Creche Inspection Reports

Countryside Montessori

Sessional · 2 - 6 Years · Doneraile, Cork · Tusla ID TU2015CC115 · Registered since 1 January 2026

An inspection records what inspectors saw on one day; services respond with corrective actions — how to read this.

2published inspections
4non-compliances at latest report read
0immediate action notices
0registration conditions

Inspection of 10 November 2025 — Inspection Report

Full report (PDF, Tusla)

Regulation 9 — Management and recruitment

  • (2) (a)/(b) One validated reference was not available on file for one adult that works in the service. (d) It could not be ascertained if an adult working with the children required police vetting as the service history record indicated gaps in service where it could not be relied upon to indicate the adult had not worked in another state outside of the country for greater that six months. Not appropriately vetting all adults working in the service may allow for adults that may not be suitable have access to the children
Provider's corrective action:
  • (a) The outstanding reference was received after the inspection. (d) The outstanding curriculum vitae was received after the inspection which indicated that police vetting was not required for the one adult. The registered provider has committed that all staff vetting will be completed before staff commence within the service

Regulation 15 — Record of pre-school child

  • (1) (f) The records for one child whose records were assessed did not contain all of the required. Information regarding a potentially serious medical condition was not recorded. However, through conversation with the staff it was ascertained that the child had a history of having a potential serious medical need that may require medication was not outlined in the child’s notes where a plan to care for the child was not outlined
Provider's corrective action:
  • (1) (f) The enrolment form was updated at the end of the session with the child’s medical needs updated by one of the child’s parents. The registered provider has committed to ensuring that all children’s information will be obtained and available prior to children starting in the service and where medical care plans are required these will be developed appropriately

Regulation 23 — Safeguarding health, safety and welfare of child

  • Infection Control: 1. The hot water in the sink in the adult’s toilet was not working with only cold water available. The registered provider requested a plumber to attend to the water heater as soon as possible. Not having access to warm water may impede effective hand washing and potentially increase the risk of cross infection. 2. The staff were observed not to remind the children to wash their hands when coming in from outside and before they did yoga. Not washing hands after coming in from outdoor play may increase the risk of contamination and cross infection. Action submitted by the Registered Provider
Provider's corrective action:
  • Infection Control: 1. The hot water in the adult toilets was assessed by the plumber on the afternoon of the inspection, and the hot water was working correctly following a low-pressure outage. The registered provider will assess that there is hot water available each day prior to the opening of the service. 2. The registered provider has reviewed the hand washing policy with the staff and the staff have been reminded to ensure the children wash their hand in accordance with the policy. This will be reviewed by the registered provider

Regulation 24 — Checking in and out and record of attendance

  • (1) A child had been signed into the service as having arrived at 08.30 however when reviewing the children in attendance this child was absent. This inaccurate record may cause confusion should the service need to be evacuated in an emergency. (3) (b) A record of all persons into the service other than those identified in (a) above were not maintained. This may hinder the registered provider when identifying visitors to the service retrospectively
Provider's corrective action:
  • (1) The error in signing a child into the service was corrected on the day of inspection and the registered provider has committed to ensuring that the staff are aware of the importance of accurate singing in and out of the children. (3) (b) A visitors sign in book was created on the day of inspection. Staff have been informed of the need to use this record when visitors enter the service

Found compliant: Regulation 11, 19, 29, 30.

Inspection of 25 September 2023 — Inspection Report

Full report (PDF, Tusla)

Regulation 9 — Management and recruitment

  • (2) (d) Police vetting was not available for the one adult that have lived in a state outside of Ireland and required same. Not having staff appropriately vetted may allow inappropriate adults have access to children
Provider's corrective action:
  • (2) (d) Police vetting has been applied for and received by the staff member who requires same. Also, assurances have been received from the registered provider that all staff will be assessed for the requirement of overseas police vetting prior to commencing in the service

Regulation 10 — Policies, procedures etc. of pre-school service

  • 1. The healthy eating policy was reviewed and it did not set out clear guidance on the measures that sufficient, suitable and nutritious food and drink are available to the children attending the service on a sessional and part-time basis. The policy was not relevant to the type of care (part-time) being provided by the service. Not having a policy that sets out clear guidance on healthy food provision for the service type may allow for insufficient/inappropriate food being served to the children
Provider's corrective action:
  • 1. The heathy eating policy has been received and is appropriate for both sessional and part-time care provision in guiding staff and parents/guardians

Regulation 15 — Record of pre-school child

  • (1) (b) The record on when the child first attended the service was not completed on three of the 13 records assessed. (c) The ability to record the end date for each child was not available on the enrolment forms of five children. (f) The details of any illness, allergy or disability were not recorded on the forms of four children whose files were assessed. (g) The name of the child’s general practitioner was not recorded on the form for one child. (h) The record of immunisations was not available for nine children whose forms were assessed. Not having completed enrolment forms with up to date and accurate details for each child may impede their care within the service
Provider's corrective action:
  • (1) (b) (c) (f) (g) & (h) The requirements have all been updated on the enrolment forms and the registered provider has committed to ensuring all forms will be completed prior to children starting in the service

Regulation 19 — Health, welfare and development of child

  • BASIC NEEDS 1. The rest area in the Blooms room was insufficient for the numbers of children cared for in this room to allow them to rest and relax and allow them to opt out of activities, there was a small child sized couch that would fit 1-2 children when 17 children were attending this area on the day of inspection. Circle time was held on the ground in another part of the room. 2. The need for privacy was not afforded to the six children who had their nappies changed, the door to the toilet area was left open and the staff and children in the Blooms room could see the child being changed, this did not support the dignity of the child being changed. PHYSICAL AND MATERIAL ENVIRONMENT 3. The open shelving that was accessible to the children did not have sufficient resources to allow the children to choose what they played with. In the blooms room 2 tractors and a truck was on the shelves and in the Buds room the activity boards that the children had played with earlier in the morning was on the accessible shelves. All other equipment was stored higher and out of reach. This allowed for the adults to choose what the children played with and did not offer the children independent choice in their activities. Not affording the children choice limits their ability to make decisions and develop independent thinking
Provider's corrective action:
  • (1) The registered provider has committed to ensuring that the children have adequate space to rest and the rest area has been equipped with bean bags to suit the numbers of children attending. The rest area in the outdoor classroom is also available to the children. (2) The door to the nappy changing area is now closed for nappy changing and the registered provider has committed to ensuring that the door is closed when children are having their nellies changed. (3) The shelving includes resources that support children’s emerging interests and additional resources have been added to support this. The outdoor environment is the predominant learning environment

Regulation 23 — Safeguarding health, safety and welfare of child

  • Infection Control: 1. Nappies were observed to be changed and after each nappy change the hands of the children were not washed, this was not the procedure set out in the policy where children’s hands were to be washed after nappy changing. Not washing hands may cause contamination and a spread of infection within the service. 2. A staff member was observed to not change their apron between nappy changes when the nappy changed had been soiled/wet. Not changing personal protective equipment between nappy changes may allow for contamination and therefore cross infection. Action submitted by the Registered Provider
Provider's corrective action:
  • Infection Control: 1. The registered provider has committed on the corrective and preventive action form that the staff have been reminded and informed on the need for each child to have their hands washed and dried after nappy changing. 2. The registered provider has stated that the staff have been reminded of the need to change their single sue apron between each nappy change to prevent contamination

Found compliant: Regulation 11, 16, 22, 25, 26, 28.

Other services in Cork

Alert me when a new report is published · Dated report on this service — €19