Inspection of 12 May 2026 — Inspection Report
Regulation 9 — Management and recruitment
- (2) (d) • See Statutory Notice section in relation to Immediate Action Notice IAN 0343 served. • See Statutory Notice section in relation to Immediate Action Notice IAN 0344 served. (3) The registered provider did not ensure the checks required under (2) were completed prior to the start date of two staff having access to children in the service. This posed a potential safeguarding risk
- • There was no documentary evidence to show that the registered provider conducted regular staff supervision. In addition, the service did not have a supervision policy in place as per regulatory requirements. It is acknowledged that there was evidence that staff had engaged in supervision meetings with the registered provider on an ad hoc basis. However, it is important that structured supervision is carried out to ensure staff are supported to carry out their work within the service. A staff supervision policy should include how staff are supervised and supported in the service in relation to their work practices, the format, duration and frequency of supervision and where the records will be kept and stored and for how long they will be kept for. • Although there was evidence that staff engaged in continuous professional development training the service did not have a staff training policy in place as per regulatory requirements. A staff training policy should outline how staff training needs are identified and addressed and what resources are provided for training and the availability of ongoing training and professional development for staff
Provider's corrective action:
- (3) Measures have been introduced to ensure that all Garda Vetting and overseas Police Vetting documentation is completed and verified before employees commence work. The Recruitment and Vetting Policy have now been updated to include overseas police clearance requirements in line with Tusla safeguarding requirements. A staff compliance checklist and regular personnel file reviews will also be maintained to prevent recurrence. (7) (a) A Staff Supervision Policy and a Staff Training Policy were developed, implemented and shared with all staff. The supervision policy outlines the purpose, format, frequency, duration, recording and storage of supervision meetings. A supervision schedule has been established to ensure all staff receive formal supervision on a regular basis. A supervision record template has been introduced and completed records will be signed and stored in each staff member's personnel file. Training needs and professional development opportunities will be discussed during supervision meetings and recorded on the supervision form. Retrospective supervision records were completed where appropriate, and a supervision file has been established to securely maintain all records. The Manager will review supervision and training records annually to ensure they are up to date and that the service remains compliant with regulatory requirements
Regulation 23 — Safeguarding health, safety and welfare of child
- General Safety: 1. The entrance to the service was not appropriately secured when the inspection team arrived at the service. It is acknowledged that it had been left accidently open by a staff member undertaking cleaning duty. It is acknowledged that another staff member present took immediate action and secured the door once the identified risk had been brought to the staff members attention. However, the entrance door to the service must remain secured at all times to ensure children are kept safe. This posed a potential risk of harm if an unauthorised person were to enter the service. 2. A trailing flex was observed to be hanging down and accessible to children in the walkway between the Montessori and the pre-Montessori room. This posed a risk of injury. Administration of Medication: 3. See Statutory Notice section in relation to Improvement Notice IN 0302 served. 4. An over-the-counter medication was observed to be stored in a child’s bag in an area that was accessible to children. This posed a risk of safety. Safe Sleep: 5. Staff were observed to carry out sleep checks and keep a written record of the children that slept, to include their colour, breathing and position every 10 minutes. However, the cot room was observed to be too dark for the staff member to carry out the appropriate sleep checks. It is important that the staff can see the child’s skin colour, position and observe the child breathing during the ten-minute sleep checks. This posed a safe sleep risk. Fire Safety: 6. The service did not ensure the following procedures were in place to support the safe evacuation of children and staff in the event of an emergency evacuation: o An up-to-date contemporaneous attendance log for children was not available in the Montessori room. Two of the six children present were not marked in attendance. This could cause confusion in regard to the number of children present in the event of an emergency evacuation. o The recommended space of 50cm between sleeping children was not maintained. A distance between 9cm to 11 cm was observed between four sleeping children. This could impede staff accessing the children in the event of an emergency evacuation. Action submitted by the Registered Provider
Provider's corrective action:
- General Safety: 1. The entrance gate/door was immediately secured and checked to ensure it was functioning correctly. The incident was discussed with all staff, and staff were reminded of their responsibility to ensure that all entrance and exit points always remain secure. The cleaning procedures were reviewed with the staff member involved to reinforce the importance of checking that the entrance is locked after access. A daily opening and closing security check has been introduced to ensure all entrance and exit points are secure. Staff have been instructed to check and confirm that the entrance door/gate is closed and locked immediately after use. Security checks will form part of routine health and safety monitoring and will be discussed at staff meetings. The Manager will carry out periodic checks to ensure procedures are being followed. 2. The trailing flex was immediately secured and repositioned out of children's reach, eliminating the risk of injury. A check of all rooms and walkways within the service was carried out to identify and address any similar hazards. Staff were reminded of their responsibility to ensure that electrical cords, cables and other potential hazards are safely always secured and inaccessible to children. The service has updated its daily health and safety checks to include inspection of walkways, electrical equipment and cables to ensure that any potential trip or injury hazards are identified and addressed promptly. Staff have been reminded to report and rectify hazards immediately when identified. Health and safety checks will be monitored by the Manager as part of ongoing risk management procedures. Administration of Medication: 3. See Statutory Notice section in relation to Improvement Notice IN 0302 served. 4. The over-the-counter medication was removed from the child's bag and placed in the designated secure medication storage area, inaccessible to children. A check of all children's bags and storage areas was carried out to ensure no other medication was accessible to children. The medication storage procedure was reviewed with all staff and parents were reminded that any medication brought into the service must be handed directly to a staff member on arrival. Staff have been reminded to check with parents at drop- off whether any medication has been brought into the service and to ensure that all medication is immediately stored in the designated secure storage area. Medication storage procedures have been discussed at a staff meeting and incorporated into routine health and safety monitoring. The Manager will periodically review medication storage practices to ensure compliance and be sure the medication is in date. Safe Sleep: 5. The lighting arrangements in the sleep room were reviewed and adjusted to ensure that staff can clearly observe each child's skin colour, breathing and sleeping position during sleep checks. Staff were reminded of the service's safe sleep procedures and the requirement that the sleep environment must provide sufficient visibility to carry out effective sleep checks while maintaining a restful environment for children. The Safe Sleep Policy and sleep room procedures have been reviewed with all staff to ensure that adequate lighting is maintained at all times when children are sleeping. Sleep room safety checks have been added to daily room checks to verify that visibility is sufficient for staff to accurately observe children's colour, breathing and position during the required ten-minute sleep checks. The Manager will monitor compliance through regular observations and supervision. Fire Safety:
- o The attendance record in the Montessori room was updated to accurately reflect all children present. All staff were reminded of the requirement to maintain a contemporaneous attendance record throughout the day and to update it immediately when children arrive or leave the room. Staff have been reminded of the emergency evacuation procedures and the importance of maintaining accurate attendance records at all times. Attendance registers will be checked regularly throughout the day by room staff and monitored by the Manager to ensure they accurately reflect the number of children present. o The sleep room layout was also reviewed and adjusted immediately to ensure that the recommended minimum spacing of 50cm was maintained between sleeping children. This allows staff to safely access children and facilitates prompt evacuation in the event of an emergency. The spacing of cots and sleep mats will be checked before each sleep period as part of routine room safety checks. These procedures will be monitored through regular room observations and discussed during staff meetings to ensure ongoing compliance
Regulation 32 — Complaints
- (a) The registered provider advised there had been one complaint received since the last inspection on 26 March 2025. A complaint logbook with this information recorded was not available for review by the inspection team. (b) Information given to the inspector in relation to the one complaint showed that the complaint had not been dealt with in line with the service policy. The registered provider confirmed that the service had not followed all of the steps outlined in the policy and the compliant could not be resolved to the parent’s satisfaction
Provider's corrective action:
- (a) The complaint received was documented in the service's Complaints Log, including the nature of the complaint, actions taken, outcome and date of resolution. The Complaints Policy was reviewed to ensure all complaints are recorded and maintained in accordance with regulatory requirements. A Complaints Log has been established and will be always maintained on the premises. The Registered Provider/Manager will ensure that all complaints, whether written or verbal, are recorded promptly, including the details of the complaint, actions taken and outcome. The Complaints Log will be reviewed periodically to ensure records are complete, up to date and available for inspection when required. (b) The revised Complaints Policy has been changed and implemented to ensure that all future complaints are managed consistently and in accordance with the service's procedures. A Complaint Record Form has been introduced to ensure that each stage of the process, including investigation, communication with parents, actions taken and outcomes, is documented. The Registered Provider will oversee all complaints received to ensure that each stage of the complaint’s procedure is followed, documented and completed within the specified timeframes. The Manager will review all complaints received to ensure that policy procedures have been followed and records are completed appropriately
Found compliant: Regulation 11, 19.