Lisa's Mini'uns

Childminder in Ystrad Rhondda area.

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Inspection Report 2019

After much waiting the inspection report was received today, besides a minor error, which I will correct with CIW (I do offer flying start). It’s a pretty good read, even if I say so myself. Self love is important don’t you know.

As with all childminders and people who work in childcare, inspections are very stressful. Not only because we are being inspected working in the job, paperwork,…

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Photo Books and Development flowers.

Photo Books and Development flowers.

Busy books and development flowers.

When I care for children I have a duty to be aware of their development and take steps to either help them to progress, or to help parents to access additional support when needed. I do all this while still stubbornly maintaining my home from home ideals. It’s not easy and I often get frustrated by the paperwork and stress. But I do believe it is…

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Summer 2018 newsletter.

Hi all, hope you are all looking forward to a nice warm dry summer. The themes we are working on this year are the beach, and life cycles of butterflies and beans/plants, which will turn into autumn and animals as the year progresses. We are planning to have a Christmas dinner in August as requested by the children, with all the fuss. And I am hoping that I can organise a trip to the beach one…

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GDPR and your rights

GDPR and your rights

By now everyone and their dog has heard of GDPR, and I can bet almost all of us are sick of the emails and so on telling us about it.

Well…

As a child minder, I also have to be GDPR compliant, as I hold and process data on the children in my care and their families. I’ve had great pleasure this past month in compiling a data audit, so you all know how I process this information and what your…

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BabysDays

I am now using a setting management system called BabysDays. It meets ICO regulations and all parents will have the opportunity to evaluate and discuss with me before we use the system for their child. It is completely optional for each child, and I will continue to run a paper system for the parents who are more comfortable with that. It is important to me that they feel completely happy with…

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Flower assessment chart for the foundation phase. 

There seems to be a lack of apps, attractive paperwork and resources that meet the needs of the foundation phase in Wales. 

After much searching and approaching various people to enquire if they are going to produce an adequate version for those of us who have to follow the foundation phase, I decided to take matters into my own hands and make my own.

I’m not creative and the process wasn’t easy…

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Speech and Language training.

Speech and Language training.

These last two weeks I have been attending Speech and Language training, with Flying Start in R.C.T.  I have previously done training in this area, which was the Wellcomm course, that was focused on the speech and language assessment process, and how to implement it.  This time the training was focused on the steps and processes to help children learn to talk, helping them to understand you, with…

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30 hours "free" childcare offer meeting.

30 hours “free” childcare offer meeting.

Just got back from attending an event on the 30 hours “free” childcare offer that is going to be coming from the Welsh Assembly Government.

It was interesting, but it is very clear that the first 2-3 years will be pilot years and there will be a lot of changes and tweaking to the offer as they realise the problems and issues around it.

On the surface it sounds like a good thing, but the proof…

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TasteBuddies Training Session.

Last night I attended a Tastebuddies training session in the Hwb, in Pontypridd. The training session is delivered by Gaynor Jones, she is a freelance Home Economist, and she has 25 years teaching experience in the subject in secondary schools and adult education. http://www.tastebuddieswales.co.uk/

It was a very hands on session with other childcare providers, though I was the only childminder.…

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Designed to Smile Training

Designed to Smile Training

Attended a great training session last night in the Hwb Pontypridd.  This time it was Designed to Smile training/Oral Health Education.

Tooth Decay was apparently the most common cause of hospital admissions for children aged 5-9 years old, which was 4 times more than tonsilitis.

Designed to Smile has 3 main elements,

supervised toothbrushing, with parental consent of course.

oral health education

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Graduated Response Training.

Just spent a very cold winter morning attending graduated response training in Pontypridd Lido. Which was lovely and warm in the meeting room, with a cracking view of the much improved Lido and park. It was nice to see the park being used. The purpose of this training session was to ensure that the Flying Start childminders in RCT are aware of how to respond to any concerns, no matter how minor,…

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New Opening Hours.

After much consideration, and consultation I have decided to adjust my childcare opening hours. A big thank you to those who filled in my survey in the previous post, your input was greatly appreciated. Being self employed and my own boss I rely greatly on the opinions of others.

In four weeks time (as that is the amount of notice I legally have to give CSSIW) my opening hours will change to 6am…

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Quick survey about childcare needs

Quick survey about childcare needs

Please be a kind bunch of darlings and fill in this anonymous survey and pass it on to friends locally, ideally the Gelli Primary School catchment area.

I am trying to assess what need there is and if I can make any changes to meet the need for my local area.

Thank you heaps and heaps.

(this may only work on a pc/tablet, which looks heaps better than mobile anyway)

  [powr-survey…

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Closure dates for 2017.

Closure dates for 2017.

I’ve been working out all of my pre-booked training schedule and organise with my husband what time off we will have together this year. I am trying tp provide as much notice as possible.

We are open Monday to Friday 6am to 6pm every week, including bank holidays and inset days besides the following dates.

Close at 5.45pm on 1st of March for Lisa to attend Design to Smile training

Closed all day…

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Busy Feet Training

I’ve had a very energetic morning attending Busy Feet training at The Hwb, Pontypridd.  I certainly earned my lunch today, and could probably do with a nap. (It wasn’t that bad really :) )

The purpose of Busy Feet is to;

“Inspire Early Years Childcare Providers, Primary school staff, Communities and families to be innovative and think creatively when exploring healthy active lifestyle messages to…

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Why you shouldn't use illegal/unregistered child minders.

Why you shouldn’t use illegal/unregistered child minders.

There are many differences between a registered and unregistered/illegal child minder, many parents don’t even realise why registered childcare is important.

To begin, a registered child minder, and other people in their home, have been through all the background checks, not just DBS, but social services too. Their homes have been modified, and inspected to ensure it is a clean, safe and…

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Quality of Care report.

Quality of Care report.

Every year I have to complete a review of the service that I provide, I refer to the parent and child surveys which I give out to all parents and children at least every 6 months.

It contains summary information about changes I have made to my service, how well I feel things are working and improvements that I need to make.  It has comments from the parents and carers of children in my care, plus…

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