An Ayrshire childminding service has been handed a positive report card from the Care Inspectorate.
Nicola’s Childminding Service, based in Coylton, was said to have "important strengths” in the care provided.
And the service, run by Nicola McPike, was graded ‘good’ for care and support and for the quality of its environment following an unannounced inspection, which took place over two days in April and May.
The service is registered to care for six children at any one time under the age of 16.
An extract from the Care Inspectorate report said children were “settled and happy” in the care of the childminder and her assistant, Carly Hiddleston; they had formed “positive relationships” with their friends, the childminder and assistant and with the childminder’s son.
The Care Inspectorate also received 10 responses to its online questionnaire.
Parents “spoke highly” of the service, they “valued” the care their children received and were “happy with every aspect” of the service.
The report goes on: “The childminder and her assistant provided warm and nurturing care and support.
“As a result, children were happy, confident and settled in the setting.
“And the childminder demonstrated that she knew children’s individual needs, preferences and personalities.
“She had developed appropriate personal plans for all children, which outlined how she would meet their needs.”
The scrutiny body also noted that the childminder “communicated well” with parents, using regular discussions and information technology effectively to share details about their children’s experiences and care routines.
This, in turn, helped parents to be “fully involved” in planning their child’s care and in their daily experiences.
The report goes on: “During our inspection, children had lots of fun playing with their friends and practising their skills with balls and sit-and-ride toys. Children told us that they always had fun at the service and could play outdoors every day.”
In addition, the childminder provided “a range of meals and snacks” to children and she took account of NHS Health Scotland’s “setting the table” and the Care Inspectorate’s ‘Food Matters’ campaigns to ensure that food was “nutritious” and that kids had a “balanced diet.”
Quality of staffing, management and leadership were graded 'adequate' while infection prevention and control procedures, including enhanced cleaning arrangements, were "effective", helping the childminder reduce the risk of infection in her home.
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