Regulation 16 — Record in relation to pre-school service
(1)(k) Three of the accident and incident forms reviewed in the service did not include parental signatures as a means of ensuring that parents had been informed and were aware of an incident/accident involving their child
Provider's corrective action:
Corrective Action (1)(k) All three accident and incident reports were signed by the parents and sent home. Preventive Action (1)(k) The service has since held a staff meeting to discuss the importance of parental signatures and have refreshed all staff with further training and details of their accident and incident policy
Regulation 19 — Health, welfare and development of child
Physical and material environment: 1. There were limited interest areas in the Wobbler/Toddler Room to enable children to freely choose activities to support child led play. 2. There were no supporting play materials available for the playhouse or the play kitchen in the outdoor area to enable the children to extend their play. 3. There was no adult sized chair in the Wobbler/Toddler Room for staff to sit with the children at mealtimes or during activities
Provider's corrective action:
Corrective Action Physical and material environment: 1. Additional toys have been purchased. 2. Kitchen equipment was purchased for the outdoor area. Outdoor toys such as dolls, sensory mats and a cot have been introduced into the playhouse. 3. Adult sized chairs were in the sleep room and office on the day of inspection. Adults sized chairs are now in the Wobbler/Toddler room. Preventive Action Physical and material environment: 1.2. Managers and staff have been reminded to do weekly toy audits. 3. Staff reminded not to remove the chairs from the room
Regulation 23 — Safeguarding health, safety and welfare of child
Infection Control: 1. Wipes were used to clean children’s faces after dinner in the Wobbler/Toddler Room. This did not lead to effective infection control. Action submitted by the Registered Provider Corrective Action Infection Control: 1. Face cloths were purchased, and staff no longer use water wipes. Preventive Action Infection Control: 1. Staff do not use wipes and will always use face cloths going forward. Supporting documentation submitted Infection Control: 1. Receipt for face cloths. Summary Comment The inspector has reviewed the actions and evidence submitted. The non-compliance under Regulation 23 has been addressed
Regulation 25 — First aid
(1) The registered provider did not ensure that an adequate number of staff were trained in First Aid Response (FAR) and a staff member trained in FAR was available on the premises throughout the opening hours of the service. There were two staff members trained in First Aid Response (FAR) on the day of the inspection. However, there was no staff member available with First Aid Response (FAR) training from 7.30am until 8.30am when children were present in the service
Provider's corrective action:
Corrective Action (1) Two more staff attended First Aid Response (FAR) training on the 4 July 2025. Preventive Action (1) Manager to make sure that someone in the creche is FAR trained at all times
(2)(a)&(b) Two written and validated references were not available for review on the day of inspection in relation to 5 staff members. The following was outstanding. • Four staff members did not have an adequate second written and validated reference on file. • One staff member had no written and validated references on file. (3) Following a review of the staff files it was apparent that 1 staff member who works directly with the children had commenced working in the service in advance of international police vetting procedures having been completed. (4) Four staff members who work directly with children in the service did not have documentary evidence to demonstrate that they held a major award in childcare at Level 5-8 on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) or a qualification deemed by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) to be equivalent. One of these four staff members had documentation on file to suggest a third level qualification had been obtained, but it was not translated to English/Irish therefore it could not be determined that this qualification met the regulatory requirements
Provider's corrective action:
The registered provider provided the following response to the non-compliance. Corrective Action (2)(a)&(b) Outstanding second references have been obtained and verified. The staff member with no references on file was an ancillary staff member. They have since left the company. (3) A previous application was obtained by the staff member in 2022. We did not use this in the file as it had not been translated over in the correct format. We then had the staff member apply for it again to have the correct format on file. However, we have attached previous version for reference. (4) One staff members qualification was on file but the document was noted as expired. A transcript of results has been obtained and submitted until the certificate is received. A second staff member’s recognised qualification has been translated. Two staff members were in the service for training as they work in our afterschool service, and they are no longer in this centre. One of these staff members is a year 3 BA Education student who had attempted to obtain letter of eligibility for the summer. The other is unqualified and was not included or needed in ratio Preventive Action (2)(a) &(b) Ensure references are obtained prior to start date. The staff members in question had started 2 days prior to inspection and some paperwork was still outstanding. Going forward our HR department will ensure that all items are obtained prior to start date. If not start date will be postponed. (3) All staff provide international police vetting at the time of job offer . The staff member had produced police clearance but as mentioned above was not fully readable. We will ensure any such errors in paperwork at picked up at induction to ensure the dates correlate. (4) Ensure all staff have translated qualifications on file. We have an additional staff member assisting HR in translation of qualifications and references which will ensure this is done prior to start date. Regarding unqualified staff, this is not normal practice, and these staff were essentially additional for the most part however they did cover rooms and we will ensure this practice doesn’t happen again
Regulation 19 — Health, welfare and development of child
Basic needs: 1. On the day of the inspection the children in the Wobbler/Toddler room spent a considerable amount of time seated at the low-level tables and in highchairs. At 10.05am all children were seated for snack, 5 children in highchairs and 4 at the table. As children finished their snack, they were encouraged to remain at the table. At 10.30am some children eventually moved from the tables to the other end of the room to play, while 4 children remained in the highchairs. One child said ‘out’ and others raised their arms to be lifted out. The children were eventually removed from the highchairs at 10.45am when the room leader instructed the staff to do so. The children were seated once again at 11.20am to take part in a painting activity. When the activity ended by 11.40am the children were encouraged to remain seated for lunch, which was not served until 12.15pm. Children were then placed in their cots or beds for sleep from 12.25pm onwards. While children sat waiting for lunch, staff were observed to engage with the children but did not provide them with an activity. Overall, the children spent a disproportionate amount of time from 10.00am to 12.30pm seated in comparison to time spent moving freely and playing. Relationships around children: 2. The family wall in the Wobbler/Toddler room and Preschool 1 room were on display high up the wall out of children’s direct eyeline limiting opportunities for interaction with family photographs alone or with peers
Provider's corrective action:
The registered provider provided the following response to the non-compliance. Corrective Actions 1. Highchairs have been removed from the class and children are encouraged and supported to sit at low level tables and chairs. On the day of inspection there were three new staff members in the Wobbler/Toddler room who had only started the week of the inspection. They had not had the opportunity to fully get to know the children and routine. There was an element of lack of experience in the classroom which resulted in practice that is not typical to the normal standards. Unfortunately, with staff turnover and the staffing crisis in the sector it is difficult to have long term staff in each room. 2. The family wall has been lowered to ensure the children have access and visibility at all times. Preventative Actions 1. We have training in place for new staff especially those who come over form different countries. This is done by our staff liaison officer who translates and presents the training in Spanish when needed to ensure full understanding. 2. We will ensure all staff are informed and reminded of the importance of resources and for photos to be a the child’s level
Regulation 23 — Safeguarding health, safety and welfare of child
General Safety: 1. Five children seated in the highchairs in the Wobbler/Toddler room during a painting activity were not secured in their seats with the safety straps. This increases the risk of an accident or fall. Infection Control: 2. There were 6 standard cots in the sleep room, of which 3 were not spaced 50cm apart. These 3 cots were on the left side of the sleep room under the viewing window to the care room. The cot closest to the far wall (cot 1) and the cot next to it (cot 2) were spaced 27cm apart while cot 2 and the cot next to it (cot 3) were spaced 30cm apart. These cots were in use on the day of inspection. A space of 50cm apart is required to reduce the risk of cross contamination
Provider's corrective action:
The registered provider submitted the following response to the non-compliance. General Safety: Corrective Actions & Preventive Action 1. Highchairs have been removed as all children are able to sit at low level tables with appropriate chairs. In the event a highchair is needed, staff will be reminded and retrained on how to use these safely. Infection Control: Corrective Actions & Preventive Action 2. One cot has been removed as we no longer require it. Remind managers of the importance of infection control. This is part of our safe sleep policy and has been circulated again
Regulation 25 — First aid
(1) Following a review of the staff files and the weekly staff roster it was identified that a person trained in FAR was not available to the children on the week of 12th August from 7.00am – 8.30am Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday and from 5.30pm – 6.30pm Monday to Friday
Provider's corrective action:
The registered provider submitted the following response to the non-compliance. Corrective Action & Preventive Action Additional staff members have completed FAR training. The FAR certificate for the new centre manager which was not provided on day of inspection has been submitted. We will ensure rosters include a FAR trained person at all times. With 6 staff now available in the centre with FAR training this will not be an issue
Regulation 29 — Premises
(d) The cushions in use in the rest area in Preschool 2 room were not in a clean hygienic condition. Two cushion covers were stained, four cushions had no removable covers making the cushions difficult to clean/wash and 1 cushion had no cover leaving the cushion insert exposed
Provider's corrective action:
The registered provider submitted the following response to the non-compliance. Corrective Action & Preventive Action Cushions have been removed and replaced. We will ensure staff/management replenish resources if and when needed. All staff have been reminded of this