www.kidstogo.co.uk Copyright Kay Woods 2015

Childminding Best Practice Newsletter Issue 7: Summer 2015

Welcome to the Summer 2015 Childminding Best Practice Newsletter. I produce this newsletter four times a year to promote childminding best practice topics with a focus on safety, health, diversity awareness and childminding in the great outdoors (Forest Childcare). I also use it to highlight any changes to legislation or policy that may affect your childminding business.

In this issue:

Forest Childcare Association news and stories – members describe their outdoor experiences, plus business and activity ideas

Crafts including sun safety printable

Kay Woods – Kids To Go on Social Media

Daring to ask: do you really love the childminded children?

Safety and Health best practice – with a focus on Fire Safety First Aid Pop Quiz: choking

Fire safety

Stranger danger

Inspirational best practice

Make your own busy boxes

EYFS Paperwork, Policy and Legislation News: included updates to policies for British Values and Prevent

First aid pop quiz: what’s the first thing you should do?

Using the Forest Childcare logo to help promote your business

Bears craft

www.kidstogo.co.uk Copyright Kay Woods 2015

Free product updates

The next issue (Autumn) will be coming out in September 2015 Thank you to everyone who sent in contributions to this newsletter. I welcome contributions from readers on all aspects of childminding best practice. Happy reading! Kay

www.kidstogo.co.uk Copyright Kay Woods 2015

Forest Childcare Association news

Members of the Forest Childcare Association use weekly outdoor outings as a way

to promote their childcare settings and make them stand out from the competition.

It’s a great way to attract parents to your setting as well as a wonderful

commitment to the children you look after.

How to use the Forest Childcare logo to promote your business. Case

study: Charlie Bear’s Nursery, Seaford

Charlie Bear is a small new nursery managed by Anita Ryciak. When Anita joined

the Forest Childcare Association she wrote: “Our regular outdoor activities and

experiential learning in the natural environment are our best unique selling point

(USP) and becoming a member of the Forest Childcare Association we hope will

aid us to start a new direction for smaller nurseries to emulate.”

“We are wonderfully placed in a locality with some amazing outdoor resources.

The famous 'Severn Sisters' are just at the top of our golf course and we have

Friston Forest, the Cuckmere Valley and Beachy Head within a few minutes’ drive.

I have been lucky enough to be granted a small allotment patch within a secure

gated Seaford Community Garden within our adjoining park grounds.”

Charlie Bear’s Nursery use the Forest Childcare Association logo on their website

and other marketing materials like this postcard to help to attract new parents to

the nursery.

Wildtime for Schools

This site is full of loads of ideas for outdoor play and activities. Although it says it is

for schools, many of these activities are perfect to adapt for pre-school age

children or to do with school children over the summer holidays.

Forest Childcare members make a commitment to weekly outdoor outings.

The children at Charlie Bears Nursery out in the snow.

www.kidstogo.co.uk Copyright Kay Woods 2015

“Then the child said: Is this one of those moments I am lucky to see?”

Where Memories Are Made – contributed by Bev Metcalf, childminder

from Sunderland

If I ask all my kids were they want to go they will always say this woods (Ayton's

Wood Offerton) as they love it and a few weeks ago I was lucky enough with one

child to listen and watch a wood pecker. Me and the seven year old both stood

and the child said, "Auntie Bev, is this one of those moments that I am lucky to

see?"

I told them yes you are. Then the child said, “I will remember it for the rest of

my life!” It brought a smile to my face and tears to my eyes!

Building Familiarity with Wild Places by Repeating Visits –

contributed by Melissa Swain of Squirrels Childcare

We are loving Forest Childcare. We go out at least once a week but in reality it is

usually 2-3 times as some children would then miss out each week. We plan the

week ahead and try to ensure that if a child didn't experience the activities the

week before that we bring things back to the setting so the child can join in. We

also then make sure we go to the same locations on a cycle, but on different days

to enable the children to become familiar with the forests, parks and country parks

we use, to build up their confidence, geographical awareness and ability to

recognise where we are and where to go.

Many of the locations are familiar to the children as their parents take them but for

those who don't get to visit these lovely places this is a real adventure and maybe

the only time they have visited them. Therefore the repetition of visits helps

familiarity.

www.kidstogo.co.uk Copyright Kay Woods 2015

“We have been busy making sun catchers with the flowers that we find.”

Bringing the outside in to make a Magic Garden – submitted by

Jacqui Waterman

The children are always so interested in what else they can find during our time in

the woods, whether it's bark, sticks, leaves, flowers, bugs and other creatures. We

went out there the other day and found a badger hole, very exciting!! They love

going on scavenger hunts as they learn so much and are so interested in

everything that we found outside.

With the items of wildlife that we find, we then bring it back into our setting and

make things out of them. For example, we have been busy making sun catchers

with the flowers that we find, leaf painting, using the sticks as a butterflies body,

using chunkier sticks for the base of mobiles.

We have most definitely tried our hardest

to bring the outside, inside. We know how

much the children love outdoor play here

and we thought what would be better than

trying to create and outside feel into one of

our rooms? We have now named it our

'magic garden'. Everything the children

have made e.g. butterflies, ladybirds, bees,

flowers etc. has all been hung from the

ceiling so it makes the room that little bit

more interesting for them when they come

in. Their first reaction when they saw it was

"WOW!".

www.kidstogo.co.uk Copyright Kay Woods 2015

Our messy craft this afternoon was bear face collages, made with porridge oats, for texture, mixed with dried ginger, for fragrance. We kept the faces clear of oats by guiding the children with the glue and strategically placing an obstructing hand where we didn't want the oats. Contributed by Lynne Hartley and the Jack In A Box Registered Childminders

Promote sun safety by downloading this simple sun safety printable.

Art Project Idea and Free Activity Printable for Summer

Here are two summer craft and activity ideas for your setting. Download the sun safety printable or make some porridge bears to explore senses.

www.kidstogo.co.uk Copyright Kay Woods 2015

Kay Woods – Kids To Go on Social Media

Free Webinar from CBI England: Using social media safely for

marketing your childcare setting

Many childcare providers have concerns about using social media for marketing

their setting and yet many in the sector are using it safely and effectively to

communicate with parents and keep their profile high in the local area. This

webinar is for those who want to use social media for marketing and learn how to

set up and manage it in their settings in a safe and controlled manner. We will

cover; how to use Facebook / Twitter / Google+ and Youtube // the basics on

getting started with a Facebook page // how to use it safely and set up social

media policies for staff // understanding how powerful it is for marketing and how

you can use it to help you increase interest and take up in your setting.

We are running FREE webinars throughout the year so hit the link if you would like

to attend the next one and we will send you the details!

‘Do you love the childminded children’ and other reasons to get

connected with other childminders on Facebook

When I first started childminding I didn’t know any other childminders. It was hard,

at first, to meet them through childminder drop ins and library sessions and it took

an even longer time to get to know them well enough to express any fears or

discuss problems I was having. It was hard to talk to my council support worker

because anything I really wanted to know I felt I had to ‘filter’ through a lens of

looking and sounding like the ‘outstanding’ childminder I was hoping to become.

One thing bothered me more than anything else. I was looking after a little boy the

same age as my own little girl. I played with him, enjoyed watching him grow and

taking him places, enjoyed the developing friendship I saw between him and my

daughter and felt very fond of him. But I didn’t really ‘love’ him. Not in the same

way I loved my daughter. I felt awful about this. It was a little guilty secret. I looked

after him every day. He spent more of his waking life with me than he did with his

own mother. I worried that something inside of me was broken in some way.

It was years before I knew any childminders well enough in my area to realise that

this was in fact a perfectly normal way to feel. One childminder who had previously

been a teacher laughed at me – you don’t imagine that a teacher actually loves all

30 children do you? Of course not. Why should childminders feel any differently?

Childminding is a deeply isolating profession which can make it very difficult to

express feelings like this in front of others especially anything that might make

people question your feelings towards the children you care for. This was why I

was delighted when a few weeks ago someone posted on the Facebook group

Childminding For You the following question:

www.kidstogo.co.uk Copyright Kay Woods 2015

“I love my job (most days lol) as I’m sure we all do. Do you LOVE all your mindees

though? I care for all mine equally and we obviously grow attached to them, but is

it wrong that I don't actually LOVE all of them, just a couple of them?”

In the space of a morning around 75 people replied to the post sharing their own

feelings with the 9000 members of the Facebook group in a direct and honest way.

How refreshing to read honesty such as:

“I wouldn't say I love any of them. I am more attached to some than others but

that's the extent of it. Possibly because of my previous job in nursing I got used to

separating myself”

“I love all my mindees apart from one. He is only 18 months but his parents don't

pay on time and they are always dropping off and picking up late and it's annoying.

The child looks at you like something from the bottom of your shoe…”

“Love em all (but some at the moment I don't particularly like!)”

“I don't LOVE any of them. I care for them dearly, some more than others but I

wouldn't feel a sense of grief if they left, I'd feel sad, yes, but … love is saved for

my own family only.”

“I have 9 children on my books and I can honestly say I truly love 2 of them, 5 I

would miss terribly if they weren't here and 2 just wind me up!!!”

I thought to myself as I read their answers, if only, if only groups like this had

existed back when I started childminding! I could have saved myself months of

private fears agonizing that there was something wrong with my heart for not

loving my first mindee as much as I loved my own little girl.

I am sure there are other childminding groups out there on Facebook but this

group, run by a dedicated team of moderators, is by far the best I have come

across. Especially if you feel isolated in any way, if you don’t have childminding

groups in your area, then I highly recommend joining Childminding For You

where you can become part of an instant community of childminders, asking

honest questions and sharing answers.

Like me on Facebook and enter my prize draw!

Please like me on Facebook. When I reach 1000 likes three lucky childminders will

be selected to win vouchers for my products.

Like me on Facebook

www.kidstogo.co.uk Copyright Kay Woods 2015

Safety and Health

First Aid Pop Quiz The child is choking on a piece of apple. What is the FIRST thing you should do? CLICK HERE or scroll down to reveal the answer.

Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents Free Newsletter Organisation has a free newsletter you can sign up for plus lots of great resources and a shop which sells some good safety resources:

Choke Hazard: Jelly Cubes Following a Coroner’s inquest into the death of a young child who sadly choked on a cube of jelly during a sensory play session, the Food Standards Agency is warning Early Years providers about the danger of allowing young children to play with jelly cubes. I remember my daughter’s nursery used to do this when she was a baby – but I doubt they do it anymore.

Get art projects, colouring pages and activities for 15 safety and health topics for childminders with a Be Safe Be Healthy Pack.

www.kidstogo.co.uk Copyright Kay Woods 2015

Fire Safety for Childminders One really important area of safety that childminders can be complacent about is fire safety. There is no point fitting smoke detectors if you don’t regularly test they are working. You also need to hold regular fire drills, at different times of the day and with different children present. In the event of your smoke alarm going off, you and every child needs to know what to do every time. As a childminder you have two statutory responsibilities in terms of fire safety. You must: 1. Have appropriate fire detection and control equipment 2. Have an emergency evacuation procedure Here is a simple checklist you can use to make sure you are prepared and know what to do in case of a fire.

Get smoke detectors fitted. If you contact your fire department they will sometimes fit them for you for free if you are childminding. Speak to your local authority support worker. Consider also getting a carbon monoxide detector fitted as well.

Once your smoke detectors are working, write an emergency evacuation

procedure and hold a fire drill. You may want to post your emergency evacuation procedure on your bulletin board?

Start a fire drill log (or download mine) and write down how it went and

what went wrong. Hold fire drills at different times of the day and with different children present. For example, I used to look after two small babies and neither could walk, plus a three year old – it is not as straightforward as it sounds to get everybody out safely all at the same time. When a new child starts, hold a fire drill.

Start a written record of testing the batteries in your smoke detectors. You

should test them once a month.

Buy a fire blanket and/or extinguisher for your kitchen.

What to teach childminded children about stranger danger Please read my latest blog with practical advice on talking to childminded children about strangers. Don’t take it for granted that the children know what they should do.

Download your free Fire Drill Record Form here.

www.kidstogo.co.uk Copyright Kay Woods 2015

First Aid Pop Quiz - Answer

The child is choking on a piece of apple. She isn’t able to cough it up by herself. The first thing you should do is to lean the child forwards and give her five firm back blows between the shoulder blades with the heel of your hand. If the back blows do not clear the obstruction, then you must do abdominal thrusts. Please note that there is a different procedure for babies under one year. Follow the video and instructions on the St. John’s Ambulance website to remind yourself how to do abdominal thrusts and how to treat choking in an infant.

www.kidstogo.co.uk Copyright Kay Woods 2015

“The kids absolutely loved it, lots of reading and chatter and one of the easiest dens I’ve ever made!”

Inspirational best practice ideas, stories and links

Travel Cot Den – contributed by Kathryn Cocks childminding service, Catterall, Lancashire Recently I attended a communication friendly approach seminar - Elizabeth Jarmin. One of the suggestions was to use a travel cot turned on its side which I have done today. The kids absolutely loved it, lots of reading and chatter and one of the easiest dens I have ever made!

Hand-made Busy Boxes – contributed by Debbie Webb

There is something enormously satisfying I always think about making your own toys for the children and it is something that Debbie Webb enjoys too. And one thing that is really fun to make is busy boxes. Many of these are made from coffee cans and some of the ideas she has found on Pinterest, but never-the-less I was really impressed when I saw all these busy boxes and I’m sure she’d be thrilled if you copied some of these ideas for your own settings.

www.kidstogo.co.uk Copyright Kay Woods 2015

www.kidstogo.co.uk Copyright Kay Woods 2015

EYFS Paperwork, Policy and Legislation News

The Prevent Duty – new safeguarding responsibilities

This publication is Dept for Education advice for schools and childcare providers

on preventing children and young people from being drawn into terrorism. The

‘Prevent duty’ states that ‘protecting children from the risk of radicalisation should

be seen as part of childcare providers’ wider safeguarding duties’ and that

‘childcare providers can also build children’s resilience to radicalisation by

promoting fundamental British values’. You may want to amend your safeguarding

policy to address this new document? See the Product Updates section of this

newsletter for my updated Safeguarding Policy.

Practical ways you can promote British Values at your setting

This guidance document from the Foundation Stage website shows you how to put

the concept of British Values into practice at your setting.

Early Years Inspection Handbook

This handbook published in May 2015 replaces the publications: ‘Are You Ready

for Your Inspection’ and the ‘Evaluation Schedule for Inspections of Early Years

Provision’. If you are due to be inspected any time soon then you should

familiarise yourself with this document, bearing in mind that a new version of this

document is expected in Sept 2015.

Two safeguarding documents updated: ‘What to do if you are

worried a child is being abused’ and ‘Working together to

safeguard children’

Check that you are using the March 2015 versions of What To Do If You Are

Worried A Child Is Being Abused and Working Together To Safeguard Children.

Helping you to stay on top of the paperwork

The Ultimate Childminding Checklist is 3 checklists in 1 including a count down to your Ofsted Inspection.

www.kidstogo.co.uk Copyright Kay Woods 2015

Free Product Updates

Update to Contract, Policies and Forms If you are using my Policy Document, then you may want to update your Safeguarding Policy on P14 of the document to include reference to the Prevent Duty and British Values. The new text is in red. Safeguarding, Welfare and Child Protection Issues My policy for child protection and welfare is in line with EYFS Safeguarding and promoting children’s welfare’ practices, social services and government guidelines. The most up to date version of this document for Berkshire is at: http://proceduresonline.com/berks/ and I check it regularly for updates. As a childminder, I take responsibility for safeguarding the children in my setting. I have taken a child protection training course to enable me to identify, understand and respond to signs of possible abuse and neglect. I have regard to the Government's statutory guidance ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children’ http://www.workingtogetheronline.co.uk. I also have regard for my responsibilities under The Prevent Duty to help protect the children I look after from being drawn into extremism and terrorism. At my setting I actively promote British Values to help build the children’s resistance to radicalisation. As a child care provider it is my responsibility to report any child protection concerns I might have to Ofsted and social services, following the Local Safeguarding Children Board procedures. Child protection concerns that could identify a particular child are kept confidential and only shared with people who need to know this information. It is not my responsibility to attempt to investigate the situation myself. I will inform Ofsted of any allegations of serious harm or abuse by any person living, working, or looking after children at the premises (whether the allegations relate to harm or abuse committed on the premises or elsewhere). I must also notify Ofsted of the action taken in respect of the allegations. There are no updates to products at this time. If you like reading my newsletters, chances are your childminding friends will like them too. Please share this newsletter on social media such as Facebook. LIKE FOLLOW

Kids To Go www.kidstogo.co.uk Copyright Kay Woods 2015

I Am Safe In The Sun

I look for shade

Draw yourself

under this tree

Draw a big sun here

I wear sun cream

I wear a sun hat

I have plenty to drink

Draw

your

favourite

drink

Kids To Go www.kidstogo.co.uk Copyright Kay Woods 2015

Fire Drill Record Form

Date of

Fire Drill

Problems encountered

during fire drill (if any)

Actions taken to resolve

problems

Person

responsible

for ensuring

action is

taken