Rainbows

About Me

The Benefits of a Childminder
Childminders play an important role in giving parents a greater choice of high quality, flexible childcare and family support service services. The combination of continuity of care, ability to offer a lower child to carer ratio and a superb mix of ‘learning through play’ and ‘learning through everyday experiences in a caring family environment’ whilst still working towards the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum framework, makes Ofsted Registered Childminders a great option for parent looking for childcare.

Welcome – Me & My Family
Welcome to Rainbows Childcare Iwade. My name is Toni Fawcett, I have been an OFSTED registered childminder since September 2007. I am a member of Childcare.co.uk. Registered with the ICO. I am also registered with the local authority to offer the government funded childcare and Pre-school provision.
I moved to Sittingbourne from Canterbury in 2006, where I was working as a Legal P.A and trained as a Childminder shortly after. I still love caring for all the little people that come through my setting just as much as when I first started. My family and I moved to our current house in Iwade in June 2018, where I now work with my Assistant Hannah, who has been with me for over 8 years now, and we often have at least one other part time assistant registered with us, we work mostly from a converted double garage with lovely garden play area, the playroom is kitted out especially for childminding and is a place where the children have the space and freedom to explore and learn in safety.

Qualifications
To train as a Childminder, I completed the CACHE Level 3 Diploma in Home-Based Childcare (A-Level standard). Completed a full Pediatric First Aid course (which is updated every 3 years), Designated Safeguarding Lead, Safe Guarding & Child Protection courses (updated every 2 years) . I have had medical checks and I have had checks cleared by the CRB (Criminal Records Bureau). I am registered to offer the childcare funding (for eligible children from the term after they turn 9 months) and Early Years Pre-School Sessions (universal 15 hours funded for 3 & 4 years olds) and have an exceptional track record of ensuring the children are all very secure in ‘school readiness’ when they leave here for school, with many glowing reviews from parents and teachers, in fact the previous head teacher of Grove Park Primary also wrote me a review as she was so impressed with how effective my pre-school set up is.
Myself and any assistants will always have due regard to safeguarding, keeping up to date with any new guidance and training requirements. I have a policy & permissions pack which will be emailed out to parents upon enquiring for a place in my setting and this gives full, in depth details of our safeguarding policy and procedure, including safer sleep and safer eating.

Registration
A childminder MUST BY LAW register with OFSTED (or a childcare agency). The purpose of registration is: ‘To protect and safeguard children, to provide reassurance to parents using childcare and to ensure that childminding services meet all the required standards’.
To achieve registration a childminder is required to comply with standards of safety, equipment, number of children etc. The home environment is checked to ensure that it meets the standers required and that it is suitable to care for children. Reference and health checks are required, as are police checks on all individual in the households over the age of 16yrs. Following on from registration, childminders are inspected regularly by Ofsted. Local Health and Social Services officers keep a register of all childminders who have completed the registration process.

My Childcare practice
I aim to create a happy, caring and stimulating, ‘home from home’ style environment, where all children receive the attention and encouragement they need to thrive. I want all the children I care for to feel at home, safe, happy, content and included in our ‘family’ environment. Our setting and outside play area is a safe and secure space, where we can have free flow play all year round. I have an extensive supply of toys, crafts and equipment to be able to provide your child(ren) with a wide range of activities to help them enjoy learning through play every day.
I will include involvement in activities such as food prep / baking, shopping and gardening (at our allotment), where your child can play, learn and develop. As a mother myself, I understand that you, as the parents, are the most important people in your child’s life and I know that you will want the best for your child whilst they are in my care, I will therefore consult with you on all aspects of your child’s care, either verbally, via text message or email or via their Daily Diary Chat on WhatsApp. Please also feel free to contact me at any time to discuss anything you wish regarding your child(ren), although please be mindful that I may not always be able to reply straight away.
I check all my equipment & toys on a regular basis to ensure everything is safe and I am always supplying new toys and materials so resources are refreshed on a regular basis. I also belong to the library and a toy library, so all children have access to a variety of toys and books to keep them interested in learning through their play.
Insurance
My public liability & employers liability insurances are with Childcare.co.uk and I comply with all the requirements laid down by the insurance company. I have fully comprehensive car insurance with business class cover and always ensure that children are restrained in a safety seat or with seat belt suitable for their age/weight. (Insurance details are available to see when parents visit)
Contracts
When you have decided if you would like me to take the role of childminder to your child, there will be a fair amount of paperwork to go through. Firstly, the Contract. This is a signed agreement between both parents and childminder and it includes details of hours of work, rate of pay, holidays, holiday pay, illness, overtime and length of notice required the end the agreement. There is an individual Contract for each family in my care, which is signed by the parents and myself, it is a confidential document and kept in a secure file. My Contracts are reviewed on a regular basis (this does not mean that changes will be made at every review, merely that time is taken to ensure that all areas of the Contract are still applicable to all individuals concerned).
The Contract will be signed once you have chosen me as your childminder, although its’ full effect will not come into place until the settling in period has expired. I also have a number of policies and permission forms that run alongside the Contract and are required to be signed with the Contract. If you have any queries with any of the paperwork, please do not hesitate to discuss it with me.
Settling In
Once all paperwork has been completed, I will discuss with parents how they wish to commence the childcare. If there is more than a week to go until the start date than my preferred option is to offer the child/children to come to my house, before the date that the Contract starts, so that they may have a few hours to adjust to their new surroundings. I have found that a couple of short sessions have been beneficial to all involved. It gives parents peace of mind that their child will settle easily once the full Contract commences, it allows the child to have some understanding of where they will be going and who they will be with and it allows me and any assistants, some time to get to know the child individually so that we are better placed to meet the child(ren)s needs. The first two session settle sessions will be free (one for 2 hours and one for 3 hours) this should be sufficient, however, if you would like any further settle sessions, then please feel free to discuss this with me and we can sort these out, these will be charged at my current hourly rate. Of course, this is subject to each parents wishes and they may feel that this is not needed in their case, or indeed it may not be necessary, particularly if the child is older/or attending breakfast and/or afterschool club as they are more able to understand changes or if there is little time until the start of the Contract anyway. I am open to discussions regarding this. (There may be circumstances when settle sessions are not able to be carried out, for example if there is not much time until the child(ren) start. In these cases, we are happy to have the child(ren) start with us for full sessions straight away.
Once the Contract has commenced, I operate an 8 week ‘settling in’ period. This means that whilst all the terms of the Contract stand, full fees are paid and childcare is offered, the Contract may be terminated by either side without notice. I have found this again to be beneficial to all involved. Whilst I will do my best to help children settle, there may occasionally be a situation where the childcare arrangement is just not working out, this could be for the parent, the child or the childminder and in these cases, either party can state that they wish to end the Contract straight away and not need any notice. Fees for the hours already worked are still due.
After the eight week settling in period, the full terms of the Contract apply and both parents and Childminder must give at least 6 weeks notice (this runs inline with school terms), in writing, if they wish to make any changes to the Contract or to end the Contract. Full fees / funding are due and payable for these six weeks, regardless of whether or not the child attends.
As a Childminder I will keep records, policies and procedures required for the efficient and safe management of my childminding practice and also promote the welfare, care and learning of all children. These will need to be read and signed by parents and their contents apply alongside the Contract. This paperwork will be kept in the manner set out by the ICO and following the GDPR requirements. When the timescale for expiry of the paperwork is reached, any paperwork still remaining will be shredded and disposed of securely.

Drop Off & Collection
I operate a ‘doorstep’ policy, where children will be met at the entrance and welcomed in by myself or my Assistants. There are two main reasons for this;
1) Children can sometimes suffer a feeling of detachment anxiety at some point, sometimes it can come and go unexpectedly. In my experience, a quick kiss and cuddle and waving goodbye at the gate means I/we can bring them through quicker and distract them if needed and leaving mummy or daddy at the gate prevents them from thinking that mummy or daddy are going to stay and play with them, which they may well do if they bring the children right into the setting.
2) There are usually other children in the setting and if there are other adults coming and going it can cause them confusion, maybe even be scary for them and / or it increases their chances of being knocked over if there are more adults in the space.
We are however a clear and transparent setting and parents are able to pop in on pick up if would like to come into the setting to see what their children have been doing or to review their child’s progress. I also offer parent reviews twice a year and organize these with times that suit.
N.B – During certain times, such as those of a pandemic, it is not always possible to have extra adults in the setting, this is to keep staff and children as safe as possible at all times.

Communication
As Parents, you are the central adults in your child’s life and ones making decisions on their behalf. I will work closely with you in order to carry out your wishes for your child. It is therefore important that we have an excellent communication system. I appreciate that as a working Parent you may be in a rush to go to work in the mornings and in the evenings you may well be tired and need to pick up and go as quickly as possible (as I was when I worked full time and left my eldest sons with a Childminder), so for babies & young children, I like to use a WhatsApp chat to let you know what their day has been like. Please also use the chats yourself and keep us informed of any information that you wish me to know regarding your child, it is particularly helpful if you drop us a message in the morning, before drop off, to let us know if there are any concerns or points you think would be useful for us to know, such as if they had a good or poor nights sleep, if you feel they’re teething, if there is anything out of the ordinary going on at home ect. It is essential that you notify us on the chat it your child has any form of medication before they arrive, noting what it is, what time and how much.
In addition, I am always happy to discuss your child and their care with you at any time that is convenient to us both, whether in person, via email or text, please note that during working hours there may be a delay in replying due to caring for the children and out of working hours there may be a delay due to personal family commitments but I will always do my best to respond as soon as I can.

Care, Learning & Play
Children learn best when they are in a safe and caring environment where they are stimulated through play. Babies and young children develop faster when they are in a caring relationship with an adult. “A baby will learn to walk faster when they have a safe pair of arms to walk towards and a toddler will learn to talk, when they have an adult listening and responding to them”. I, along with my assistants, will strive to provide your child with an environment that will be caring, fun and stimulating; providing learning through play and daily activities. We will provide activities that support the main learning areas of the EYFS (Early Years Foundation Stage):
THE PRIME AREAS:
Communication & Language (CL) – Focuses on listening, attention, understanding and speaking.
Physical Development (PD) – Focuses on gross motor skills (movement & Co-ordination) and fine motor skills (handling tools, pincer grip)
Personal, Social and Emotional Development (PSED) – focuses on self regulation, managing self and building positive relationhips.

THE SPECIFIC AREAS:
Mathematics – focuses on number sense and numerical patterns
Literacy – focuses on comprehension, word reading and writing
Understanding the World – focuses on people, culture, communities, the past & present & the natural world
Expressive Arts & Design – focuses on creating with materials, music and being imaginative & expressive

Activities can include (but are not limited to):
* Role Play * Books and DVDs * Gardening
* Small world toys * Construction toys * Music time
* Figures & Action toys * Light box * Story time
* Water play * Sand & messy play * Parks / Playcentres
* Arts & crafts * Cooking * Outdoor play
Equipment & Facilities
I have a wide range of toys and equipment to suit all needs and stages of development in children.
A small example of these are:
? Construction toys * Books & Games
? Baby & Toddler toys * Ride on Toys
? Lego Duplo * Sand & Water play
* Puzzles & Jigsaws * Play Dens & Tents
? Building Blocks * Sensory baskets
? Role-play – inc dressing up * Curiosity boxes
? Kitchen/Play food etc * Cars & Play mats
? Prams & Dolls * Dolls House
? Art materials * Audio & Visual (CD’s, DVD’s etc)
? Farm & Zoo animals * Dinosaurs & Fairy’s

Outdoors
My back garden has been designed with space and safety in mind. There is a patio area and artificial grassed lawn, secured by fence together with a bolted and a Keypad locked side gate. With lovely, calming views across farmers fields which sometimes have animals grazing (such as water buffalo or cows) and other times is used to grow crops such as maize, corn, hay, all of which have offered great interest and learning opportunities for the little ones.

Outdoor toys include:-
? Sand play * Water play areas
? Outside role play * Outdoor reading area
* Mud Kitchen * Planting area
* Play tents / tunnels * Balance beam
? Tuff spot / small world toys * Ride on toys & Scooters
? Bats, Balls, Badminton, Footballs ect * Outdoor Lego board
? Outdoor chalk board * Perspex painting board

Routine
I believe routine is important for a child to feel secure in their environment, so I try to implement a gentle routine to our daily life. In the morning the children are generally having breakfast, followed by quiet play, reading, toy cars, dolls etc while all children arrive and settle.

Our morning activities will include ‘story time’ and ‘music time’ where we read books together and then either listen to music, create our own music or participate in action rhymes together plus ten minute of children’s yoga. The children then access any toys they wish from a choice selected by us and we will carry out ‘guided play’ where we play with the children but whilst doing this we will guide the play or activities to ensure they are learning and working towards their next steps, this is all done through play and fun so the children don’t even realise they are learning! After lunch we have free play where the children are able to choose their toys / activities and we will interact with them during this time, talking to them to extend their learning through their chosen play. For the toddlers during term times, we may also visit toddler/play groups, indoors & outdoor play areas / woods etc. (if possible). Nap times will be taken into account when planning activities so the little ones do not get over tired and fretful.

Outings
The cost for most of the activities will be covered where possible within the running costs of the setting, however, occasionally there will be more expensive trips, where I will ask for payment to be made for your child. Any such trips will be planned in advance and must be in agreement with all parents otherwise the trip cannot go ahead.

In the summer, children must be supplied with their own sun hats and spare clothes to change into (for after water play etc) and in winter, appropriate warm, protective clothing must be provided. It is ideal to try to layer the children’s clothing so we can ensure they add or remove layers according to the changeable weather each day. I have double and single pushchairs, front child carriers & a buggy board for babies and children to travel in. Walking children under 4 may wear restraints/harnesses/reins or wrist straps for their own safety, unless a parent notifies me that they do not wish them to be used. I speak to the children before and during outings, about road safety and talking to strangers. I encourage children to hold hands and walk nicely together whilst out.

Menu/Nutrition
Eating is a very important part of the day. Meal times represent a social time for children and adults and help children to learn about healthy eating and the importance of food.

Breakfast – 07:45 – 08:15, is provided by me, usually from a variety of cereals, Greek yoghurt & fruit, toast etc. plus a drink of milk (please provide dairy alternatives for any dairy or lactose intolerances) or water.
Snacks – 10:30 & 15:30, snacks are mainly a selection of different fruits / veg / salad items at each sitting. Occasionally I will add some toast / breadsticks / rice cakes to the snack plates.
Drinks – Water is available all day long. We have a large water filter container accessible to the children (help given where needed) we always encourage the children to keep their water bottles topped up and ensure the children are reminded to drink from them several times a day. Please speak to me if your child(ren) doesn’t drink water readily and we will work out a plan for them to ensure they are keeping hydrated.
Lunch - 12:15-12:45, is to be provided by parents and sent in each day in a named lunch bag/box. We store all lunches in our playroom fridge upon arrival each day so it keeps nice and fresh.
Dinner - We provide a small healthy snack around 15:30, to keep the children going until they are able to eat their main meal with their family once home of an evening. However, if your child is staying with us until 17:00 – 17:30, and you feel the small snack will not be substantial enough, then please feel free to send in some food for them to have, we are happy to heat anything up that requires heating.

The children will all sit together to eat any meals and snacks and are encouraged to have good manners whilst eating such as not speaking with food in their mouth, using knives, forks & spoons correctly and waiting for others to finish before running off to play again. Children will also be encouraged to help out at meal times by setting up, tidying away, getting drinks, preparing snack etc.. Parents will be told via our group chats or on hand over if the child(ren) have had any issues with any of their food or meal times etc.

Babies and Toddlers (who are not yet fully weaned) must have all their milk and/or baby food provided by you. I have bottles and sterilizing equipment available here and am happy to make up bottles when needed, as long as the formula powder is provided. Alternatively, for breastfed babies, I can accommodate their milk in breast milk storage bags, containers or bottles in my fridge and heat them up when required. Babies and toddlers who are weaning should have their baby food provided by parents and I will happily help with the weaning process.
I am aware of all listed allergens and take any allergies & Intolerances very seriously. All allergies / intolerances should be disclosed on the paperwork and then discussed with me and will be taken into account when selecting all foods each day. We follow safer eating guidance in our setting.

Working with an Assistant
I have for many years, employed Assistants to work at Rainbows Childcare. Any Assistants will have to be approved by Ofsted and have also taken a Pediatric First Aid course (refreshed every 3 years), safeguarding courses and have an up to date DBS check. I will also make sure that the Assistants have spent time getting to know the children individually, before allowing them to be left in sole charge of the children at any point in the day. Having an Assistant means that I can offer more spaces for childcare here, this gives the children more opportunities to mix with more children, make good friendships & prepare for bigger settings such as School, whilst still receiving more individual care as the ratio is still smaller than many other types of early years settings.

Admission & Opening Hours (please also see my Hours & Fee List Policy)
Admission:
I allocate a place to a child on a “first-come first-served” basis however; preference is given to parents who already have a child or family member attending my setting. As I charge my fees monthly, payable in advance, I do not usually require a deposit to be held on account.

Opening Times: my Setting is open from 07:30 am to 17:30 pm Monday to Friday (days & times may vary depending on current demand)
We operate during Term Time Only, plus will open for some ‘Holiday Cub’ days during the school holidays.
However, Iwill try to be flexible & can sometimes accommodate other times. Please message to discuss.

Statutory public holidays: My usual fee is applicable on these occasions and I shall not be expected to work, however, if you require my services on public holidays, I will do my best to accommodate your needs (subject to additional fee – as agreed on the contract)
Holidays:
I ask that you give me at least two weeks notice of any intended holiday where possible and longer notice will be greatly appreciated. I will in return, also give you a minimum of two weeks notice of any holidays, again, where possible, I will give longer notice.
I usually take my holiday during the school holiday times, however, there may be occasions where I need to book some time off during the term, if this happens then I will try to give as much notice as possible and keep these days off to a minimum. I do not charge for my time off, so if I do need to take any time off during term time then I will arrange to take the fees off the following months payment, or offer days in credit to be used on other days.
Holiday Club: - I may offer a holiday club service for those who attend other schools and those on term time only contracts, who would like to book in an extra day or so during the school holidays. Holiday Club is not contracted so you simply let me know if you require any sessions for the upcoming holiday and pay for those sessions asap, preferably when you book them or at the latest, 14 days prior to the start of the holiday, either by gov tax account, bank transfer or cash.

Additional Hours:
Extra hours can be booked as and when required (subject to availability within ratios). This will be charged at your usual rate as specified on the contract. Extra hours must be paid for at the time of booking and are in addition to your usual monthly fee.

Term time only Contracts
Payments are due monthly in advance and your fees will be worked out over 38 weeks of the year and then divided by 11 so you will have 11 equal monthly payments due on or before the 1st of each month, with the exception of August each year. (if you wish to use any Holiday Club days then these will need to be paid for in addition to your monthly fee). The term dates that we work will be sent out at the beginning of each academic year.

Temporary Contracts
There may be a need for a Temporary Contract in certain circumstances. In these cases, your fees will be added up each week, an invoice will be sent on by 7pm on Friday and payment must be made by that Sunday (by 7pm). If payment is not made in time then any childcare for the following week will not be made available until the fee due has been paid.

Deposit / Up front charges
I do not usually charge a deposit to reserve a place. I just ask for fees to be paid monthly in advance and / or via Government funding.

Late Payment Charges - I reserve the right to charge £2 per day for late payments, all payments are due on or before the 1st of the month, I am happy for you to transfer payment earlier, say on your payday if this makes it easier for you, but at the very latest the payments should reach my account by 5pm on the 1st of the month. I charge a fair fee for a responsible and important service and therefore deserve to be paid in full, on time.

Late collection fee – I understand that occasionally circumstances may mean you run late, however I please aks that you let me know as soon as you know that you will be late and I of course will ensure your little one is safely cared for until you or one of your named contacts can collect them. However, I reserve the right to charge late collection fee at the rate of my current hourly rate.


Funding
Many parents, if they meet the right criteria, will be able to claim the government funded childcare. This usually starts from the term after your child is 9 months old and is for 30 funded hours per week, for 38 weeks of the year. Funding is offered within the following structure;

• A minimum of 7.5 hours per day must be used.
• A maximum of 10 hours per day can be used.
• The core entitlement hours are delivered free of charge to parents.
• Funded days are agreed and set, if a parent wishes to change their funded hours / days, they must do so in writing and the hours can be changed for the following term.
• If a child is off sick or off for days out / holidays, these funded hours will still be claimed as the space is still reserved for that child, however these funded hours will not be offered as a swap elsewhere.
• If I am unable to open due to staff illness ect, then any funded hours that I have been unable to fulfil, will be offered at an alternative time.
• It is parents responsibility to ensure their codes are reconfirmed regularly and on time, and if funding is not paid, then parents will be invoiced to pay for their hours.
• Our academic yearly calendar will be sent out every April / May for the following school year, Sept to August and it will clearly show the funded days, holiday club days and days we are shut, thus allowing parents plenty of time to sort their own holiday or alternative cover.

What to send in each day;
When you join Rainbows Childcare, I will order a personalized backpack, lunch box, book bag and water bottle.
In the back pack, please ensure your child has the following;

• At least 2 complete changes of clothes. More if toilet training! This needs to be 2x pairs of socks, 2x underwear, 2x bottoms, 2x tops
• Sun hat in summer / winter hat in winter
• Dummies / comforter (if used)
• Additional layers – ie a fleece / hoodie / cardigan
• Lightweight rain coat in summer / warm, padded, waterproof coat in winter
• Packed lunch box with healthy, balanced, nutritional lunch.

We take safeguarding seriously in this setting, all staff undertake safeguarding training every two years and updates in between are noted and discussed. I am also the designated safeguarding lead for the setting and undertake extra training for this, safer sleep, child protection & safer eating. A full pack of policies and permissions will explain everything in more detail and can be sent out on request.

I hope the above information has helped answer any questions you may have had. However, please feel free to contact me, if you wish to discuss anything further.