(4) Documentary evidence was not available to confirm that 2 adults who work directly with the children held at least a major award in Early Childhood Care and Education at Level 5 or above on the National Framework of Qualifications or a qualification deemed eligible by the Minister
Provider's corrective action:
Corrective Action (4) The registered provider has included the QQI Level 5 certificates in Early Childhood Care and Education for the 2 adults. Preventive Action (4) Management will continue to utilise the Personnel File Checklist and ensure that copies of the relevant qualifications are included in the staff folder. Additionally, a note will be added to the outside of a person’s file if they are not childcare qualified. Management will confirm with regulatory bodies in advance of hiring staff if a letter from the college of successful completion of the course is acceptable until they receive their certificate
Regulation 16 — Record in relation to pre-school service
(1)(i) A staff roster was not available in the service on the day of inspection. (k)Two of the eleven accident and incident records reviewed did not include parental signatures to confirm that parents/guardians had been informed and were aware that their child had an accident/incident whilst in attendance in the service. It is important that parents/guardians are informed of any accident or incident relating to their child so that they can monitor their child appropriately
Provider's corrective action:
Corrective Action (1)(i) Management produces a weekly staff roster which is printed and displayed in the kitchen every Monday. (k) All accident and incident reports are documented on a digital application. The alert notification to the parents for an accident and incident report on the digital application was changed to include an email notification and push notification. A memo was issued to parents to remind them to check the digital application when they receive notifications. Preventive Action (1)(i) A template roster has been set up which is adjusted by the manager every Friday in advance of the upcoming week. Any changes on the day are recorded on the staff roster and filed for the record. (k) A memo was issued to parents to remind them to check the digital application when they receive notifications. Staff were also reminded to inform the parents of any accident and incident report when they are collecting their child. Staff were instructed to inform the rest of the team if a child had an accident during the day so that whoever is with that child at the time of collection can discuss it with the parents
Regulation 19 — Health, welfare and development of child
Physical and material environment: 1. In the arts and crafts room there were limited interest areas developed with accessible resources for the children to initiate or sustain child led play experiences. Due to the room layouts, there was minimal opportunity for child-initiated activities and opportunities for children to engage with a range of materials in the environment based on children’s choices, interests and preferences which resulted in the activities being predominantly adult led. 2. The books in the toddler room and arts and crafts room were placed on a bookshelf that was out of the children’s reach. This did not enable children to freely choose a book. 3. The family wall that was on display in the Toddler room was positioned at too high a level for the children to view. This does not enable the children to develop a sense of belonging and connectedness in the service and to maintain links with family and home. 4. The play kitchen in the outdoor play area was insufficiently resourced to facilitate meaningful play experiences as there was no supportive play materials provided alongside the kitchen for the children to use
Provider's corrective action:
Corrective Action Physical and material environment: 1. New furniture was purchased for the arts and crafts room which allows the toys to be fully accessible to children at all times. Interest areas were created in the room and sensory materials were made available. 2. Books were made available in the cosy corner in the toddler room and the arts and crafts room so that children could independently chose a book. 3. The family wall in the toddler room was moved and is now at a height where the toddlers can clearly see the photographs. 4. New play food was distributed to the outdoor kitchen areas. The play kitchen utensils were collated into a box and stored next to the play kitchens to encourage and support meaningful play. Preventive Action 1. Every quarter, a collaborative session will be arranged for educators to provide creative ideas and suggestions for any of the care rooms. Self-evaluation tools from the National Curriculum and Quality Frameworks will be used as a guide to prompt reflection on the learning environment in the room. 2. Staff were reminded that toys and books should be available at the children’s level to enable child-led play and learning. 3. Staff were reminded that nothing in the toddler room should be at a level where the children cannot interact with it. 4. The boxes for the play food and play utensils were labelled so that the children know where to tidy away the kitchen toys to prevent them from getting lost in the general garden
Regulation 23 — Safeguarding health, safety and welfare of child
General Safety: 1. A beanbag was observed in the toddler room. This item is prohibited to children under two years of age as it poses a suffocation risk. Infection Control: 2. The services nappy changing policy was observed not to be followed as demonstrated by the following: • Some of the children attending the Playroom did not have their hands washed following nappy changing. 3. In the toddler room the children’s snack which consisted of banana and crackers were placed directly on the tray of the highchair for 11 children in the toddler room. This posed an infection control risk. Safe Sleep: 4. Inadequate space was left between some of the mats and stackable beds set up in the Toddler room for the children to sleep after dinner. Fifteen children slept in the toddler room and there was inadequate spacing maintained between four beds which was found to be less than the recommended distance of 50cm apart. The inadequate space could potentially delay staff from accessing children in the event of an emergency and also increased the risk of cross infection. Action submitted by the Registered Provider Corrective Action General Safety: 1. The beanbag has been removed from the toddler room. Infection Control: 2. A new hand wash sign was displayed in the Playroom nappy changing area. 3. The children’s snack is now provided on plates rather than directly onto the highchair tray. Safe Sleep: 4. The layout of the toddler sleep room was rearranged. Fourteen children can utilise the space with a minimum of 50cm provided between each of the beds. There is space for a further 8 children to sleep in the exercise room with the beds sufficiently distanced. The remaining 4 children from the playroom and any upstairs children who still nap now sleep in the exercise room. Preventive Action General Safety: 1. The staff were informed that beanbags are prohibited to children under 2 years old due to the risk of suffocation. Infection Control: 2. All staff were reminded of the Nappy Changing procedure. The importance of hand washing for both adult and child was emphasised. 3. Staff were informed that eating food directly off surfaces poses an infection control risk. Safe Sleep: 4. The new bed layouts for the toddler room and exercise room have been communicated to the staff. Any future change to the layouts will be reviewed by management and a minimum of 50cm spacing between the beds will be maintained throughout. Supporting documentation submitted Photographic evidence of handwashing sign, snack on plates and new bed layouts. Summary Comment The inspector has reviewed the actions and evidence submitted. The non-compliances under Regulation 23 have been addressed
Regulation 26 — Fire safety measures
(b) The number, type and maintenance record for firefighting equipment and smoke alarms was not available. Firefighting equipment was last serviced on 28 of February 2024 and the smoke alarms were serviced on the 20 March 2024
Provider's corrective action:
Corrective Action (b) The firefighting equipment was serviced and certified in August 2025. An appointment to have the fire alarm and smoke alarms serviced was confirmed for 25th of August 2025 and rescheduled to 28th of October 2025. Preventive Action (b) Management have made note of the next required service dates and have reminders set to arrange the service before that time
Regulation 29 — Premises
(d) The registered provider did not ensure that the premises was being maintained in an appropriate condition as evidenced by the following: • There were gaps between the metal vent on the top of the radiator and the radiator beneath in the Junior Preschool room on the first floor of the service. • There was a hole in the wall at the rest area in the Playgroup room on the first floor of the service
Provider's corrective action:
Corrective Action (d) The radiator cover was repaired and there are no longer gaps. The hole in the wall in the upstairs playroom was repaired as part of building wide painting and redecoration. Preventive Action (d) Management has instigated a weekly building walk through of the entire building and garden in order to spot and fix any risks immediately. Staff were encouraged to report any damage to management so that it can be fixed promptly. Staff complete daily risk assessments of the rooms
Immediate action notice. An immediate action notice was issued to the registered provider on the day following the inspection under
Regulation 9 — Management and recruitment
(2)(c) Garda vetting had not been obtained for one staff member who was present in the service on the day of inspection working directly with the children. This posed a risk to the safety of the children. An immediate action notice was issued to the provider under Regulation 23 Safeguarding the health, safety and welfare of the child in relation to this non-compliance. (4) Two staff members working directly with the children did not have evidence available to demonstrate that they held at least a major award in Early Childhood Care and Education at Level 5 or above on the National Framework of Qualifications or a qualification deemed eligible by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. (7)(a) On review of documentation available and discussion with the registered provider the following was observed: • One new staff member employed since the last inspection had not completed their policy and procedure sign off. • One new staff member employed since the last inspection had not completed their introduction checklist or policy and procedure sign off. • There was no available record to demonstrate that any staff member had received support and supervision sessions since the last inspection. The registered provider shared an email issued to staff in December 2023 advising of a new supervision template and that a support and supervision schedule would be planned
Provider's corrective action:
Corrective Action (2)(c) The staff member in question started her first day of work on the day of inspection. Later in the day the registered provider became aware that the new staff member had not properly completed the Garda vetting form provided. The staff member was immediately informed that she could not remain on the premises and could not return to work until her Garda vetting was in place. A follow up email was sent to the staff member stating the same. (4) The first staff member had provisional results on file. The college has confirmed the students final results. The second staff member was working with the summer camp which consists partially of early years children and partially of school-aged children. The summer camp staff consists of 1 early years educator and 2 school-aged practitioners. To remain in ratio at all times, the staff roster was rectified so that a qualified early years educator is with the summer camp children at all times
• The staff member has since completed their policy and procedure sign off. • The staff member has since completed their induction and policy and procedure sign off. • The deputy manager has taken responsibility for the support and supervision of the staff. The schedule which was proposed in December 2023 has now been implemented. Four staff members have completed their support and supervision meetings with the remaining meetings to take place over the coming weeks. Preventive Action (2)(c) The agency used to obtain Garda vetting has had contact details updated to reflect the current registered provider. As such, the responsibility for having the correct documents in place for new staff members will be directly with the registered provider, eliminating the chance of miscommunication. The registered provider will utilise the existing Personnel File Checklist to ensure new staff members have all the required documents in advance of starting at Child’s Play. (4) Going forward all staff qualifications will be verified in advance of working with children. The staff roster will be kept up to date so that all preschool children are cared for by a qualified early years educator at all times. (7)(a) Two staff members who did not have completed induction process and policy and procedure sign off originally began in the service as work placement students. When they began work as full staff members the formal induction and policies sign-off was missed as they were already familiar with the day-to-day routines. To avoid this in future, all students will be formally inducted and asked to review and sign-off on our policies at the beginning of their work placement, regardless of whether they become full staff members at a later date. This will help the students integrate fully into the correct procedures at Child’s Play while they learn with us on their work placement. It will also offer them the opportunity to see how the policies and procedures and standard practices are put into effect in the day-to-day creche environment. The deputy manager has taken responsibility for the support and supervision of the staff. A planner has been created to record the dates that the support and supervision meetings have been completed and to set the dates for future meetings. The current objective is to have a support and supervision meeting with each staff member every 3 months. This will be reviewed at the end of each year and can be undertaken at closer intervals if requested by individual staff members. After each round of support and supervision meetings, the deputy manager and the registered provider will sit down and review the feedback from the staff. This will provide an opportunity to spot any broad issues across the staff, to assess morale and to discuss what management can do to create a better environment for staff
Regulation 16 — Record in relation to pre-school service
(1) The registered provider did not ensure the following: (j) A full record was not maintained in writing for medication administration. Six of fifteen forms reviewed did not include a parent’s signature confirming they have been informed of the administration. (k) A full record in writing was not maintained for accident and injuries. Fifteen of twenty forms reviewed did not include a parent’s signature confirming they have been informed of the accident
Provider's corrective action:
Corrective Action (1)(j) The registered provider issued an email to all parents/guardians highlighting the importance of accurately recording the administration of medication. The email reminded parents of their obligation to sign these forms electronically on the software application. (k) The registered provider issued an email to all parents/guardians highlighting the importance of accurately recording accidents/incidents. The email reminded parents of their obligation to sign these forms electronically on the software application. Preventive Action (1)(j) Further to the email to parents, the registered provider has reminded staff to inform parents at collection if a medicine form has been completed for their child that day and that they need to sign it. The registered provider has also allocated time every Friday to review the week’s forms on the software application and issue email or phone reminders to parents who have not yet signed the forms. This has been working effectively and a sample of recent forms has been submitted showing all required signatures. (1)(k) Further to the email to parents, the registered provider has reminded staff to inform parents at collection if an accident form has been completed for their child that day and that they need to sign it. The registered provider has also allocated time every Friday to review the week’s forms on the software application and issue email or phone reminders to parents who have not yet signed the forms. This has been working effectively and a sample of recent forms has been submitted showing all required signatures
Regulation 19 — Health, welfare and development of child
Basic Needs: 1. Children’s nasal care was not tended to in a timely manner to support the comfort of the children. A child was observed with visibly dirty nose with nasal discharge above their top lip at 11:14am-11:20am while a second child was also observed with nasal discharge and soiled bib from 11:45am-12:03pm. 2. Mealtime in the Toddler room was not observed to be a pleasant social interaction with staff sitting with the children as outlined in the services policy. During dinner time nine children in highchairs and two children in lower mealtime chairs were observed spread around the dinning space in a large circle. One child was sat alone at a low-level table in the centre of the room. The positioning of the children was not conducive to a relaxed social experience encouraging the children to communicate and interact with their peers or staff. 3. Children in the Playroom downstairs room were given their drinks when their meal had ended. Having the children’s drinks available throughout the meal encourages the children and allows more opportunity to drink. Physical and material environment: 4. Toys and equipment were not easily accessible and available to children reducing their play opportunities and ability to choose freely. The following was observed: • The wooden shelving unit in the Playroom downstairs had toys stored in heavy boxes and boxes which didn’t fit correctly on the unit proving difficult to slide in and out. • The Toddler room contained limited materials and a shelf of resources was observed turned into the wall inaccessible to the children. • In the Toddler room children had no access to low level furniture to sit and engage in tabletop activities if they chose. • Three kitchen units in the outdoor area did not have supporting resources available this limited the children’s opportunity to extend their play and use the equipment as intended while the toys and equipment provided in the Toddler garden were limited and did not provide adequate opportunities for stimulating play experiences. Programme of activities: 5. Between 11:10am-11:53am the programme of activities offered to the children in the Toddler room did not include supportive strategies such as reading the child’s cue, following the child’s interest or appropriate length of time for an activity which resulted in the children becoming disengaged, wandering the room and on occasion frustrated. During this time staff attempted to keep children in engaged in flashcards and stories as children lost interest and wandered the room seeking other play opportunities. Staff were not responsive to children’s cues for alternative play for example when a child was pointing at materials and staff continued with storytelling which resulted in a child becoming frustrated and throwing a toy
Provider's corrective action:
Corrective Action
1. A Staff Memo was issued to all staff emphasising the importance of nasal care practices in the welfare and care of the children at Child’s Play. It also highlighted the importance of nasal care and clean bibs in the prevention of spreading infections. 2. A Staff Memo was issued to all staff reminding them that mealtimes are an important opportunity for children to socialise. Staff were instructed to create an environment which facilitates the children engaging with each other throughout the meal. Staff were encouraged to sit with the children and model good eating habits for the children. Please note that on the day of the inspection, a second child who usually sits at the low-level table was absent. Nevertheless, staff were informed that no child should ever sit alone at a table. 3. All staff were instructed in the Staff Memo to give the children their drinks during the meal to allow the children drink throughout their meal. 4. The heavy boxes in the wooden shelving unit in the Playroom downstairs were removed and replaced with multiple smaller boxes. This makes the boxes lighter and easier for the children to access. The new smaller boxes fit correctly in the shelving unit. • New materials were bought for the toddler room and the room was re-organised to provide new interest areas for the children to engage them in stimulating play. The shelf which was turned into the wall was damaged at the time and inaccessible for safety reasons. The shelf has since been fixed and the toys are accessible to the children again. • A low-level table with two chairs is now available in the Toddler room for tabletop activities. Similarly, the table in the Arts & Crafts room, which is also used by the toddlers, has been re-orientated to allow the children tabletop access in that room. • Kitchen toys such as pots, plates, cutlery and food were made available for the outdoor kitchen units. Additional toys and equipment were provided for the toddler garden to facilitate engaging outdoor play. 5. A Staff Memo was issued to all staff reminding them that activities should be child-led. Activities should be engaging and developmentally appropriate for the children. Staff are encouraged to follow the children’s cue and watch for where their interest lies rather than sticking to a pre-programmed plan or activity. (1)(a) Preventive Action 1. A roll of tissue has been made available in all rooms and staff are regularly reminded to be alert to dirty noses. Staff are encouraged to assist the child where needed and wash their hands afterwards. A supply of spare clean bibs is available to replace dirty bibs if a child does not have a second bib in their bag. 2. For the Toddler room meals, a larger group of children now sit at low level tables together for mealtimes. This reduces the chances that a child would be alone at the table due to another child’s absence. If there is a number of children absent and the other children present are too young to eat at the table, staff will join the children at the table to provide a social environment for the children. 3. Staff will be regularly reminded to provide the drinks during mealtime, not afterwards. Management will circulate during mealtimes to ensure that this is being implemented. 4. Staff were asked to regularly check that the boxes do not become too full and can be easily slid in and out by the children. Spare small boxes are available in the shed if any boxes are no longer fit for purpose. • Surplus toys and resources are available in storage which can be rotated in and out with the existing toys. • The low level table will not be removed from the Toddler room so that opportunities for tabletop activities is always available. • Surplus kitchen toys have been bought to replace any that may get damaged in the future. This ensures there will always be supporting resources available for the kitchen units. Similar to the other rooms, the staff have been instructed to rotate the resources available in the Toddler Garden regularly so that the children have access to fresh and engaging resources. • Rooms will rotate the resources for the children at least every 2 months or as the children appear to be less interested. Developmentally appropriate resources can be swapped between rooms and/or rearranged to create new and engaging play opportunities for the children. 5. In accordance with Aistear, staff keep track of the children’s emerging interests and use Child’s Play’s Short Term Curriculum Planning Template to plan the activities for the children. Management and experienced staff will guide the less experienced staff to ensure that the activities are engaging and stimulating for the children
Regulation 23 — Safeguarding health, safety and welfare of child
General Safety: 1. A Garda vetting disclosure for 1 staff member was not dated within the previous three years in adherence to with the Early Years Inspectorate Regulatory Notice ‘EYI-RN12.3 Renewal of Garda Vetting’. 2. The door leading from the playroom sanitary area to the hallway was observed to be left open multiple times between 10:46-11:40am. The children were observed by the inspector to access the sanitary area unsupervised for toileting and handwashing. The hallway leads to the kitchen area where the door was observed wedged open. This posed a potential risk of injury to a child. 3. Windows at first floor level and above were not adequately secured and posed a potential risk of injury to the children should they access them. For example, children in the playgroup room on the first floor were observed to pull chairs over to the window and stand on them putting them closer to the window opening while in the attic room furniture was position in such a way that could potentially allow access to the windows. 4. The kitchenette in the upstairs Playroom had a knife stored in a low-level drawer accessible to children. This posed a risk of injury. 5. Two wooden child sized picnic tables in the outdoor area were worn and unstable, rocking when touched. One table had an exposed rusted screw which the inspector was able to remove from the table at ease . This posed a risk of injury to children. 6. A miniature trampoline was present in the outdoor area and accessible to children. The use of trampolines is prohibited in early years services due to the risk of serious injury to children. Infection Control: 7. Handwashing practices were not in line with service policy or HPSC guidance. The following was observed: • A staff member used a child’s bib to clean nasal fluid and did not wash their hands. • Children in the Toddler room and Junior pre-school did not wash their hands following outdoor play. 8. Shelving in the Playroom downstairs sanitary area used to store nappies had a section of laminate covering removed exposing chipboard. This posed an infection control risk and prevented effective of cleaning. Administration of Medication: 9. The medication box in the Toddler room contained expired teething gel. This is not in line with service policy that advises any out-of-date medication will be returned to the parent. Safe Sleep: 10. A child under the age of two was observed sleeping on a floor mat. This is not in line with Tusla guidance on sleep provision for children under 24 months. Outing: 11. On the day of the inspection six preschool children joined the school aged children for an outing. There was no record of consent for the children to attending the outings. This is not in line with service policy that advises the service will seek prior signed consent from parents for each outing for their child to attend. Action submitted by the Registered Provider
Provider's corrective action:
General Safety: 1. Corrective action: The application for Garda vetting renewal for the staff member has been submitted and is being processed. Preventive action: Management keep track of important renewal dates relating to all staff members using a Staff Tracker. The application to renew the Garda vetting for the staff member in question had been submitted by the registered provider in December 2023, in time for the 3 year renewal deadline. The staff member had forgotten to complete the online form. Management will ensure to follow up with all staff members in future. 2. Corrective action: A sign has been put in place highlighting that the door between the Playroom toilets and the hallway is to remain closed at all times. Preventive action: The safety reasons for the door being closed has been emphasised to all staff. The sign on the door will remain in place as a constant reminder to close the door. 3. Corrective action: Window restrictors have been installed on all windows at first floor, with the exception of the staff room and staff toilets where children are not permitted. The Velux windows in the attic have window restrictors built into the frames. This allows the windows to be locked in an open position which is not wide enough to pose a risk to children. Preventive action: The purpose and safety reasons for the window restrictors has been explained to all staff to ensure that they remain in place for the children’s welfare. 4. Corrective action: A sign has been put in place highlighting that the safety gate to the kitchen upstairs is to remain closed at all times. Preventive action: The safety reasons for the gate being closed has been emphasised to all staff. The sign on the gate will remain in place as a constant reminder to close the gate. 5. Corrective action: These picnic tables have been removed from the premises. Preventive action: The staff complete risk assessments daily on all the rooms in the building including the garden. Staff have been reminded to be vigilant when inspecting the toys and equipment in the garden for faults or damage which pose a risk to the children. 6. Corrective action: The trampoline has been removed from the premises. Preventive action: The registered provider will regularly review updated guidelines relating to early years services. Infection Control: 7. Corrective action: A staff memo was issued to all staff stressing the importance of good handwashing and hygiene standards. Staff were reminded that hand hygiene is recognised as the most important measure that individuals can take to prevent the spread of diseases. Staff were instructed that tissue is to be used to clean a child’s nose, not cloths or bibs. As part of Child’s Play’s policies children wash their hands after the garden, after messy play, after nappy change/toilet and before and after eating. The staff memo re- iterated this to staff as an important reminder for children to regularly wash their hands. Preventive action: Child’s Play’s Infection Control policy is due for review in September and will be re- issued to all staff. This will enable staff to refresh themselves with the details of hand hygiene and infection control. 8. Corrective action: The damaged edging tape has been removed and fresh edging tape has been applied to both shelving units in the Playroom sanitary area. Preventive action: Staff complete a daily risk assessment of the Playroom changing area. Staff have been informed that the damage to the covering on the shelving posed an infection control risk and that these items should be highlighted to management so that they can be repaired. The risk assessment form has now been updated to include a check for damage to surfaces. This will remind staff to be on the lookout for damaged surfaces which cannot be effectively cleaned. Administration of Medication: 9. Corrective action: The teething gel was removed from the medication box by management and returned to the parents. Preventive action: A staff memo was sent to all staff reminding them to regularly check for expired medicines and return them to parents for correct disposal. The Medical Administration Consent Form used by staff when administering medication has mandatory text box for the expiry date of the medication. This box must be completed before the form can be submitted which ensures that the expiry date on the medication is checked in advance of administering the medication. Safe Sleep: 10. Corrective action: Following the inspection, the child in question slept in a cot in the Toddler sleep room until they turned two. The Toddler sleep room has 15 cots available and was not at full capacity. Preventive action: The registered provider had misunderstood the difference between a floor mat and a floor bed in the guidelines on sleep for children under 2 years old. Following a conversation with the inspectors, it is now clear to the registered provider that floor mats are not the same as floor beds and floor mats are not suitable for children under 2. To prevent this from reoccurring if a child under 2 joins the Playroom group, 2 new floor beds have been ordered from a company which comply with the guidelines for children over 15months who are developmentally ready to sleep on floor beds. Outing: 11. Corrective action: Permission for outings has since been obtained for all children, preschool and school aged, who are in the summer camp. Preventive action: Outings only occur for the older group of children during designated school holidays – summer, October Midterm and Easter break. In advance of these “camps” an email is sent to the parents outlining the activities which will take place, including outings. Going forward, this email will also contain information on Child’s Play’s Outings Policy and an Outings Permission Form. Consent will be obtained from the parents/guardians for all children in advance of the start of any camp where outings will take place
Regulation 31 — Notification of incidents
(d) A review of a sample of twenty accident and incident records and conversation with management demonstrated that the service failed to notify the agency of three injuries to preschool children that met the threshold for notification
Provider's corrective action:
Corrective Action Tusla have since been notified of the three injuries which were highlighted during the inspection. Preventive Action Going forward, the registered provider is aware of the obligation to notify Tusla within 3 days of any injury which meets the threshold for notification