Inspection of 17 October 2024 — Inspection Report
Regulation 22 — Food and drink
- The dinner served to the children on the second day of inspection was not adequate to meet their nutritional needs and did not meet the national standards required. The meal consisted of pasta mixed with a processed sauce. The nutritional standard for a hot meal in a preschool service requires every hot meal to contain foods from three food groups. On reviewing the 4-week menu the inspector noted one of the meals provided by the service was sausage and chips. This meal is not adequate to meet the national standards required for a hot meal served to preschool children
Provider's corrective action:
- The registered provider has replaced the meal served on the day of inspection with a meal provided by an outside catering company. This meal consists of a vegetable and pasta gratin with pasta. Sausage and chips will continue to be served in the service as it is popular with the children. The registered provider will ensure it continues to be served with baked beans to ensure it meets the nutritional standards required
Regulation 23 — Safeguarding health, safety and welfare of child
- The service did not demonstrate full compliance with the Early Years Inspectorate regulatory notice requiring services to renew all Garda vetting every 3 years. There was 1 staff member who did not have their Garda vetting renewed in line with the regulatory notice. Action submitted by the Registered Provider
Provider's corrective action:
- Garda vetting has been renewed for the staff member and is now in place on file in the service. The registered provider will monitor dates of Garda vetting in the service and will renew as required to comply with the regulatory notice
Regulation 25 — First aid
- The person trained in a first aid responder course arrived at the service at 11.00 am on the first day of the inspection. On review of documentation in the service and staff roster records, there was no one in the service trained in a first aid responder course available to the children before the arrival of this staff member who was on the roster from 11.00 am each day. Preschool services are required to have a person trained in a first aid responder course available to the children attending the service at all times. It is acknowledged there was another staff member trained in paediatric first aid available to the children on the day of inspection
Provider's corrective action:
- A second staff member is now trained in a first aid responder course. The registered provider will ensure there is a staff member always trained in a first aid responder course available to the children in the service
Regulation 26 — Fire safety measures
- The last fire drill was recorded as having taken place in the service in August 2024. Preschool services are required to carry out monthly fire drills to comply with national standards in relation to fire safety in services
Provider's corrective action:
- The registered provider will ensure monthly fire drills are carried out in the service going forward
Regulation 29 — Premises
- (d) There was maintenance required in the outdoor area. There were weeds and nettles growing from the fence in the outdoor area. There was a bench for children to sit at which had a broken table which needed to be repaired
Provider's corrective action:
- The registered provider has carried out work in the outdoor area since the inspection. The area has been power hosed, and weeds removed from the perimeter fence. The service has now included the weeding of the outdoor area on the cleaning schedule in place in the service
Found compliant: Regulation 9, 10, 11, 15, 17, 21, 28.