# Askamore Childcare Centre CLG, Gorey — inspection reports and findings > Askamore Childcare Centre CLG (Gorey, Co. Wexford): what Tusla inspections found — 3 published inspection(s), non-compliances and the provider's corrective actions. ## Askamore Childcare Centre CLG Sessional · 0 - 6 Years · Gorey, Wexford · Tusla ID **TU2015WX008** · 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 22 April 2026 — Inspection Report Full report (PDF, Tusla) ##### Regulation 9 — Management and recruitment - An organisational chart displayed in the entrance lobby provided details of the management and reporting structures within the service. This information conflicted with other documents such as several policies and procedures and the parents’ handbook which detailed different staff members. Documentation on the role of each staff member and specific responsibilities such as Designated Liaison Persons provided conflicting information. In discussion with staff members, there was an uncertainty about the adult with key responsibilities for child safeguarding. Three staff members named two different adults in the service as having responsibility. It was confirmed with the person in charge that one of these adults does not have a specific role within the service regarding safeguarding. This may cause a delayed response where there may be a potential child safeguarding concern - 1. Following inspection in May 2025 the registered provider stated that monitoring measures would be implemented to ensure documentation and policies would be kept up to date. These measures were not consistently implemented. The current management confirmed that the service was unaware of these measures which were previously submitted to the Inspectorate. This increased the likelihood of variance in practices as staff were not provided with relevant information to carry out their role and an increased risk of reoccurrence of the non-compliance. 2. Through the CAPA process the registered provider stated that the management would review the service’s policies and parent’s handbook on a quarterly basis. In discussion with management, it was confirmed that a review has not carried out on the service’s policies or the parent handbook since the previous inspection. Varying information was noted between the service’s policy, procedures in place and discussions with staff members regarding food provision, sleep provision, fire safety and the complaints procedure. Examples of such variance are provided under the relevant regulations in this report. 3. The process for children settling into the service remains unclear since the last inspection. Staff members in the baby room described to the inspector how they support a phased transition into the service over a number of weeks and gradually built up the hours of attendance depending on the individual needs of children. The parents’ handbook and policy on settling in does not reflect this practice and were not updated to reflect the practice and support staff members in its implementation as stated in corrective actions submitted by the registered provider following inspection in 2025 - 9(1)(c) We were aware of the conflictions regarding policies. These policies were in the process of being updated and have since been updated to document correct details of management and line of management. With regards to designated liaison person and conflicting information amongst staff. The list of designated liaison person/people is now displayed on reception and also in each of the care room for all staff to view and be aware of who they should contact in relation to child safeguarding concerns. We have now updated the child safeguarding policy to reflect the change in management and correct manager is named. To prevent the non-compliance from happening in the future. We have updated policies, clearly listed line of management and the list of designated liaison person/people is displayed in each room and on reception - 1. We have again implemented these measures in place but under stricter guidelines. A rota has been established and put in place for each of the administration staff to complete these checks quarterly and bring up any issue or concerns regarding policies or any update that may be needed. These checks will be signed off each quarterly period by management. To prevent the non-compliance, we will keep a rota for administration staff to ensure quarterly check are done on polices and procedure and signed off by management. 2. We will again implement these checks but under stricter review. We are under new management as of the 26 April 2026 and they will check policies which are brought to her attention by the administration staff during their quarterly checks. We will also highlight the following policies to all staff, so all staff are aware of these policies. Administration staff will review policies quarterly, these will be confirmed and checked by management. All staff will be requested to sign to documents to confirm they have read and understood policies. 3. We have now updated the settling in policy to include the process of settling in for each room giving a detailed procedure which will be implemented but also taking into consideration that each child is unique and may require additional time to settle in as settling is child led ##### Regulation 19 — Health, welfare and development of child - The privacy and dignity of children toileting in the toddler room was compromised. The inspector observed that both toilet cubicles had no doors and children could be seen by others in the classroom - We have now had half doors installed in the two toilets in the toddler bathroom to correct the non-compliance ##### Regulation 20 — Facilities for rest and play - 1. The depth of the sleep mats provided for 2 children in the toddler sleep room were observed to be too thin and did not meet the requirement of being at least 6 cm in depth as recommended by the Early Years Inspectorate sleep provision guidance document. This non-compliance was previously identified on inspection in 2025 and the registered provider stated that the sleep mats which were previously used in the toddler room were replaced with stackable beds. 2. The section of the toddler classroom which was used for sleep was very bright with sun shining directly on children. The service did not have any means by which to dim the room to support restful sleep. It is acknowledged that both dedicated sleep rooms off the baby and toddler rooms were sufficiently darkened - 1. We have now removed the sleep mats from the toddler room sleep room and they are being used for circle time and role play activities. We have replaced the sleep mats with the stackable beds, each child’s sheet and blankets will be kept in their own personable containers labelled with child’s name and picture when they are not in use to ensure infection prevention and control. 2. We have now installed removable blinds on the windows in the main toddler room which block out light and ensure the children sleeping are not sleeping in direct sunlight or a brightly lit room. We will continue to use the block out blinds to ensure the main toddler room area where children are sleeping is not brightly lit and children are not in direct sunlight ##### Regulation 22 — Food and drink - 1. Staff members provided conflicting information to the early years inspectors on what alternative healthy food was provided to children who didn’t eat the hot meal provided by the service. Through the CAPA process, the registered provider stated that staff were made aware of new healthy eating policy. However, the practice of the service regarding alterative food remained unclear and inconsistent with staff members. In discussion with a staff member in the Butterfly room, they advised where a child did not eat their dinner they would be provided with beans, spaghetti or crackers from the dry food box. In discussion with a staff member in the Toddler room, they advised that management would travel 10 minutes to the local village to get the child a sandwich. These practices remain inconsistent and the actions submitted by the registered provider were not implemented. 2. The services information in the healthy eating policy and parent’s handbook provided to the inspectors was conflicting with the practice observed during the inspection. The policy stated that ‘lunch, dinner and tea’ was supplied by the service, where dinner was the only meal which was supplied by the service - 1 & 2. We will ensure staff read and understand the healthy eating policy in place and the healthy eating policy along with an alternative food procedure will be displayed in each room. The alternative procedure will include a timeline for each room as to when to offer the alternative hot meal, what will be offered as a hot meal and the portion size of each meal as per child. There will be a 5-day menu of what is offered as an alternative meal each day to ensure that it is not the same alternative offered to children each day and that the food is varied and offers substantial nutritional value each day. The alternative menu will be review periodically to ensure that alternative meals are suitable for children. We will ensure that staff read and sign that they have read and understand policy in relation to healthy eating and also the procedure in relation to the alternative meals, these will also be displayed in each of the care room ##### Regulation 23 — Safeguarding health, safety and welfare of child - Fire Safety: Records were not reflective of the people present in the service. This may compromise effective evacuation should an emergency arise: • The staff roster for the week of 21 April 2026 was not reflective of the adults working within the service that week. This was found non-compliant during the previous inspection in May 2025. • On review of the staff sign in records, not all staff members were signed into the service. This was at variance with the service’s fire safety policy which outlined that staff sign into the service on arrival. This posed a risk in the event of an emergency evacuation as the actual adults present within the service were not documented. Following the last inspection the registered provider stated that staff would sign in and sign out each day and that this would be checked daily by the duty manager. The actions submitted did not prevent recurrence. Action submitted by the Registered Provider - Fire Safety: We are aware that not all staff were filling in their staff rotas correctly. We have now requested that the sign in records are completed correctly each day to reflect the number/name of each staff member in their rooms, this will be signed off by management each day. We have spoken with staff in each room and made them aware that staff rota needs to be completed each day to ensure that correct staff number and names are registered each day ##### Regulation 29 — Premises - (e) The inspectors observed that there were 3 toilets and 3 handwash basins provided in a shared toilet facility, for the total of 34 preschool children in attendance in the Ladybird and Butterfly classrooms on the day of inspection. Records confirmed that up to 39 children have attended on some dates. The recommended number of toilets and handwash basins recommended for management of infectious disease in childcare facilities and childcare settings is 1 toilet and 1 handwash basin per 11 children. This non-compliance was previously identified on inspection in 2025 and the registered provider stated in their response that works would be completed within 2 to 3 months, this work has not commenced - With regards to the issue with the Montessori bathrooms needing an additional toilet and hand wash basin, we are in contact with two different plumbers and are awaiting them to come back to us with a quote and following this quote work will then take place to have the work done. We plan to have this work completed before the start of the new term in September; work will have to be carried out during the summer months when the number of children attending the centre are lower to ensure their daily routine is not disturbed by the works ##### Regulation 32 — Complaints - (a) The service’s complaint policy did not provide an accurate procedure to be followed by a person for the purposes of making a complaint in relation to the service. The person in charge confirmed that both persons named on the service’s complaint policy are no longer in position - We have reviewed and rectified the complaints policy to correct persons named on said policy. The complaints policy along with all policies will be reviewed quarterly by administration staff and signed off by management Found compliant: Regulation 11, 26. #### Inspection of 7 May 2025 — Inspection Report Full report (PDF, Tusla) ##### Regulation 9 — Management and recruitment - (3) Recruitment and vetting procedures were not carried in full in advance of appointment of staff members. The registered provider did not consider Garda Vetting for one staff member prior to their appointment - (3) The registered provider has allocated one of the administration staff to oversee the upkeep of all staff files. Garda vetting will be applied for and obtained prior to the commencement of employment and references and other relevant documents will be checked ##### Regulation 19 — Health, welfare and development of child - 1. The dinnertime observed within the Butterfly and Ladybird rooms did not provide the children with an opportunity for a positive or calm social experience. In discussion with the staff members, they explained that the service’s food provision practices had recently changed. On the day of inspection, inspectors observed that the mealtime was focused on the reheating and distribution of meals to the children. This led to children sitting for a long period waiting for their meal. a. In the Ladybird room, one staff member was reheating dinners consecutively while a second staff member sat with the ten children remaining in the service for part -time or full day care. Some children were still waiting for their meal, while others were at different stages of eating or were waiting for their dinners to cool down as they were too hot post reheating. b. Similar practices were also observed during dinnertime in the Butterfly room . Between 12.30pm to 1.30pm, there was four staff members and 23 children aged 3 to 5 years in the room . During this time, one staff member was re-heating food for approx. 60 minutes , and another staff member sat at the table with children who were eating their dinner or waiting for their dinner to be re-heated. Staff members intermittently requested children to sit at the table while other children continued playing. This environment within the Butterfly room was distracting for children who were eating. For example, at 12.45pm, a staff member requested a child to get their water bottle from the drinks table. The child was observed to return with their water bottle and the child was gazing to the other children who were building a tower with wooden blocks. A few moments later, the child proceeded to carry their dinner, place it into the cubby hole with their personal belongings and join their peers to play. This went unnoticed by the staff member sitting at the table. 2. The children in the baby room were not provided with an opportunity for self -feeding at snack time and dinnertime. Through providing children with an opportunity to self-feed it develops skills of independence and a sense of achievement. This was at variance with the service’s policy which outlined that children are encouraged to feed themselves as appropriate to their age and stage of development. 3. It is acknowledged that the registered provider provided a sample of documents to demonstrate how the service communicates with parents , which included monthly newsletters on curriculum themes, healthy food policy changes, and seasonal activities. However, the inspectors observed that m easures to develop and sustain the relationship between the service and parents were limited . The service did not practice their own partnership with parent ’s policy or parent’s handbook. The following was noted: a. The service had a settling in policy which stated that if parents were experiencing challenges in relation to their child settling into the service, the staff would work with parents in assisting in making the transition as calm as possible for the children. However, in discussion the procedure for a child transitioning into the service was unclear. For example, staff members outlined that an open day had recently taken place for parents to view the baby room . While it was outlined that information was shared from the parents to the service regarding the child’s routine and that the staff members could phone the parents, in a review of the parents’ handbook, a procedure on how new children attending the service are settled in was not evident. b. The service’s healthy eating policy outlined that a written record is maintained by the service of what a child has eaten during the day. It outlined that staff members inform parents what the child has eaten during the day and especially if the child has not eaten. While a record was maintained in the Baby and Toddler room, a record was not maintained for the Butterfly or Ladybird rooms. In discussion with staff members in the Butterfly room on how children’s eating preferences or mealtimes are shared with parents, it was outlined that the food would be seen by the parent in the children’s bag. This practice does not support relationships between the service and parents as information regarding children’s individual food preferences may not be shared. c. The policy outlined that the service has an open-door policy. However, in discussion with staff members, parents have not entered the service for collections and/or drop off since the pandemic. This was observed by the inspectors on the day of inspection. The staff member outlined that parents use the buzzer system, and a staff member will bring or collect the child from the main door or the gate to Montessori 1 at collection and drop off times. d. The service’s partnership with parent’s policy outlined that the service recognises the importance of working in partnership with parents to promote the best interests of children. The practices of a regular two -way exchange and the daily sharing of information with parents at drop off and collection times was not observed. The practices observed within the baby room did not support the continuity of care or the development of relationships between the parent and the service. For example: One staff member consistently cared for the group of children in the baby room, including the completion of their daily records. The child was brought to the front door to their parent by a staff member who did not work in the care room on that day and was only present in the room for a short duration that evening. Consequently, this staff member was not aware of any information, updates or insights to provide to the parent. In discussion, staff members outlined that a photograph of the child’s records were sent to the child’s parents after they were collected. This practice does not promote the development and strengthening of relationships or the informal sharing of information between the service and the parent - 1. The service took the decision to outsource meals of hot dinners, lunches and teas from a reputable food establishment. The registered provider understands on the day of the inspection, there was a delay in heating of children meals which caused a slightly busier environment for staff and for children, thus not providing a calm or positive social experience for children. There will no longer be an issue of reheating dinners as meals will be provided by outsourced company. This will also help to ensure that all children are sitting and eating together with no distractions, thus providing more social and enjoyable experience for all children. During mealtimes children will be invited to set the tables with table cloths and utensils to be used during mealtimes, each child will be asked to obtain their drinks bottle from the drinks table and take a seat at their table. Tables will be allocated into groups and a staff member will be designated to each table to ensure mealtimes are monitored at all times. During meal times staff members will also sit and eat a snack or lunch while children are enjoying their snacks or meals. This will promote a more enjoyable, relaxed, social environment for children and staff. The manager or the assistant manager on duty will ensure that mealtime routines are adhered to by all staff. 2. Children in the baby room are encouraged to self feed during morning snacktime, a snack is provided by parents which usually consists of fruit, rice cakes, crackers, yogurts (given children in the babys rooms age 6-18 months) yogurts are fed to younger babies, whereas older babies between 12-18 months are encouraged to self feed during all mealtimes, but at times, also need assistance in feeding. Older children in the baby room are encouraged to self-feed and provided with the utensils to self-feed themselves whilst being supported and monitored by staff members. The service will encourage children to partake in self-feeding where possible. Going forward mealtimes in Baby room will also be monitored by the manager or assistant manager on duty. 3. The following actions were submitted by the registered provider in response to the finding: a. The service tries to accommodate parents as much as possible when settling in children. The procedure of children settling into the service is completed over the course of 3 to 4 weeks which involves a week of short visits of 30 minutes. This brief visit allows children a short time to detach from parents and evidently get use to staff members. The visits are tailored to each child’s individual need. These visits are then increased over the number of weeks for each child, given that some child may take longer than others to settle in a new environment. The service understands that a complete procedure of settling in for children is not outlined in parent’s handbook as details but it is explained to parents and is explained in detail in our main policies and procedures which are available to parents on request. The full procedure for children settling in is available for parent upon request and the service are updating the parent’s handbook to reflect the same. The registered provider will monitor that the service is practising their own partnership with parent’s policy and parent’s handbook. The management will review all policies and parent’s handbook on a quarterly basis. b. The Baby and Toddler food logs will continue. For the children in the Butterfly and Ladybird room, the staff members will provide parents with details and a description of children’s food intake during the day. The service communicated this with parents through a letter on 29 August 2025, and the service’s healthy eating policy was updated. c. The service had operated a closed door since the pandemic, as the service did not feel in a position to operate an open-door policy as the service found children settling better into their daily routine when drop off was at the door. However, the service are now in a position to operate open door policy again and a letter was sent to the parents as of the 13/8/25 informing them of this. This change supports stronger connections between home and setting and helps children feel secure and confident as they transition each day. Parents were sent a letter highlighting the service’s settling in policy, partnership with parents’ policy and drop off/collection policy. The service will maintain a positive and friendly relationship with parents upon pick up and drop off and exchange as much information as possible. One staff member is specifically allocated in the baby room to complete daily logs. This will ensure the correct information is gathered in the log throughout the day. The service will ensure that parents are informed daily upon pick up and logs are completed and forward each evening to parents ##### Regulation 20 — Facilities for rest and play - 1. The inspector observed that five children in the Toddler room who were under the age of two years did not have suitable floor beds provided for them as recommended by the Early Years Inspectorate sleep provision guidance document. The depth of the sleep mats provided for the children in the Toddler sleep room were observed to be too thin and did not meet the requirement of being at least 6 cm in depth as recommended by the Early Years Inspectorate sleep provision guidance document. 2. There was no evidence available to demonstrate that parents had been consulted about the use of sleep mats for the five children aged 18 months to 2 years, who were sleeping on the floor mats - 1. The service purchased suitable beds for children under the age of 2 to accommodate a safe sleep. The sleep mats which were previously used in the toddler room have been replaced with stackable beds. Going forward, monthly checks on all bedding will be carried out by management. 2. The service has asked parental permission for any child between 15 months to 2 years as per the guidance for the early learning and care sector on sleep provision for children under 2 years old. The service is now completing sleep plans for any child under two years who is not sleeping in a cot. The service has updated the parent’s handbook regarding the service’s safe sleep policy ##### Regulation 22 — Food and drink - 1. The practices during mealtimes were at variance of the service’s healthy eating policy as follows: a. The service’s policy outlined that the food is provided by the service. It is noted that the registered provider outlined the service’s policies and procedures were being updated. The policy described that healthy meals are freshly cooked on the premises b y a qualified and experienced cook. Separately, the policy outlined that meals were provided by a third -party company. However, the practices observed on the day and outlined by staff members were not reflective of the policy provided to the inspectors. In discussion with staff members, it was outlined that parents provide the snacks and dinner for children. b. Alternative food was not available or offered to children in the Butterfly or Ladybird room. In discussion, staff members in the two care rooms outlined where a child forgot their lunchbox, that the service would contact the parent to request that food was brought to the service. Staff informed the inspector that the child would have to wait and did not consider the child’s hunger, social participation, learning and enjoyment of having their meal with the other children in the class. Staff members outlined that additional food was not available within the service for the children attending the Butterfly room. In the case where a child did not enjoy their dinner, staff members explained the child would be offered food from their lunchbox. On the day of inspection, one child who did not eat their dinner was not observed to be offered food from their lunchbox or an alternative from the service . This was at variance with the service’s healthy eating policy which outlined that there is enough food available based on the number of hours the children attends. c. The service policy outlined that children attending for more than five hours have two meals, and one of which was a hot meal. Staff members explained that children attending on a full day care basis brought a dinner to the service, which was then re -heated by the staff members. The practices observed in the Butterfly room and Ladybird room were at variance with the service’s policy as follows: i. In the Ladybird room staff informed the inspector that if a child forgot their main hot meal, they would be provided with crackers or rice cakes, which each room had a store of, in their “dry food” storage box. This proposed solution did not provide the fo od requirements to meet the nutrition standard for a hot meal for a child attending a full day childcare service. 2. Children in the Baby and Butterfly room were not provided with water during mealtimes. In the Baby room, children were provided with a drink after their food. This was at variance with the service’s healthy eating policy which stated that children are offered a drink of water or milk at mealtimes and snack times - 1. The following actions were submitted by the registered provider: a. This policy has now been updated to reflect that food is being provided from an outside source. Parents have been made aware of this change and the new healthy eating policy has been highlighted to parents. This will be reviewed by management annually. b. & c. In the event that a child does not eat the hot meals provided, the service have additional foods available on the premises which includes beans, spaghetti, bread stored in freezer for toast, portions of homemade soup, dried pasta which can be cooked and also ready-made dinners stored in our freezer should they prefer those. Staff have been made aware of new healthy eating policy. 2. Children in Butterfly and Ladybird rooms have access to their own water bottles at all times throughout the day. Children in Baby and Toddler room are provided with drinks after during mealtimes and additionally throughout the day. Management will conduct daily checks to ensure this is being adhered to ##### Regulation 23 — Safeguarding health, safety and welfare of child - Fire Safety: 1. A staff roster was available within the service; however, it was not reflective of the adults who were present within the service on the day of inspection, or the hours worked. For example, a. The registered provider was not included on the roster, b. One staff member who was present was not rostered to work, c. One staff member was present within the service later than the hours rostered to work. 2. On review of the staff sign in records, staff members did not sign into the service. This was at variance with the service’s fire safety policy which outlined that staff sign into the service on arrival. In discussion with the registered provider, it was outlined that this posed a risk in the event of an emergency evacuation as the actual adults present within the service were not documented. 3. A referral was made to the Chief fire safety officer. The fire evacuation signage in place was at variance with the routes which were taken by the staff members. Fire signage was not evident on exit routes used by the staff members within the Baby room, Toddler room and Ladybird room. Infection Control: 4. Four of the five cot mattresses were torn. This was found non-compliant during an inspection on 21 October 2024. the actions as stated by the registered provider through the CAPA process were not implemented to reduce the likelihood of the reoccurrence. It is noted that the registered provider provided supporting documentation on the day which demonstrated cot mattresses have been purchased by the service. 5. The ten sleep mats provided in the Toddler room sleep room were not adequately spaced at 50 centimetres apart to reduce the risk of potential cross infection. 6. The inspector observed that soothers had been placed on top of each child’s sleep mat in the Toddler sleep room from the inspector’s arrival and were not appropriately stored in a sterile airtight container. 7. The nappy changing bin in the Toddler nappy changing room was handle operated and not foot pedal operated as per the Early Years Inspectorate regulatory notice, September 2022. 8. The inspector observed that children in the Toddler room were eating food items such as raisins, breadsticks, banana pieces and slices of cheese directly off the classroom tables which posed a potential risk of food contamination. At one stage the child’ s slice of cheese was stuck to the table and the child was observed having to try and peel it off. 9. One child was observed drinking out of a drink container which was labelled with a different child’s name. General Safety: 10. In the Ladybird and Butterfly room , children’s dinners were served to them in the containers that had been used in the microwave to reheat the meals. These containers were made from plastic or glass. On review of the reheating of food records in the Ladybird classroom, the inspector observed that on several occasions food was reheated to temperatures ranging from 75.2 °C to 99.2°C. This posed a risk of burn injuries to a child. 11. At 12.30pm, a child in the Butterfly room had whole grapes in their lunchbox at dinner time. The child was sitting at the table eating their food and the inspector requested the staff member to cut the grapes to an appropriate size. On the inspector’s return to the care room at 3.55pm, the same child was sitting at the table with whole grapes in their lunchbox for snack time. Both inspector’s requested actions to be taken by the staff members again. 12. The five children aged 0 to 2 years in the Baby room were not appropriately secured into the highchairs while eating their morning snack or at dinnertime. It is noted that the staff member remained within reasonable distance. However, equipment should be used as per the manufacturer’s guidelines. 13. A gap in the soft play surface in the Toddler play area posed a risk of a child or adult tripping and injuring themselves. Action submitted by the Registered Provider - Fire Safety: 1. All staff are now included on roster including Managers and administration staff. The staff member present within the later than hours rostered was to be allocated to non-contact time. 2. Staff now complete a sign in and sign out register each day which is checked daily by the duty manager. 3. The service engaged with the fire officer, who has been onsite and all fire evacuation signage is now in place. Going forward, a weekly fire safety check will be conducted and carried out in the service. Infection Control: 4. New cot mattresses were bought. A weekly checklist will be done on all cot, beddings and mattresses. 5. To ensure that the stackable beds are kept at 50cm apart whilst the children are sleeping, the service have made markers on the floor to ensure that correct distance is kept between each bed at all times. Staff in the Baby and Toddler room have reviewed and familiarised themselves with the service’s safe sleep policy. 6. All soothers are now stored in airtight containers. 7. Foot pedal operation bins now in place. Management will review and keep updated with the Tulsa guidelines. 8. Going forward, plates will be provided for each child during snack-time. Staff have been given a letter to read the new updated healthy eating policy. 9. Children each have their own individually labelled drink container. Staff had been issued with a letter highlighting ensuring children drink from their own cups only at all times. General Safety: 10. This will no longer be an issue, as food is outsourced. 11. Where a child who attends the centre has uncut grapes or fruit, they will be cut by a member of staff. The service sent parents a message with regards to the cutting of fruit. And a letter will be emailed to all parents with regards to safe eating again to ensure fruit is properly cut up. The staff were asked to read healthy eating policy. 12. All equipment is used as per manufacturers guidelines. Staff in baby room were issued with a letter regarding proper use of all equipment. 13. The works were completed to the playground. Daily risk assessments will be carried out on outdoor area to ensure the ground is kept up to standard ##### Regulation 29 — Premises - (e) The inspectors observed that there were 3 toilets and 3 handwash basins provided in a shared toilet facility, for the total of 40 preschool children in attendance in the Ladybird and Butterfly classrooms on the day of inspection. The recommended number of toilets and handwash basins recommended for management of infectious disease in childcare facilities and childcare settings is 1 toilet and 1 handwash basin per 11 children - (e) The service have been looking at feasible options to allocate additional toileting facilities to the Montessori. This is a big under taking and will take time to accommodate. The registered provider contacted the plumber and they have given us a timeframe of 2 to 3 months before the works can begin ##### Regulation 32 — Complaints - (1)(2) The service’s complaint policy did not provide the procedure to be followed by a person for the purposes of making a complaint in relation to the service. The registered provider confirmed that person named on the service’s complaint policy is no longer in position. The policy did not provide details on how a complaint is formally made. The procedures for keeping a person who makes a complaint to the service informed as to how it was being dealt with was not outlined. Documented records to demonstrate how the service managed complaints were not available or open for inspection - The complaints policy is now updated. The policy will be reviewed by management annually to ensure policy is kept up to date Found compliant: Regulation 11, 21, 25. #### Inspection of 21 October 2024 — Inspection Report Full report (PDF, Tusla) **Immediate action notice.** An immediate action notice was issue to the service on the 21 October in respect of absent Garda vetting disclosures for two staff working on the premises. A referral was made to the HSE Environmental Health Office on the 21 October to assess food preparation within the service. The registered provider has changed their process since last inspection when they prepared food on site. The kitchen had been closed, and meals were now provided by an external company. Provision for food storage had changed in the service. On review of staff files, there was currently no staff with in- date HACCP training. ##### Regulation 9 — Management and recruitment - The following non compliances were found on review of the staff files: - Validated references for three staff were not available on file - Two staff files were not available for inspection. One of the staff files was a new staff working directly with the children and the second staff file was not made available for inspection by the staff member. Therefore, no Garda vetting disclosures were available for inspection in respect of these two staff - It was not possible to determine whether police vetting was required in all cases. Curriculum vitae for four staff were not available on file. Identification records for five staff were not available on file. These documents assist in the assessment of whether police vetting is required and demonstrate verification of identity for staff - There was no evidence to demonstrate that four staff members who worked directly with children held qualifications at least a major award in Early childhood Care and Education at Level 5 on the National Qualifications Framework - The registered provider submitted the following response to address the non-compliances: All Garda vetting now up to date for all staff. All C.V’s and ID’s now up to date for all staff. All staff qualifications are now available on the premises. To prevent this happening again quarterly checks on files will be completed and signed by the manager ##### Regulation 19 — Health, welfare and development of child - The following observations of care practices in the baby room were not in line with best practice to ensure the needs of children were facilitated: 1. Staff members in the baby room did not respond to children’s cues during the morning. Children were left in equipment which restricted their movements for excessive periods of time. Examples observed included: A child spent approximately one hour in a highchair from the time they had their morning snack. The child was not given anything to play with while left in the chair. This child was seen to indicate that they wanted to be taken out of the chair. The staff did not appear to pick up on cues from the child. 2. A baby spent 45 minutes in an activity centre which was unsuitable for them as they could only reach the floor on their tippy toes which indicated that the height was incorrect for the baby. The staff did not pick up on cues from the baby or respond appropriately on a number of occasions when they sought attention. The baby was observed to be distressed crying out and banging their head on the toys. 3. Staff engagement with children to facilitate their enjoyment of the service was limited. For example: A baby who was unable to crawl was left sitting with one toy alone on mat with minimal interaction from staff. 4. Two children were observed to use soothers in the toddler room for long periods. The soothers were observed to be in their mouths for the duration of the morning while they played and engaged with snack time which may impact their speech development and limit opportunities to practice developing language skills. 5. The inspectors were not assured that all children were provided with the opportunity to get outside on the day. Children from the baby room were not observed to be provided with time in the outdoor area on the day of inspection - The registered provider submitted the following response to address the non-compliances: On the day of inspection relief staff had to be called in due to staff illness. This impacted hugely on the normal high-quality care that the babies normally receive on day of inspection. The service has also engaged with Better Start and the county childcare committee to help with all staff. All children in all rooms have access to the outside areas every day. By engaging with Better Start the team will ensure all staff are trained to ensure we are in line with good care practice ##### Regulation 20 — Facilities for rest and play - 1. Suitable rest areas were not available in the Ladybird room and the Butterfly room to enable a child to rest and take a break from activities throughout the day. It is acknowledged that a rest area was available in the Butterfly room, however, it was not suitable for the 18 children accommodated in the care room. It consisted of a narrow wooden bench and cushions - The registered provider submitted the following response to address the non-compliance: Two brand new sofas have been purchased to facilitate the rest areas in the Butterfly and Ladybird Rooms ##### Regulation 21 — Equipment and materials - The provision of an adequate material and physical environment for the care, learning and stimulation of the children attending parts of the service was insufficient. The baby room and toddler rooms were limited in materials and resources, which did not provide opportunities for imaginative child-led play. For example: • There was no daily activities/curriculum planned in the rooms. • Interest areas were sparsely resourced, with no invitations to play set up for children. • The play on the day was predominately adult led, with staff taking out the toys and equipment to direct tabletop activities and play. • The kitchen in the toddler room was bare. • The baby room environment was not suitable to the needs of young children. A small child who was not mobile was not provided with the opportunity to pull themselves up to stand as t he baby room lacked suitable furniture/equipment and toys. There was no suitable area for crawling. • Toys in the baby room were predominantly plastic with no toys or materials such as open-ended natural materials. • Toys were observed to be placed on tall shelves making it inaccessible to the children. • Books were observed to be torn and damaged in the toddler room - The registered provider submitted the following response to address the non-compliances: A full daily activity and curriculum plan is now available in the Toddler and Baby Room. New books and open-ended natural materials and a full new set of equipment and toys have been provided for the Toddler and Baby Room. Full engagement for 6 months on site has been sought to allow the team to maintain the high level of care that is offered ##### Regulation 22 — Food and drink - 1. Drinks were not readily available to the children throughout the morning in each room. Children were observed not to be offered a drink with their meals. 2. Sausages were provided as part of the hot meal on the day. Sausages contain a high fat and salt content and can also pose a choking hazard - The registered provider submitted the following response to address the non-compliances: Drinks are readily available for children at all times. The team have installed water dispensers in the rooms. Management to ensure drinks are available to all children throughout the crèche at all times. Management have asked the chef to take sausages off the menu ##### Regulation 23 — Safeguarding health, safety and welfare of child - General Safety: 1. The service did not demonstrate compliance with the Early Years Inspectorate Regulatory Notice requiring services to re-new Garda vetting every 3 years. There were Garda vetting disclosures on file for 12 staff members, however these vetting disclosures were not dated within the previous 3 years in adherence to with the Early Years Inspectorate Regulatory Notice EYI-RN12.3 Renewal of Garda Vetting. 2. Large volumes of antifebrile medication were kept on the premises. The storage of this medication in the ladybird room was not sufficient as it was stored in a low press that was easily openable. 3. A manhole cover in the front garden was not fenced off to restrict the access to the children from the area. 4. A cot in the baby room was located beside the cupboard and the bin. This allowed for children to potentially reach the cables of the electric heater sitting on the cupboard and access the bin while in the cot. 5. Medication for a child no longer in the service remained in the fridge door which was accessible by the children. This medication was out of date. Infection Control: 1. Nappy changing practices were not in line with the services policy and the following nappy changing practices were observed: • Staff did not change their aprons between each nappy change with some staff observed not to wear aprons for the duration of the nappy changing highlighting inconsistency in nappy changing procedures, leading to poor infection control. • A staff member was observed to leave gloves on after the nappy changing was complete and return to the playroom before taking them off. • Nappy changing mats were worn and torn leading to a risk of cross contamination. 2. Effective handwashing was not completed as per the service policy. The following was observed: • In the toddler room and baby room children’s hands were not washed after nappy changing. • Staff in the baby room were observed to wash their hands after nappy changing at the sink where food is prepared. • The inspectors were not assured that adequate s upervision of children using toilets took place to ensure good handwashing practices. The toilets were observed unflushed on a number of occasions during the day. • Staff were observed to wipe children’s hands with cloths after outdoor play and before eating instead of bringing them to the bathroom to wash their hands. 3. The following observations demonstrated ineffective infection control on the day: • Formula bottles supplied by parents were brought to the service not premade as per Safe Food guidelines. • Staff did not was their hands before making a bottle in the baby room. • The sink in the nappy changing unit in the baby room was full of toys and equipment and not used for handwashing. • The lobby area of the nappy changing unit in the baby room was cluttered and used for storage of toys. • The door was left open during nappy changing in the baby room which poses as rick of cross contamination. • The mattresses on the cots were worn and torn leading to risk of cross contamination as they could not be adequately cleaned. • Staff did not wash their hands in the toddler room before serving food. Fire Safety: 1. Fire evacuation procedures were not displayed throughout the service. Staff when speaking with the inspectors were unsure of the evacuation plan in the event of a fire emergency and how often fire drills were carried out. Action submitted by the Registered Provider - : The registered provider submitted the following response to address the non-compliances: General Safety: 1. All staff fully Garda vetted. 2. All anti febrile medication on the premises now being stored in an overhead locked unit in all rooms. 4. Manhole cover has been fenced off. Infection Control: Staff training on infection control has been done with all staff members to ensure best practice. We have informed parents to make up the bottles for their child before they come into crèche. New mattresses for the baby room have been ordered. All of our staff has been trained in HACCP. We have engaged with our EHO and rectified any issues that had arisen. Fire Safety: Fire evacuation procedures now displayed throughout the service. All staff are fully aware of the fire evacuation plan ##### Regulation 26 — Fire safety measures - Records demonstrated that the fire extinguishers had not been serviced since July 2023. It is acknowledged that the manager contacted the fire company on the day of the inspection to organise service of the extinguishers as soon as possible - The registered provider submitted the following response to address the non-compliances: All our fire extinguishers are fully up to date Found compliant: Regulation 11, 17, 25, 28. ### Other services in Wexford - [Ballymitty Community Playgroup Clg](/creche/ballymitty-community-playgroup-clg-ballymitty.md) Ballymitty - [Ballymurn Montessori Ltd](/creche/ballymurn-montessori-ltd-enniscorthy.md) Enniscorthy - [Blackstairs Community Playschool](/creche/blackstairs-community-playschool-enniscorthy.md) Enniscorthy - [Bright Smiles Preschool](/creche/bright-smiles-preschool-gorey.md) Gorey - [Clologue Play And Learn](/creche/clologue-play-and-learn-camolin.md) Camolin - [First Friends Michael Street Community Pre-school](/creche/first-friends-michael-street-community-pre-school-new-ross.md) New Ross - [Rainbow Childcare at Tara Villa](/creche/rainbow-childcare-at-tara-villa-barntown.md) Barntown - [Faylinn Education Ltd](/creche/faylinn-education-ltd-gorey.md) Gorey - [Nourrice Creche & Montessori](/creche/nourrice-creche-montessori-wexford.md) Wexford - [Eager Beavers Montessori @Firefly](/creche/eager-beavers-montessori-firefly-gorey.md) Gorey [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/askamore-childcare-centre-clg-gorey/ Fonte: Tusla Early Years Inspectorate Recolha: 2026-09-11