About Me
Q. How long have you been working in childcare?
- I have worked in childcare for over 8 years. I started working in a nursery whilst doing my training, and have had experience of working as a teaching assistant, Out of School Club leader and Nanny as well as being a Senior Practitioner in Private Day Care Settings
Q. Why did you decide to become a childminder?
- After the birth of my first child, I appreciated the need for a service that was personal and could fit around the needs of a family, with a flexibility some other services were unable to offer. I wanted to provide provision that would only have a small number of children so I could focus on the needs of each individual child. In studying for my foundation degree I realised the importance of home life in early childhood and wanted to be able to provide a safe, clean and happy environment for all the children I care for.
Q. Are you a member of NCMA?
- Yes, I am a registered member of the National Child Minding Association who not only provides insurance, can also provide help and advice to both me and the parents and families I work with.
About My Training
Q. What relevant qualifications do you have?
- I have a Level 5 Foundation Degree in Young Children's Learning & Development. I have also completed the Diploma in Home-based Childcare unit 1.
Q. What other training have you done?
- I have always been committed to learning as much as I can to enhance the care I can provide to the children and families I work with. As well as holding a current paediatric first aid certificate, I have also attended the following courses:
- Child Protection
- Using Empathy Dolls to develop emotional awareness
- Early Years Foundation Stage - practitioners in private, voluntary and independent settings
- Food Hygiene
- Self Managing Leadership
- Promoting Positive Behaviour
- Treasure Baskets & Heuristic Play
- Supporting Early Years Children with Sensory Impairment
- Finance & Sustainability for Childminders
- Displaying Children's work
Q. Do you belong to a childminding group or network?
- I am a member of the Harrogate Childminding Association, which provides a network of support to its members across Harrogate and the surrounding area.
Q. Are you taking part in a quality assurance scheme?
- I am hoping to become part of the Lead Childminder scheme - Watch This Space!
About our Home
Q. How many children can you look after?
- The number of children I care for will depend on the ages of the children I have in attendance and comply with the ratios set out in my registration certificate, and include my own children.
- A childminder may care for:
- A maximum of six children under the age of 8;
- Of these six children, a maximum of three may be young children, however where 4 and 5-year-old children only attend the childminding setting before and/or after a normal school day, they may be classed as children over the age of 5 for the purposes of the adult-child ratio;
- Exceptions to these ratios can be made for siblings and to provide continuity of care in certain circumstances by Ofsted, provided that the total number of children under the age of 8 being cared for does not exceed six.
Q. Do you have any children of your own? How old are they?
Q. How do you make sure you keep a good working relationship with parents?
- I aim to provide honest, open and professional communications and hope to build up good relationships with all the children's parents. I feel that this is necessary to provide consistent care between my home and yours to help the children feel settled and secure. I value the opinions and suggestions of parents as this will help us to continually improve our service to all.
Q. What arrangements do you have for meals and snacks?
- As part of our service, we will provide all nutritious home-cooked meals and snacks for children in the setting. We will do our best to cater for special dietary requirements and work alongside parents to maintain a healthy diet for the children. As my partner is a chef I hope to be able to inspire the children to help out in the kitchen too, and create menus that will encourage healthy eating. Children are welcome, however, to bring their own healthy packed lunch if they wish to. Fruit will be available throughout the day and drinks offered regularly.
Q. What do you consider unacceptable behaviour, and how do you deal with it?
- We define unacceptable behaviour as any behaviour that will cause purposeful distress or harm to other people, beings or objects. This could include bullying, discrimination, unreasonableness, harassment, violence, abuse, undesirable language and a general lack of respect. To try and manage behaviour in our home, we have a set of house rules and a policy to promote positive behaviour. All children and adults involved with the setting will be required to adhere to these at all times. Parents will be informed if when their children are misbehaving, and we will try to work together to deal with the issue. Parents will be asked to sign an agreement for promoting positive behaviour within the setting and provide positive role models to the children. Parents who fail to comply with these policies will be asked to withdraw their children. We aim to avoid having to deal with incidents of negative behaviour by always promoting positive behaviour and actions and by providing praise and encouragement.
Q. Which festivals and special occasions do you celebrate and how?
- We may celebrate any significant special occasion or festival that the children show an interest in, and encourage parents to inform me of any religious or cultural celebrations so I can try to incorporate these into our setting. This has included children's birthdays, Chinese New Year, Easter, Bonfire Night, Diwali Harvest Festival and many more. We will do activities and crafts themed around the celebrations, taste foods or make decorations, to help us learn about the world and lives of those in our community.
Getting Out and About
Q. What would you do in an emergency involving yourself or one of the children?
- We have comprehensive emergency procedures covering accident and emergencies, incidents and missing children. Please ask to see a copy of our Policy & Procedure handbook.
Q. Do you ever take the children out in the car and if so, do you have suitable insurance cover, seat belts and car seats?
- Yes, our car is registered and fully insured for childminding. We have suitable seat belts, and use suitable car seats depending on age, height, etc.
Q. Do you and the children regularly go on outings during the week?
- We like to promote a healthy active lifestyle by going outside at least once a day. We may go for a walk locally to the park or shops, walk to school and back and may visit the Valley Gardens in Harrogate to feed the ducks and play in the play area
Q. Do you ever go on special trips out?
- Occasionally we will go on trips further afield. Parents will be informed of these trips in advance. We have previously been to York Train Museum, Knaresborough Castle, St Leonards Farm Park, and to visit Matilda the Hedgehog!
Q. Do you have pets or a garden?
- We are lucky to have a large garden which has a playhouse, climbing frame and lots of outdoor equipment. We like to take the activities outside in the summer and sometimes play in the paddling pool. We also have a veggie plot and several fruit trees. We like to promote healthy eating and encourage the children to have a go at caring for and growing plants and vegetables. We have 3 fish.
Q. What do you do about holidays – both ours and yours?
- Please contact us to see our current Admissions, Opening Times and Fees Policy for current prices.
Meeting Registration Requirements
Q. How do you make sure the individual needs of each child are met?
- As a childminder I will only care for a small number of children, as I feel this means I have more time to focus on the individual needs of the children and provide each child with a greater level of attention. Each child will have their own profile, detailing all about their individual requirements and interests. Using information from both the children's families and observing them at my setting I will be able to plan activities that will engage and interest them, and provide the right equipment and experiences for their needs.
Q. How do you support the EYFS?
- Having worked for several years in Early Years settings I am experienced with implementing the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum within nursery schools. I have also attended a course explaining how the EYFS can be used to benefit children in care settings. All my planning for activities and experiences for the children starts from each individual child. By using their interests and knowing about their current development I will plan activities that will stimulate and engage the children and aim to encourage their learning and development. I will learn more about the children through discussions with parents and family, and through constantly observing and assessing my provision.
Q. Can I see your registration and insurance certificates?
- Yes, all my relevant documentation will be shown to new parents when they are introduced to the setting. My registration certificate will be displayed on our welcome board.
Q. Can I see your Ofsted inspection report?
- I was given a “Good” overall in my last inspection, with an “outstanding” relating to the effectiveness of leadership and management in embedding ambition and driving improvement. Please contact me for the link to our report on the Ofsted website.
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