# Connolly Children's Centre, Dublin 8 — inspection reports and findings > Connolly Children's Centre (Dublin 8, Co. Dublin): what Tusla inspections found — 2 published inspection(s), non-compliances and the provider's corrective actions. ## Connolly Children's Centre Sessional · 1 - 6 Years · Dublin 8, Dublin · Tusla ID **TU2015DY244** · Registered since 1 January 2026 An inspection records what inspectors saw **on one day**; services respond with corrective actions — [how to read this](/methodology.md). #### Inspection of 28 July 2025 — Inspection Report Full report (PDF, Tusla) ##### Regulation 16 — Record in relation to pre-school service - (1) The registered provider did not ensure the following: (j) There were no written records maintained of the administration of medication. The registered provider reported that parents were informed of any administration via an online messaging system, but no records were maintained or were available. A full record with an acknowledgment of the administration by the parent must be maintained to prevent miscommunication on the administration of medication. (k) Following a review of a sample of ten accident and incident records, the following was identified: o Four records did not have the date the parent acknowledged they had been informed of the incident. o One record did not have any evidence that the parent had been informed of an incident as there was no parent signature. A full record of the incident with a dated acknowledgment by the parent must be maintained to establish they have been fully informed to enable them to plan for potential further risks related to the incident. This was not in line with the service policy on accidents and incidents which stated that forms will be fully completed - (j) The service reports an administration and medication record book was purchased for each room to ensure both the centre and the parents can obtain a copy. Staff were advised by management of the importance of keeping important documents and records such as medical records as this will ensure both the protection of the staff and centre. (k) Management will ensure the correct procedures the correct procedures are followed. Staff were advised by management of the importance of keeping important documents and records such as accident and incidents as this will ensure both the protection of the staff and centre ##### Regulation 23 — Safeguarding health, safety and welfare of child - General Safety: 1. Garda vetting was available for two staff members. However, these vetting disclosures were not dated within the previous three years in adherence with the Early Years Inspectorate Regulatory Notice ‘EYI- RN12.3 Renewal of Garda Vetting’. Checks on staff must be updated within required timeframes to establish their ongoing suitability to provide care to children. Infection Control: The following increased the potential risk of infection: 2. A child in Toddler 1 and two children in Toddler 2 were observed to sleep on a folded-up duvet placed on their sleep mattress. These duvets had been used in the rooms as seating in the cosy area. This increased the potential risk of cross contamination. 3. Two unlabelled soothers were observed to be stored uncovered in the box containing suncreams. This increased the potential risk of cross contamination. 4. The nappy disposal system in use in the nappy changing room required repeated hand contact with the disposal unit. This does not support effective infection control. This was identified as a non-compliance on the previous inspection held on the 4 October 2023 and actions put in place failed to prevent a recurrence. 5. A child was observed to sleep in their cot wearing their outdoor shoes. This increased the potential risk of cross contamination. 6. Adequate space of 50cm was not maintained between the five low beds in Toddler 1 and two children were observed to sleep directly adjacent to each other in Toddler 2. This is not in line with Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) Management of Infectious disease in childcare facilities and other childcare settings which states that cots or sleeping mats should be spaced at least a half metre apart for infection control purposes. 7. There was no hygienic means of hand drying in the sanitary facility off Toddler 1 and 2. The kitchen roll available required repeated hand touch of the inner tube. This potentially increased the risk of cross contamination. 8. There was a hole in the wall in the preschool, leaving a surface that could not be effectively cleaned. Safe Sleep: 9. The cots in the cot room were positioned with limited space between them. A space of between 23cm to 26cm was measured between the cots. This potentially restricted access to sleeping children. There must be adequate space between cots to tend to the care needs of sleeping children. This also posed a potential infection control risk, detailed in point 6 above. This was identified as a non-compliance on the previous inspection held on the 4 October 2023 and actions put in place failed to prevent a recurrence. Fire Safety: 10. The details of the attendance of the children in Toddler 1 room was not accurately recorded in the Entry checklist which staff reported is used for fire drills. Six children were present and only five children were recorded. The child was not recorded as present on the Toddler 2 Entry checklist when reviewed. Contemporaneous accurate attendance logs must be maintained to support the safe evacuation of children in an emergency. This was identified as a non-compliance on the previous inspection held on the 4 October 2023 and actions put in place failed to prevent a recurrence Action submitted by the Registered Provider - General Safety: 1. The service applied for renewed Garda Vetting for the two staff members. One disclosure was received, and the service are waiting for the second disclosure. The service commit to ensure vetting is always up to date. Infection Control: 2. The service has reviewed their sleep policy and will ensure all children will sleep on their individual bed. The service will ensure they will have an adequate supply of beds and bedding. 3. The service report that the soothers belonged to a child that was no longer in the service. Staff were informed that when a child is leaving the service soothers should be either returned to the parent or disposed of immediately. Any child that has a soother while attending the service will be stored in a labelled concealed container. 4. The appropriate foot peddle operated bin was replaced into the nappy change area. The bin will be changed regularly and disinfected every evening to maintain hygiene and prevent bad odours. Staff were advised that a pedal bin is compulsory and cannot be removed for any reason. 5. Staff in the service were instructed to be more cautious when preparing children for sleep and to always ensure shoes are removed before children are put into bed. Staff will ensure children are properly dressed for bed including the removal of shoes at all times. 6. The service has changed the sleep area from toddler room 1 to toddler room 2 which is a bigger space to allow each child to sleep in their own bed with sufficient space. This will also allow space for children who do not sleep take part in quiet activities in the Toddler 1 area. Staff will ensure there is enough space between each bed. 7. An electrician reviewed the electric hand dryer in the room on 25th August and new parts need to be ordered. In the mean time single sheet paper towels will be used until the until the dryer is fixed. The service reported they have practiced good hygiene skills with the children. 8. The hole in the wall has been filled, sanded and painted. The service report they will ensure proper up- keep of the service at all times. Safe Sleep: 9. The service report 1 of the cots from the cot room is moved into Toddler Room 2 to create more room in the sleep room. This ensures all the children have a safe secure sleep. The service will continue to ensure that there is enough distance between all cots at sleep time that staff have easy access to all the children in case of an emergency. Fire Safety: 10. The service discussed the importance of signing children in correctly with staff at the staff meeting. All staff commit to ensure that every child is signed in on entry and out when leaving the building without delay Found compliant: Regulation 9, 11, 21, 25, 26. #### Inspection of 4 October 2023 — Inspection Report Full report (PDF, Tusla) ##### Regulation 23 — Safeguarding health, safety and welfare of child - General Safety: 1. The two sand areas in the outdoor play area which the children use were left uncovered when not in use and there was no risk checklist in place to check them for hazards. This posed a risk of children coming to contact with harmful or toxic materials or waste. Infection Control: 2. The nappy disposal system in use required repeated hand contact with the waste disposal unit. This increased the potential risk of cross contamination. Safe Sleep: 3. Sleep practices were not in line with current safe sleep guidance or the service policy on safe sleep. The following practices were observed: o Children under 2 years old were observed to sleep on sleep-mats and there was no agreed sleep plan available with parental permission and there was no risk assessment in place. A sleep plan, incorporating a risk assessment, should be completed before moving a child from a cot to a sleep- mat. o Four sleep-mats and a cot were observed to be placed directly adjacent to each other in the cot room, restricting access to sleeping children. There must be adequate space between cots and sleep-mats in order to tend to the care needs of sleeping children. This was identified as a non-compliance on the previous inspection on the 2 November 2021 and the preventive measures in place did not prevent a reoccurrence. Fire Safety: 4. The details of the attendance of the children in Toddler 2 room was not accurately recorded in the Entry checklist which staff reported is used for fire drills. Contemporaneous accurate attendance logs must be maintained to support the safe evacuation of children in an emergency. Outing: 5. Outings to the private park which is not adjacent to the service and involves a five-minute walk were not in line with safe practice or the service policy on outings. The following practices were observed: o There was no risk assessment in place. o There was no attendance sheet detailing the names of the children and their contact details on the outing. It is acknowledged that a head count sheet was completed. o There was no person trained to First Aid Response level on the outing. Appropriate safeguarding measures must be in place when children leave the premises. Action submitted by the Registered Provider - General Safety: corrective action 1. Corrective action: Both sand areas will be covered before exiting the playground and the covers removed on entry. A member of staff will check both sand areas and surrounding playground for any hazards before the children enter. Preventive action: A safety checklist has been put in place and will be signed by the member of staff that completes the inspection. Infection Control: 2. Corrective action: The nappy disposal bin has been replaced by a pedal bin so there will be no further hand contact. Preventive action: During a staff meeting; cross contamination was discussed. Staff are aware of the potential dangers it entails and will ensure they no longer touch the nappy bin with their hands but use the pedal instead. Safe Sleep: 3. Corrective action: The sleep mattresses have been removed and replaced by cots with sufficient space to attend to the care and needs of each sleeping child. Any child under the age of two will sleep in a cot. A member of staff will wait with the children until they are asleep then monitor them using a baby monitor. Children will be checked every ten minutes by touch. Children over the age of two will sleep on the sleep mattress in toddler room one with sufficient space and complete supervision at all times. Preventive action: A risk assessment and sleep plan has now been devised and put into place for any child sleeping on a sleep mattress and in the event of a child under the age of two sleeping on a mattress, parental consent will be obtained. Both the risk assessment and sleep plan will be displayed in the sleeping areas. Fire Safety: 4. Corrective action: During a staff meeting, staff were informed of the importance of signing in and documenting the attendance of every child as they come in as this is to support a safe evacuation in case of an emergency. Senior workers/room leaders will take responsibility for this. Preventive action: Sign in sheet will be taken to the playground so in the event of a child being dropped to the playground the staff can sign them in immediately. Parents and staff were advised that under no circumstances could a child be dropped off while walking to and from the playground. Outing: 5. Corrective action: A risk assessment and risk assessment checklist has been developed and implemented by the manager who collaborated it with all members of staff. Each childcare unit has been provided with an emergency contact list of parents or guardians of the children in their care. Staff are aware that it is their responsibility to abide by our policy and procedure and bring the emergency contact list with them to the playground. A FAR course has been booked and confirmed for eight of the staff members commencing 4 November 2023 ensuring there will always be a trained first aider available to the children. Preventive action: A staff member from each childcare unit has been designated to carry out the risk assessment before the children go to the playground. In the event of the staff member being absent due to illness or annual leave the risk assessment will be carried out by either another member of staff or the manager. Staff will ensure that the creche mobile phone provided is at all times topped up with credit and in good working condition before leaving for the playground so therefor at all times will be able to contact the parents or creche if needed. The manager will ensure that training is kept up to date and given the demand for first aid training will book any future training well in advance ##### Regulation 25 — First aid - (1) There was no documentary evidence available to demonstrate that a person trained to First Aid Responder level was available to the children attending the service during the operational hours of the service. It is acknowledged that a staff member trained in Paediatric First Aid was available to the children - (1) Corrective action: FAR training was booked for 4 November 2023 for eight staff members and will be completed by 18 November 2023. Preventive action: The manager will ensure that training is kept up to date and given the demand for first aid training will book any future training well in advance. The staff member that has the paediatric first aid training will be onsite and available consistently until all training has been completed ##### Regulation 27 — Supervision - The children were not observed to be appropriately supervised at all times. A child under two years old was observed to sleep on a low bed in the cot room with no direct supervision. It is acknowledged the child was checked at 10-minute intervals. When children are sleeping on sleep-mats, supervision must be provided at all times. The supervising adult must remain in the room to ensure adequate supervision of sleeping children. The adult/child ratio should be the same as for waking children - Corrective action: A new sleep plan has been implemented which states all children under two will sleep in the sleep room in their own cot, monitored until every child is asleep and then monitored using a sleep monitor, and checked by touch every ten minutes. The sleep mattresses have been moved to toddler room 1 for the use of children over the age of two under complete supervision ensuring the correct ratio is met. Preventive action: Staff are aware of the new sleep plan and understand that children on a mattress must have supervision at all times while remaining in ratios Found compliant: Regulation 9, 11, 19, 22, 26. ### Other services in Dublin - [Constitution Hill Playgroup](/creche/constitution-hill-playgroup-dublin-7.md) Dublin 7 - [Cool Kidz Creche](/creche/cool-kidz-creche-dublin-16.md) Dublin 16 - [Coroline's Playschool](/creche/coroline-s-playschool-dublin-17.md) Dublin 17 - [Crescent Hill Pre-School](/creche/crescent-hill-pre-school-dublin-16.md) Dublin 16 - [Daisybelle T/A Treehouse Childcare](/creche/daisybelle-t-a-treehouse-childcare-donabate.md) Donabate - [Doras Buí](/creche/doras-bui-dublin-17.md) Dublin 17 - [Fizzy Fingers](/creche/fizzy-fingers-dublin-13.md) Dublin 13 - [Home from Home Creche](/creche/home-from-home-creche-balbriggan.md) Balbriggan - [Little Rainbows Ltd](/creche/little-rainbows-ltd-dublin.md) Dublin - [Suantrai Creche](/creche/suantrai-creche-dublin-7.md) Dublin 7 [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/connolly-children-s-centre-dublin-8/ Fonte: Tusla Early Years Inspectorate Recolha: 2026-09-11