Regulation 23 — Safeguarding health, safety and welfare of child
General Safety: 1. Electrical cords from a Wi-Fi router on a shelf were unsecured in the Toddler room. The cord was trailing down from the shelf towards the floor, posing a risk of injury to a child. 2. An area of the artificial grass in the outdoor area was separated, with a piece of extra material coming loose, which poses a trip hazard to a child. Administration of Medication: 3. A total of eight medication records were reviewed in the Toddler room. One record for an antibiotic had no signatures for staff, a witness or a parent following the administration of medication to the child. A second record for a cough medicine had no witness or parent’s signature following administration of the medication. This does not ensure that parents are provided with up-to-date daily information on the administration of medication to their child on a daily basis. It is acknowledged that prior parental consent had been obtained
Provider's corrective action:
Corrective & Preventive Action General Safety: 1. Electrical cords have been secured higher on the wall using cable clips to ensure they remain out of children’s reach. Although the risk is assessed daily, the charging cord has also been relocated to the kitchen as an additional control measure to minimise access by children. To prevent non-compliances from recurring, all electrical wires have been permanently secured to the wall, and the charging station has been relocated to the kitchen to ensure it remains out of children’s reach. To prevent non-compliances from recurring, all electrical wires have been permanently secured to the wall, and the charging station has been relocated to the kitchen to ensure it remains out of children’s reach. 2. Following the inspection, a quotation was obtained to remove the artificial grass in the garden and replace it with child-friendly black rubber surfacing to provide a safer outdoor play environment. Additional supervision has been implemented in the outdoor area, with particular attention given to areas where the artificial grass is lifting, until it is removed and replaced with a new surface. Grass that has lifted has also been pinned back down for the time being to further eliminate this risk. Administration of Medication: 3. Two medicine administration forms that had not been signed were reviewed and have now been completed with the required signatures. Management has reinforced the importance of ensuring that medicine administration forms are signed daily by parents/guardians. Ongoing monitoring will be carried out to ensure compliance with this
Regulation 29 — Premises
(d) The sanitary area located off the Toddler room contained a staff toilet and a child toilet, both of which, when flushed, remained full of water for periods of up to 2 hours before returning to normal water levels, indicating a partial blockage
Provider's corrective action:
Following correspondence with Uisce Eireann, we were informed that a burst pipe on the main road may have caused blockages within the local water system, which could be contributing to the issue experienced on the premises. As this appears to be a recurring problem, the matter has been raised with the landlord. The landlord has arranged for a plumber to attend the property (outside of working hours) and carry out a full flush of the system to help resolve the issue and reduce the likelihood of future occurrences. The situation will continue to be monitored, and any further concerns will be reported promptly to the landlord and the relevant utility provider. We will continue our daily risk assessments regarding this issue also
Regulation 16 — Record in relation to pre-school service
1. One staff member did not have a Curriculum Vitae available for inspection. (g) The following policies and procedures were reviewed and were not in keeping with the requirements of Regulation 10: 1. Two copies of The Risk management document/Health and safety statement were provided to the inspectors. The 1st copy was submitted via email and was a template document which did not detail the name of the service or detail the identified risks specific to the service. The 2nd document which was reviewed on the day of inspection was dated 2019 and the Health and Safety statement referenced the contact person as someone who is no longer employed in the service. 2. The complaints policy was out of date as it referenced the contact person as someone who is no longer working in the service. 3. The safe sleep policy was incomplete and did not detail; • SIDS prevention guidance and protective measures for children under 12 months • What supervision is provided to sleeping children, • The procedures for managing a sleep related emergency
Provider's corrective action:
s (1)(a) Curriculum Vitae printed and placed in individual staff file. The registered providers will ensure all staff have an up-to-date Curriculum Vitae on the premises for Tusla compliance. (g) Health & Safety Statement updated Complaints policy updated Safe Sleep Policy updated, and SIDS prevention guidance & Emergency Management procedures created. All policies are up to date and will be reviewed annually by management. Management will provide thorough induction covering all core policies with new staff members. Existing staff members were given training to refresh staff knowledge & to highlight new policies that have been updated A staff handout provides information about the implementation of policies and the role the service providers, service manager & staff have to ensure these are implemented on a daily basis. A staff induction sheet has been created & signed by staff to acknowledge that they have been given induction on core policies of the service The management and staff have engaged the support of an external quality development agency to help develop policies tailored to the specific practices of our setting
Regulation 19 — Health, welfare and development of child
The registered provider did not ensure that each child’s learning, development, and well-being was facilitated within the daily life of the service in relation to the following: 1. During the inspection, the Toddler Room was chaotic and noisy for periods of time. For example; At 12.35pm when the children were getting ready for bed or to go outside, this transition time was protracted and took until 1.20pm approximately. During this time noise levels were elevated, some children were observed running around. One child was observed sitting on the floor with their head down on their blanket as staff were getting the other children ready to go outside. The 5 children who required a sleep were eventually settled in their cots at 1.20pm. 2. Child led sleep needs were not facilitated. For example; at 12.40 pm one child (aged 1 year 6 months) who was observed displaying signs of tiredness was not put down to sleep. This child was observed sitting at the table after dinner rubbing their eyes, requested their soother and was hugging their ‘comfort blanket’. At 1.00pm this child was observed down on the floor with their head lying on their comfort blanket. At 2.30pm this child still had not been put down for sleep. While it is acknowledged that the staff reported that this child does not usually sleep, the child was not offered age-appropriate sleep facilities to encourage sleep. 3. There was no evidence of planned strategies being implemented on the day of the inspection to support a child who required additional supports in the service. 4. Communication within the service was inconsistent. For example, a recently installed parent/staff interactive ‘APP’ was not functioning properly. Staff when questioned stated that “they were not sure how to work it” and did not know how to send some information or if the parents received the information. One staff confirmed that she was not sure if the parents had received an accident and incident form that was sent
Provider's corrective action:
s To prevent future noncompliance related to the health, welfare & development of children, we have taken a number of corrective and preventative actions; 1. To help reduce the chaotic environment in the Toddler Room, a new room for over 2’s has opened and in full operation. This holds a max of 6 children per day. A consistent routine has been implemented to help children transition more smoothly between activities or environments. 2. Individual care plans have been developed to support each child’s unique sleeping habits. Risk assessments have been conducted for the use of day beds, and parental consent has been obtained for children for whom cot sleeping is deemed unsafe. All children are offered a place to rest / sleep daily should they choose to do so or not. Individual care plans have been created to accommodate each child’s individual sleep needs. This approach ensures that appropriate sleep facilities are available to all children throughout the day, accommodating their individual needs and allowing them to rest whenever required. The sleep policy has been updated to inform parents in cases where their child is not cot trained prior to starting with us. This ensures that high-quality, individualized sleep practices are implemented in line with each child’s established routine and developmental needs. 3. Planned strategies have been implemented for children requiring additional support. These include measures such as applications for external support and supported room transitions with less children. The staff will review and update individual care plans to ensure they reflect each child’s current needs, increasing staff awareness through training on child development and wellbeing, and enhancing communication with parents regarding any changes or concerns. We have also introduced more consistent documentation and monitoring of children’s progress and strengthened our policies and procedures for identifying and responding to additional support needs in a timely manner. 4. All staff have been trained on the newly installed APP with each staff member having their own login address and password
Regulation 20 — Facilities for rest and play
1. Insufficient cots were available to meet the needs of the children who required sleep in the service. At 12.40pm one child (aged 18 months) who was displaying signs of tiredness did not have access to a cot at this time. All 5 cots at this time were occupied by children aged 1 year. 2. No sleep facilities were set up for the children over 2 years to access for a rest during the inspection
Provider's corrective action:
s 1. A designated sleep area separate from care room is provided for children under 2 years. A sufficient amount of cots are available ensuring one per child during peak rest times. Appropriate sleep equipment per child – clean, firm mattress with a fitted sheet – no pillows (reduce the risk of SIDS). Cots are spaced 50cm’s apart, room is temperature controlled, well ventilated & dim lighting Physical Sleep checks are carried out every 10 minutes monitoring this on our app. The purchase of extra sleep equipment which will be on standby in case of illness or unexpected overlap in sleep times. A cleaning protocol in place to quickly sanitize and rotate cots when needed. Fresh bed sheets / blankets laundered and kept as spares should we need it. Individual care plans are created to accommodate each child’s individual sleep needs. Sleep Policy was reviewed & updated where necessary. All staff were re-trained on this core policy. Monitoring & supervision by the service manager on a daily basis and a sleep checklist created. This approach ensures that appropriate sleep facilities are available to all children throughout the day, accommodating their individual needs and allowing them to rest whenever required. 2. Sleep facilities are set up for the children over 2 years old to access should they want to rest / sleep. The sleep policy has been updated to inform parents in cases where their child is not cot trained prior to starting with us. This ensures that high-quality, individualized sleep practices are implemented in line with each child’s established routine and developmental needs. Ongoing Review and Quality Assurance; The registered providers will regularly review sleep room usage, logs to spot trends or changes in sleep needs. Audits will be conducted to ensure no child is left without appropriate sleep space, even during busy periods. Feedback will be gathered from staff and parents to improve sleep routines. Individual care plans will be created (when needed) to determine a child’s individual sleep needs and how we can best support the child in the learning environment
Regulation 22 — Food and drink
1. The dinner observed on the day was considered inadequate for the following reasons: There were no vegetables provided, and the portion sizes were considered too small. For example, one child who knocked their dinner on to the floor was only able to get chopped up sausage and gravy as a replacement. In addition, a number of the children in both rooms requested more food and were only provided with 1-2 pieces of chopped up sausage or a 2nd portion or yoghurts. 2. The children’s drinks bottles in the Toddler Room were locked away in a press and were therefore not accessible to the children at all times
Provider's corrective action:
1. Every child is consistently provided with an adequate portion of food at every mealtime to ensure their nutritional needs are met. Sausages have been removed from the menu and replaced with another nutritious dinner. Vegetables are added to all meals not already containing them. The registered providers are committed to making sure that no child goes without and that each child feels supported and cared for during mealtimes. 2. New self-care stations have been set up in each room, providing children with constant access to drink bottles, wipes, tissues and bibs to encourage independence and support their self- help skills. Self-care stations are in full operation to ensure children have access to water bottles at all times
Regulation 23 — Safeguarding health, safety and welfare of child
The Inspectorate is not assured that adequate steps have been taken to ensure the health, safety and welfare of the pre-school children attending the service. The following observations were made: General Safety: 1. A child was observed to play with a broken spindle of the wooden gate at the front of the service, which is a potential injury hazard. In addition, the managers written morning checklist did not identify the broken gate. Infection Control: The following infection control risks were observed 1. In the Toddler Area the children’s hands were not washed when they returned to the care room from outdoor play. 2. A soother was observed lying uncovered on the window cill in the preschool room. The staff member was observed to then offer it to the wrong child. This is at variance with the services management of soother policy
Provider's corrective action:
Corrective & Preventive Actions General Safety: • The entrance gate to the service was immediately replaced with a child safety gate designed to be unbreakable ensuring it poses no risk or harm to any child. Plywood was also used to build a stud wall to cover off the bars on the railing beside the gate. This enhances safety and privacy for the children. Infection Control: • Hand washing policy was given to all staff to re-read again after the inspection. Demonstrations show when children should wash their hands and the importance of this. • A new soother policy was created and given to all staff to follow to ensure this does not happen again. Managers risk assessments were moved back to paper and other staff members to complete on the tablet. This will ensure that risk assessments are complete even if there is trouble with the WIFI and that risks are identified by staff. The management will pprovide thorough induction covering all core policies with new staff members. Existing staff members were given training to refresh staff knowledge & to highlight new policies that have been updated. Daily supervision by management and service providers to ensure all policies are being implemented properly and efficiently. Open communication and staff to voice concerns/ suggestions is encouraged. The service manager will model transparency, active listening & respectful dialogue. An open door Policy is in place to discuss concerns, ideas or feedback. The management will ensure that policies are not just “on paper” but is actively encouraged and practiced. Bi- weekly team meetings online will be arranged to discuss challenges, and gather staff input. Introduce new policy changes and allow staff to ask questions or express concerns. Weekly team meetings will be arranged online with manager & service providers
Regulation 29 — Premises
(c) 1. At 11.00am the care rooms felt cold. At this time the following temperatures were recorded: The Toddler Room temperature was recorded at 14.4°C at 11.05am The Preschool Room was recorded at 14.1°C and the adjoining middle room was recorded at 14.8°C at 11.09am. When questioned the staff informed the inspectors that “the oil had run out” and there was no heating. The low room temperatures were not identified on the daily risk assessment check list for the service. 2. There was a foul lingering odour in the toilet off the Toddler Room. This went unnoticed by the staff and the registered provider
Provider's corrective action:
s 1. Since the inspection, the room temperatures throughout the service will now be recorded on a Daily Room Temperature Log. This will ensure that the temperatures remain at acceptable temperature ranges. A temperature monitoring policy was also created for the service detailing its purpose in ensuring temperatures are maintained at a safe and comfortable temperature in accordance with child safety and welfare standards. The service have implemented a weekly oil checklist for the assistant manager to monitor daily, ensuring that oil levels remain within the required range. In the event that levels are low, our service providers are promptly informed so that top ups can be rescheduled accordingly. The issue had not occurred before, and we are committed to ensuring it does not happen again. A weekly oil checklist has been created to monitor oil levels 2. Upon further inspection, a blockage was identified in the toddler toilet. This toilet was not in use as all children are in nappies. A local plumber was contacted, and the blockage was successfully removed. Staff are encouraged to report abnormalities or equipment failures immediately
Regulation 32 — Complaints
(1) and (3)(a&b) 1. No documentary evidence was available detailing the nature of a complaint made to the service or how it was dealt with by the registered providers. This is also at variance with the services complaints policy. It is acknowledged that 2 written staff statements were available
Provider's corrective action:
The complaints policy has been updated to include clear procedures on how complaints and to whom will be managed going forward. It outlines the steps for handling concerns, the documentation process, and how records will be securely maintained for future reference and continuous improvement. Policies relating to sleep, complaints & individual care practices have been reviewed and updated to align with regulatory standards. Staff have received targeted training to reinforce their relevant policies and procedures and their own personal responsibilities. Introduction of documenting and monitoring individual care needs, and for ensuring parental communication and consent are consistently recorded. Risk assessments are now reviewed more frequently and internal audits to support ongoing compliance and continuous quality improvement across the service
Regulation 23 — Safeguarding health, safety and welfare of child
The registered providers did not ensure that all measures were taken to safeguard the health, safety and welfare of a preschool child in relation to the following: Infection Control: The following infection control risks were observed: 1. There were inadequate hand washing practices observed in The Toddler Room, as the children’s hands were not observed being washed after some nappy changes. 2. In the Toddler Room the staff member observed carrying out 3 nappy changes, did not wear an apron during the procedures. In addition, the nappy changing procedure and Infection control policy provided to the inspector during the inspection did not detail the requirement to wear an apron during nappy changing procedures
Provider's corrective action:
Corrective & Preventive Actions 1. The policy and procedure on hand washing has been updated and this is now displayed in the changing room. All staff have been given a copy of the policy, and it has been talked through. The registered providers will also ensure that this is a topic at every staff meeting and staff will be checked as they change nappies through the day. 2. The policies and procedures are now updated and are up on the wall. A meeting was held with staff and discussed the step-by-step process of nappy changing. The registered providers will do staff training every month at the staff meeting on nappy changing and will ensure aprons are always stocked up in the changing room
Regulation 25 — First aid
(1) The registered providers did not ensure that a person with a First Aid Responder qualification was at all times available to the children attending the service. Documentary evidence indicated that while three staff members had a First Aid Responder (FAR) qualification these staff members were not on the premises at all times
Provider's corrective action:
There is a new staff member with FAR training and another new one starting in two weeks. The registered providers will make sure that there is staff member with FAR training on site at all times including lunch breaks. Staff training will be sourced for all staff in the future