Twinkle Stars Childminding Service Child Minding Type of inspection: Unannounced Inspection completed on: 1 August 2016 Service provided by: Ramsay, Michaella Service provider number: SP2004933298 Care service number: CS2004075092
The service Introduction The childminding service is located in the city of Perth. The childminder provides a service from her second floor flat on the outskirts of the city. The minded children have access to the kitchen, living room and bathroom. A fully enclosed garden to the rear of the property is used for outside play. It is safe for the children to play and explore. The children can choose from a range of toys and activities both inside and out. During the inspection there was one young child being minded. The childminder told us that she has five other children who attend on a part time basis. The childminder is registered to provide a care 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 the childminder's family. Any other conditions unique to the service: - Minded children cannot be cared for by persons other than those stated on the registration certificate. - Overnight care will not be provided. - Minded children must be supervised when using the front and rear gardens. The childminder adheres to the conditions of her registration. What we did during our inspection We wrote this report following an unannounced inspection on 1 August 2016. We gave feedback to the childminder at the end of the inspection. As requested by us the service sent us a completed annual return. The service also sent us a self-assessment form. As requested by us the childminder issued questionnaires to parents to be returned to us. We received two completed questionnaires before the inspection. In addition to the information provided by parents we gathered information on the service from a range of other sources. These included: - a completed self-assessment from the childminder - observations of children during activities - observations of the childminder and her interactions with the children in her care - All About Me information - observations of the environment - a full range of policies and procedures kept by the childminder - discussions with the childminder - toys and resources - aims and objectives - parent questionnaires and parent comments - registration certificate - training records - insurance certificate - noticeboard. page 2 of 9
Views of people using the service We received two completed questionnaires from parents. They both strongly agreed that they were happy with the quality of care in the service. They told us, "Michaela is excellent at her job. Always happy to change hours to suit. Flexiblity is great." "My child loves all the activities that are provided." "This is a clean and safe childminder. New improvements to the garden are excellent." During the inspection we saw the childminder working with one small child. The relationship was warm and the child moved about the childminder's home happily and confidently. Self assessment The childminder had submitted a self-assessment of her service in advance of the inspection. The information contained in this was helpful during the inspection and in the writing of this report. What the service did well The service provided a very warm and caring atmosphere for children. The childminder was kind and respectful of the children. The childminder clearly enjoyed being with children and she told us that she wanted to provide a safe and happy place, offer a reliable service and create trusting relationships. She offered a flexible service to very young children and offered appropriate toys and experiences for them all. She made very good use of the local community and fun activities for all of the children. What the service could do better During the inspection we discussed some areas of recording that should be altered to ensure that they comply with best practice guidance. We looked at the sleeping arrangements for the youngest children and asked that the childminder consider these. 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 From the evidence gathered during the inspection we found that the service was performing to a very good standard in this area. The childminder had a very flexible approach to settling new children. She met with parents to gather information about daily routines and the likes and dislikes of all of the children. A series of visits were planned and these were tailored to the needs of each child. A completed online registration form contained all of the necessary information with parental contact details and medical information. This was updated every six months. An online diary allowed parents to have regular updates on their child's daily routine and their progress. Plans to help children with areas of learning and development were regularly shared with parents. The childminder followed routines from home and worked together with parents to support children. The childminder had training in child protection. Through our discussions it was clear that she had an understanding of child protection situations and knew how to contact agencies who would offer support, advice or action where necessary. We saw that the childminder had a policy on the administration of medication. We referred her to the Care Inspectorate website www.hub@careinspectorate.com for the most recent good practice guidance on this. The children benefitted from a very good variety of activities. The childminder understood the importance of sensory play for the youngest children. All of the children enjoyed arts and crafts and they made suggestions which were followed up. The childminder had made the decision not to provide food for children except on special occasions. She understood the importance of knowing if children had any food allergies or intolerances. She was careful when children were eating that they did not share food given from home. The childminder worked hard to provide a nurturing experience for the children in her care and we judged that she achieved this very well. She used her knowledge and training to encourage children to learn through play and activity. Requirements Number of requirements: 0 Recommendations Number of recommendations: 0 Grade: 5 - very good page 4 of 9
Quality of environment Findings from the inspection From the evidence gathered during the inspection we found that the service was performing to a very good standard in this area. The areas of the house used by the children were clean and very well organised. The children moved confidently around the house. The minded children used a playroom which was well equipped with a very wide range of resources. They were suitable to the ages and stages of the children. The resources were accessible to the children and we saw one child enjoying playing with small world toys. The children enjoyed lots of singing and dancing when they were unable to go outside. The childminder told us that she was aware of the need for children to be safe while in her care. She was well prepared for any outings with comprehensive risk assessments. She carried out a daily check of her home and garden. Minded children had very regular active, outdoor play and exercise. They walked to and from nursery each day. They played in the back garden with a very good range of toys. They enjoyed sand and water play. The childminder made good use of the local parks. They often visited the museum and library. They enjoyed social events with other childminders and their children. The childminder spoke regularly to the children about how to cross the road safely and about stranger danger. The childminder had a robust approach to infection prevention and control. We did not see a nappy change during the inspection but we were happy that the correct procedure was followed. Children were encouraged to follow good hand hygiene routines. The childminder adhered strictly to the exclusion policy for sickness in children. She explained this clearly to parents. Younger children had the opportunity to sleep during the day. Parents were happy for their child to sleep in their buggies. We spoke about the importance of a safe and comfortable sleeping position for babies and toddlers. We asked that she discussed this with parents. Information about accidents and incidents was recorded appropriately and shared with parents. 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 From the evidence gathered during the inspection we found that the service was performing to a very good standard in this area. We concluded this after talking with the childminder and looking at supporting policies and individual records. She had clear aims for her service which included: - to provide a quality and comprehensive childcare - to treat each child as an individual - to have an excellent relationship with parents - to provide a fun and stimulating environment. We considered that she achieved her aims. The childminder had a very organised and professional approach to her record keeping. She had recently begun to use an online system to keep information on children and to communicate with parents. The childminder told us that she felt that this had allowed her to improve her communication with parents. Parents confirmed that they were very happy and liked the daily information which was shared. She made very good use of photographs to share the activities and experiences of children with their parents. During the inspection we saw evidence that the childminder was knowledgeable about the SHANARRI approach to Getting It Right For Every Child. She was using this in different aspects of record keeping. We found that using this child centred approach had a very positive impact on all aspects of the children's care and experiences. We saw that the childminder carried out regular evaluations of her service. She was responsive to the views of parents and very flexible in her approach. Parents and children were asked for suggestions for new toys and resources. The childminder was very committed to her own learning and development. She did research and reading as well as completing training courses. We saw that these had a positive impact on the quality of her service. She was part of a group of local childminders who worked to support and advise eachother. The childminder promoted openness with the families with whom she worked. She had a complaints policy which was shared with parents. This contained all of the necessary information. A full range of policies was shared with parents when they began to use the service. From all of the evidence that we saw we concluded that parents and children were very happy with the service that the childminder provided. This was confirmed by the comments in our questionnaire. Requirements Number of requirements: 0 page 6 of 9
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 What the service has done to meet any recommendations we made at or since the last inspection Previous 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 24 Sep 2012 Announced (short notice) Care and support 5 - Very good Environment 5 - Very good Staffing 5 - Very good Management and leadership Not assessed 9 Nov 2010 Announced Care and support 5 - Very good Environment Not assessed Staffing Not assessed Management and leadership Not assessed 12 Oct 2009 Announced (short notice) Care and support 4 - Good Environment Not assessed Staffing 4 - Good Management and leadership Not assessed 11 Apr 2008 Announced (short notice) Care and support 5 - Very good Environment 4 - Good Staffing 5 - Very good 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