder meets current legislation and care and support remains relevant to children's individual needs. National Care Standards Early Education and Childcare up to the age of 16. Standard 6 - Support and Development. 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. page 12 of 14
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 NA 11 Inspection and grading history This service does not have any prior inspection history or grades. 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?in eile ma nithear iarrtas. page 14 of 14