# ABC Childcare Drumlish, Drumlish — inspection reports and findings > ABC Childcare Drumlish (Drumlish, Co. Longford): what Tusla inspections found — 2 published inspection(s), non-compliances and the provider's corrective actions. ## ABC Childcare Drumlish Sessional · 0 - 6 Years · Drumlish, Longford · Tusla ID **TU2015LD029** · Registered since 1 January 2026 An inspection records what inspectors saw **on one day**; services respond with corrective actions — [how to read this](/methodology.md). #### Inspection of 28 July 2025 — Inspection Report Full report (PDF, Tusla) ##### Regulation 19 — Health, welfare and development of child - Physical and material environment: 1. The physical and material environment in the Baby room requires review to meet the developmental requirements of the age group attending which was 18 months to 2 years. It is acknowledged that there was an adequate quantity of toys and equipment in the room however they were placed on the window sills, on high shelves or in containers and not freely available to the children to make their own choices about what they would like to play with. A standing multi activity unit and a baby gym were unsuitable for the age group attending on the day. There were minimal areas of interest and what was available was poorly presented. The kitchen play unit required more props for examp le, tea sets, pots and pans, dolls, cot/buggies, child sized hoover to prompt make believe and symbolic play and learning for the age group in the Baby room. There w ere no sensory play opportunities , push pull toys and minimal real-life equipment to encourage children’s imaginative play. Additional equipment such as soft climbing cushions, a crawling tunnel, simple peg board puzzles, stacking toys and shape sorter puzzles, sensory mats, push/pull equipment, treasure baskets with natural and open -ended materials, rattles and musical instruments, will support the chi ldren’s developing language, social and emotional skills as well as stimulating their imagination and curiosity. 2. There were no sensory play materials such as sand , water, play dough available to the children attending the Senior Toddler room. 3. The children in the Baby and Senor Toddler room were observed not to go outdoors for play during the inspection. It is acknowledged that there was maintenance works in the main outdoor area however there were alternative outdoor areas available in the service - 1. The baby room has been reviewed. Toys and materials are now stored so the children have free choice of play and more defined areas of play has been created to make it more inviting for the children. Those areas are fully stocked with props and materials for symbolic pay. A new sensory bu sy board has been attached to the wall and 2 hand held ones. We also have a sensory table where the children can enjoy sand and water play. There is new push / pull equipment soft climbing cushions and additional equipment to stimulate the children’s imagination and curiosity. The rooms will be reviewed at the end of each term to ensure that they are meeting the children’s stages of development as they grow within their environment. 2. A new sensory table was purchased so the children can enjoy sand and water play. Play dough is made weekly and stored in a sealed container so children can enjoy play dough with a variety of tools/cutters and shapes. A new cleaning/risk assessment was created for each room with questions to prompt staff to ensure there is clean fresh water/sand/playdough available for the children. 3. The children were brought out in the afternoon and staff were advised of the importance of daily outdoor time for all children. There is new fencing in place to secure all outdoor areas ##### Regulation 23 — Safeguarding health, safety and welfare of child - General Safety: 1. The main entrance door to the service was observed unsecured at 10:46am, immediate corrective action was taken by the person in charge once it was brought to their attention by the inspector and remained secured for the remainder of the inspection. 2. The entrance door to the Baby room and Portacabin building were observed during the inspection not to be consistently secured to prevent unauthorised entry to the two areas. It is acknowledged that corrective actions were completed when it was brought to the attention of the staff members and both entrance doors were secured. 3. There was no documentary evidence that daily indoor room and outdoor risk assessments were completed and maintained to ensure a safe play and work environment for the children and staff. 4. A cord blind was observed to be unsecured in the Pre-school room. A corrective action was completed by the inspector where the loose cords were secured and placed out of reach ; the completed action was brought to the attention of both staff in the room. 5. There were no visibility strips on the full-length glass doors in the Baby room. This created a potential risk of injury to a child if they failed to recognise the glass panels. Infection Control: 6. The nappy change practices required to be reviewed as it was observed that the single use disposable apron and disposable gloves were not removed following the bagging up of the soiled nappy . Soiled nappies, used aprons and used disposable gloves need to be disposed of at the same time following removal of the old nappy for best infection control practices. 7. The low-level sleep beds were stored with the sheets in situ; this was inadequate for infection control practices as the sheets had the potential to be in contact with each other. 8. Wipes were used to firstly clean the children’s faces and then reused to clean the children’s hands in the Baby room. This posed an infection control risk as the children’s hands were not adequately cleaned. This was a non-compliance following inspection conducted on 17 October 2024. The corrective action submitted by the registered provider following the inspection failed to prevent recurrence of this non-compliance. Safe Sleep: 9. Two cot mattresses were observed not to fit the cots they were placed in snugly thus leaving a gap at one end; this had the potential to cause an entrapment injury to a child. 10. The cot mattress in the foldable cot did not have a recognised safety label attached. 11. Two cots were placed adjacent to the full-length blind covering the fire escape door and as a result was accessible to children. 12. A plug in air freshener with liquid contained in its receptacle, was observed plugged in beside a cot and was accessible to a child; it is acknowledged there was no child using the cot at the time of the inspection. 13. Two plastic storage units were observed placed between two sets of cots; this created a potential risk of a child gaining a foot hold and climbing out of the cot and a further potential risk of injury in the process. 14. The available cot room risk assessment, which was displayed on the wall in the cot room, did not prompt the identification the above risks observed by the inspector. 15. An area of mould was observed on the ceiling of the cot room. Fire Safety: 16. The fire exit door in the sleep room was obstructed by a cot, a plastic storage unit, a cot mattress and a metal clothes horse. This could potentially compromise the evacuation of children and adults from this area in the building in the event of a fire or other emergency occurring. 17. There was no signage for the fire assembly point in outdoor area. Action submitted by the Registered Provider - General Safety: 1. All doors were locked immediately, and we are ensuring they are locked every day . A MS teams meeting with held with all staff to remind them of the importance of keeping the entrance doors locked. 2. All doors were locked immediately, and we are ensuring they are locked every day. A MS teams meeting with held with all staff to remind them of the importance of keeping the entrance doors locked. 3. The cleaning sheet has been updated to include a risk assessment . The indoor and outdoor maintenance risk assessment is completed by the caretaker weekly. The updated sheet has a space for staff to document a ny risks/hazards that they identify. 4. The cord blind was replaced on the blind with a new cord and secured. 5. Visibility strips have been added to the window in the form of a window art decoration. Infection Control: 6. The nappy changing policy has been updated and shared this with all staff. All staff have been re -trained in nappy changing practice. 7. The bed sheets are stored in individual storage boxes with each child’s names on them and beds are dressed as they need before children go to sleep. 8. Disposable wipes have been replaced with individual face cloths for each child. Retraining has been competed with the staff on the importance of proper effective handwashing. The practice will be monitored by room leaders and the centre manager. Safe Sleep: 9. All cots were checked and are fitted with snugly fitting mattresses. A new cleaning/risk assessment was created for the sleep room to prompt staff to check mattresses. 10. The foldable cot has been replaced with a regular cot and a snug fitting mattress with a recognised safety label attached. 11. The sleep room was reviewed, and the cots have been re-arranged in the room. 12. Plug in air fresheners are not used in the centre. A new cleaning/risk assessment was created for the sleep room to prompt staff to check all plugs have safety covers on them and to ensure that there is nothing plugged in within children’s reach. 13. The storage units were removed following the sleep room review. 14. The risk assessment has been updated. 15. The mould has been cleaned, and the ceiling was repainted. Fire Safety: 16. All items were removed to ensure the fire exit is clear. A new cleaning/risk assessment was created for the sleep room to prompt staff to check that the fire exit is kept clear at all times. 17. The fire assembly sign was changed to the opposite side of the garden and is now securely fixed. The sign is larger and more visible ##### Regulation 25 — First aid - (1) While it is acknowledged there are staff trained in first aid response (FAR), there was no person with FAR training on the premises between 8:00am – 9:00am daily and immediately available to the children on the day of inspection as observed by the staff roster - (1) Two staff members are booked to do first aid response (FAR) training. This will ensure that are staff trained in first aid response (FAR) available to the children at all times Found compliant: Regulation 9, 11, 24, 26, 27, 28. #### Inspection of 17 October 2024 — Inspection Report Full report (PDF, Tusla) **Immediate action notice.** A regulatory compliance meeting was held with the registered provider on the 25th of November 2024 in relation to a significant non-compliance under ##### Regulation 9 — Management and recruitment - The following vetting and qualification documentation was unavailable on file: - (a) Written validated references from past employers were required for three staff members. One reference for a staff member which was submitted following inspection was found to be falsified. This was confirmed by the manager during a discussion with the inspector. (4) The information available in relation to the qualifications for one staff member was insufficient to show that it met the requirements of the regulation - The service advised in writing that: Corrective and Preventive Action - (a) One staff member has since left the service therefore no reference has been obtained for them. The falsified reference has been addressed. A new reference has been obtained for this employee and a new reference check validation has been completed. The third staff member has again contacted their most recent employer regarding provision of a reference. A copy of an email request was submitted by the service. The registered provider will ensure that all staff prior to employment have submitted the required references. In addition, for any references that cannot be sourced, the registered provider will ensure that there is evidence that all avenues have been exhausted to obtain same. The regional manager for the service will carry out the reference validations going forward to ensure they are carried out diligently and effectively. A new quarterly human resource checklist has also been created to be completed with all new staff as they start and quarterly after that. This checklist includes ensuring there are two written references on file from the most recent employers in line with their curriculum vitae/ employment history. (4) A new qualification certificate has been received for the staff member. In future the service will ensure that qualification certificates are obtained for all staff. This has been added to the service new quarterly human resource checklist ##### Regulation 16 — Record in relation to pre-school service - (i) A review of staff attendance records/roster and discussion with staff found that there was no record of some of the staff’s attendance in the service on the day of the inspection or the previous day - The service advised in a written response that: Corrective and Preventive Action - (i) A new rota clearly detailing where staff are located and their hours of work has been completed. All staff were informed of the importance of accurately signing in and out daily. The service has ensured all staff understand the importance of completing records accurately each day. The manager will do weekly checks to ensure the records are recorded correctly ##### Regulation 23 — Safeguarding health, safety and welfare of child - General Safety: 1. Garda vetting was available for fourteen staff members. However, three of these vetting disclosures were not dated within the previous three years and were not in adherence with the Early Years Inspectorate Regulatory Notice ‘EYI-RN12.3 Renewal of Garda Vetting’. 2. Tubes and containers of suncream were stored in a low cupboard that did not have a securing mechanism in place in the ‘prefab’ sanitary unit and were potentially accessible by the children and posed a safety risk. 3. A warm kettle was stored accessible to children beside the sink in the Senior ECCE playroom and posed a safety risk. 4. A string of coloured fairy lights was positioned at a low level beside viewing mirrors and potentially within reach of the children in the Senior Toddler playroom and posed a safety risk to children. 5. On the day of inspection at 11.20hrs there was a temperature reading of 44.7 °C from the warm water tap at the wash hand basin used by children in the Junior ECCE playroom and at 13.08hrs a temperature reading of 44.7 °C from the warm water tap at the wash hand basin in the nappy changing area off the baby room. These water temperatures were above the recommended 43°C upper safety limit to prevent potential risk of scalding. Infection Control: 6. After dinner the staff in the Senior Toddler playroom used wipes to firstly clean the children’s faces and then used the same wipe to clean the children’s hands posing an infection control risk as the children’s hands were not adequately cleaned. 7. Open bins were used in the playrooms in the prefabricated unit to dispose of items including blue paper towel used during handwashing/drying and waste food and were not the required foot pedal operated waste bins. 8. In the Baby room the covers of two highchairs were ripped/torn thereby preventing effective cleaning. Action submitted by the Registered Provider The service advised in a written response that: - General Safety: 1. Three garda vetting renewals were obtained. A new quarterly checklist has been created to keep on all staff files to monitor expiry dates. 2. A security lock is now in place on the cupboard. Ensuring that locks are on all cupboards has been added to the sanitary area cleaning checklist. 3. The kettle has been moved into a cupboard with a lock out of children’s reach and only used when an adult is standing beside it and replaced when not in use. Ensuring the kettle is stored out of children’s reach in a locked cupboard has been added to the room cleaning checklist. 4. The fairy lights have been secured to the wall. The room cleaning sheet has been updated to ensure all trailing flexes are secured to the wall. 5. The thermostat was adjusted by the registered provider. Regular water checks will be taken to monitor the temperature of the water and documented on the cleaning sheets. Infection Control: 6. All staff were given information on safe handwashing and explanations of the importance of handwashing. They were informed that using wipes for cleaning hands was not satisfactory. 7. The manager will monitor room practices to ensure adequate handwashing is taking place in all rooms and that safe handwashing information is displayed in each room. This has been shared with all staff. 8. New foot pedal bins are in place with a double compartment one for recycling and one for general waste. Segregation of waste will be monitored by management to ensure the correct bins are being used. The cleaning sheets have been updated to include that the bins are foot pedal bins and in a good state of repair. 9. Two new highchairs have been purchased. Monitoring highchairs to ensure that they are in a good state of repair with no rips or tears has been added to the room cleaning checklists ##### Regulation 29 — Premises - (d) There was evidence of chipped paint on sections of the wall in the Baby room - The service advised in a written response that: (d) Corrective and Preventive Action The Baby room has been painted. Checking paintwork has been added to the maintenance check list Found compliant: Regulation 11, 25, 28. ### Other services in Longford - [ABC Childcare Ltd](/creche/abc-childcare-ltd-ballymahon.md) Ballymahon - [ABC Childcare Stonepark](/creche/abc-childcare-stonepark-longford.md) Longford - [Bright Beginnings](/creche/bright-beginnings-longford.md) Longford - [Dromard Childcare Community Group CLG](/creche/dromard-childcare-community-group-clg-moyne.md) Moyne - [Longford Montessori Centre](/creche/longford-montessori-centre-longford.md) Longford - [Center Parcs Longford Forest Activity Den](/creche/center-parcs-longford-forest-activity-den-ballymahon.md) Ballymahon - [Legan Community Childcare Ltd](/creche/legan-community-childcare-ltd-legan.md) Legan - [Tumblin Tots](/creche/tumblin-tots-ballymahon.md) Ballymahon - [Teach Leanbh](/creche/teach-leanbh-ballinalee.md) Ballinalee - [St. Marys Childcare Campus CLG](/creche/st-marys-childcare-campus-clg-edgeworthstown.md) Edgeworthstown [Alert me when a new report is published](/help.md) · [Dated report on this service — €19](/report.md) --- Página: https://creche-inspection-reports.pages.dev/creche/abc-childcare-drumlish-drumlish/ Fonte: Tusla Early Years Inspectorate Recolha: 2026-09-11