Scotland's Mini Monkeys Child Minding Type of inspection: Announced (short notice) Inspection completed on: 28 August 2017 Service provided by: Scotland, Lauren Service provider number: SP2012984198 Care service number: CS2012312658
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 If we are concerned about some aspect of a service, or think it could do more to improve, we may make a recommendation or requirement. - A recommendation is a statement that sets out actions the care service provider should take to improve or develop the quality of the service, but where failure to do so will not directly result in enforcement. Recommendations are based on the National Care Standards, relevant codes of practice and recognised good practice. - A requirement is a statement which sets out what is required of a care service to comply with the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010 and Regulations or Orders made under the Act or a condition of registration. Where there are breaches of Regulations, Orders or Conditions, a requirement must be made. Requirements are legally enforceable at the discretion of the Care Inspectorate. We are committed to improving the health and wellbeing of all children receiving a care service to ensure they have the best start in life, are ready to succeed and live longer, healthier lives. The Care Inspectorate has an important role to play in supporting this approach in inspecting care services for children. The Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) approach is underpinned by the principles of prevention and early intervention. It is a consistent way for people to work with all children and young people. The approach helps practitioners focus on what makes a positive difference for children and young people, and how they can act to deliver these improvements. Getting it Right for Every Child is being threaded through all existing policy, practice, strategy and legislation affecting children, young people and their families. In Scotland, the Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) approach puts wellbeing at the very heart of its approach. The eight 'indicators' of wellbeing that form the basis of GIRFEC are - safe, healthy, achieving, nurtured, active, respected, responsible and included - often referred to as 'SHANARRI.' Information relating to this can be found at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/topics/people/young-people/gettingitright The service was delivered from the family home in Fishcross with access to various resources in the neighbouring villages including school, nursery, soft play and local parks. The stated aims of the service were "To provide a warm, caring and safe environment; to provide a wide variety of activities including learning through play with a range of toys, craft and creative opportunities and visits to toddlers, parks and other local facilities; to encourage healthy eating and outdoor fun as long as the weather permits and to respect each child as an individual and along with parents/carers create a care plan which will meet the needs of each individual child and the needs of their families." The statement of objectives for the service had been included in the information pack for parents. page 2 of 9
What we did during our inspection We wrote this report following a short notice announced inspection which took place on Monday 28 August 2017 between 9.30 and 11.15am. During this inspection process we looked around the areas of the childminder's home used by minded children and gathered evidence from: - Annual return and self assessment documents. - Children's information folders. - Information booklet for parents. - Questionnaires used to gather parents feedback. - Policies including medication and infection control. - Plan for Mini-bus seating. - Accident records. - Certificate of registration. - Public liability insurance. - Minutes of meetings. - Observation of practice. - Training records. Views of people using the service Two pre-school children were present during the inspection. They were playing imaginative games with the playhouses and figures. They were settled and relaxed in the care of the chilminder, who knew them well. Throughout the inspection, she offered them different activities that she knew they liked doing, such as drawing. Children experienced being supported in what they were doing and given. 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. The self assessment relates to Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) document. The childminder completed this document with information about the service she provided for children. She told us how she communicated with parents, involved children and parents in her service and provided a safe environment for them. Every year all care services complete a 'self assessment' telling us how their service is performing. We check to make sure this is accurate What the service did well The childminder had good relationships with children, interacting with them in a calm and supportive way. She encouraged children in what they were doing and helped them share toys and play well together. page 3 of 9
What the service could do better The childminder was in the process of varying her registration to work with her sister. 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 5 - Very Good not assessed 4 - Good Quality of care and support Findings from the inspection The childminder gathered a range of information about children and used this to plan their care. When they started to use her service the childminder recorded information about how children had settled to ensure it was a positive experience for them. She talked knowledgeably about the children she cared for and how she supported them. Through discussion the childminder told us how she talked with parents about any issues. This meant everyone had up-to-date information and could agree on the most appropriate action to take so children were well supported. For example, advising they should contact other services for information and offering to attend meetings with them. Opportunities were available to talk with the childminder every day and she also used daily connect to share information with parents. Plans were also reviewed with them every six months. We talked to the childminder about further developing the personal plans by including information discussed with parents. She could link children's experiences to the SHANARRI wellbeing indicators. Parents had given consent for their children to be involved in a range of activities, have photographs taken and go on outings. Parents therefore knew what activities their children could be involved in. Facebook was used as a way of sharing information about the activities children were involved in. We saw that they went to the park, walks with the dog, did arts and craft, played with construction and toys that promoted imaginative play. Throughout the inspection we saw that children had fun and were well supported in what they were doing. Because the childminder understood the needs of children, she interacted with them in a positive and calm way which helped them have positive experiences. She encouraged children to make decisions as they were given choices about what they wanted to do. This was done verbally or with picture cards which ensured all children were included in the process. Through discussion we were satisfied that the childminder had a good understanding about her role in safeguarding children. She talked about approaches she had taken to ensure children could talk about any worries they had so that they felt supported and how she shared information with parents. Parents provide packed lunches for children which the childminder served. We saw that snack time was a positive social experience for children as they sat together at the table to eat their fruit. If children were having a party or celebrating a birthday, the childminder always got parent's permission before giving children any food. page 4 of 9
Requirements Number of requirements: 0 Recommendations Number of recommendations: 0 Grade: 4 - good Quality of environment Findings from the inspection Since her last inspection a conservatory had been added to the childminder's home. This offered children a dedicated space to play in, with direct access to a fully enclosed garden area. The childminder continued to provide a homely environment for children which was welcoming and friendly. There were established systems in place to ensure the environment was clean, risk assessed and well maintained. This ensured that children could play safely in and outdoors. The childminder used the space well to organise activities for children. Resources were stored in a way that enabled children to choose what they wanted to do. They liked playing with the dolls houses with play people. The childminder supported children well in their play. This approach ensured children experienced a caring, inclusive and respectful environment where they were valued. The back garden was fully enclosed and safe for children to play. There was large equipment where children could develop their physical skills and a large grass area where they could run around in. The childminder made very good use of community resources to extend children's experiences. They went on walks in the woods, to the park and attended childminding groups. The childminder used a mini-bus to transport children. She had a plan in place which showed that children were seated in a way that promoted their safety and ensured appropriate seats could be fitted. There was a record of maintenance which demonstrated that the mini-bus was regularly maintained. There was an appropriate system in place to record accidents. We asked the childminder to include information about any first aid treatment she administered. The childminder promoted very good infection control procedures and followed best practice guidance standards. Children were encouraged to wash their hands after using the toilet and before eating. Each child had individual towels to minimise the spread of infection. Requirements Number of requirements: 0 page 5 of 9
Recommendations Number of recommendations: 0 Grade: 5 - very good Quality of staffing This quality theme was not assessed. Quality of management and leadership Findings from the inspection The childminder is in the process of varying her registration so she will work with her sister. Minutes of their meetings outlined how they were going to put their plans into action. They had reviewed their policies and procedures, developed risk assessments for the new premises, agreed roles and responsibilities and compiled an information leaflet for parents. We asked the chilminder to add an anti-bullying policy and one in relation to the pet dog. Since her last inspection the childminder had undertaken training in child protection and attended workshops at the nursery. She also used information from the Care Inspectorate Hub, the Scottish Childminding Association, the internet and various publications. The childminding group was also used to organise training or workshops. The speech therapist had been invited. We asked the childminder to record how her learning and research had helped improve the service for families. The childminder had developed good relationships with parents and children and welcomed feedback about her service. Along with her sister, she was keen to involve parents and children to influence the development of the service. She should continue to develop ways they can participate and record some of the feedback and suggestions that are used to make changes. The childminder recognised the importance of working with other services and talked about her involvement with the nursery and school children went to. This helped everyone work together to support children. The childminder displayed information about her service for parents. This included her certificate of registration and public liability insurance. We advised the childminder about the new Health and Social Care Standards that will be used from April 2018 to inspect care services and to be aware of any training or information in relation to them. Requirements Number of requirements: 0 page 6 of 9
Recommendations Number of recommendations: 0 Grade: 4 - good 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 16 Dec 2013 Announced (short notice) Care and support 4 - Good Environment 4 - Good Staffing 4 - Good Management and leadership Not assessed 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