(d) Police vetting was not available in relation to one adult who previously lived outside of the State for a period of more than six months as an adult. (3) The registered providers did not ensure that appropriate checks were carried out prior to one adult working in the service as detailed above under (2) (d)
Provider's corrective action:
The registered providers have obtained Police vetting for the staff member. The service’s recruitment policy has been updated to include the requirement for Police vetting from all jurisdictions in which an individual has lived for more than six months as an adult. In addition, an audit of all staff files has been completed
Regulation 23 — Safeguarding health, safety and welfare of child
General Safety: 1. The administration of medication procedure in place in the Montessori room for a child with a serious allergy did not ensure a safe and informed response in the event of an emergency as follows: • One staff member providing direct care to the child was unaware of the signs and symptoms of an allergic reaction. • Two staff members providing direct care to the child had not received training in the use of an auto adrenaline injector. • Two staff members providing direct care to the child were not aware of the medication required for a mild allergic reaction. • Although there was a care plan for the child it was not made available to the staff in the care room to guide their response in the event of an emergency. The above practice could compromise the timely and appropriate care of a child in the event of an emergency and is at variance with the services administration of medication policy which states that staff will be trained on the condition and treatment if a child has a condition that requires emergency treatment. The policy also states that staff will be provided with written clear instructions. Administration of Medication: 2. The administration of medication procedure in the service was at variance with the administration of medication policy as follows: • During discussions with the inspectors, staff stated that they do not obtain written parental consent prior to the administration of prescribed medication. Staff explained that they receive verbal instructions from parents regarding medication requirements and, based on this information, complete the medication administration record and request that parents sign it at the end of the day. • Nine administration of medication records were made available to the inspectors for review, and four had not been signed by the parents. This practice can compromise continuity and accuracy of care for a child. Safe Sleep: 3. Some of the safe sleep practices in the service did not align with current safe sleep guidance for children under the age of two. The inspectors found that two children under the age of two were sleeping on low level stackable beds. Additionally, there were no documented sleep plans available for the two children. Although the service had a safe sleep policy in place, the policy did not reflect the updated safe sleep guidance for children under the age of two. Action submitted by the Registered Provider
Provider's corrective action:
General Safety: 1. Following the inspection, the service reviewed allergy management practices and the procedures for administering emergency medication in the Montessori room. The child’s care plan was updated and placed in the room in a confidential but easily accessible location for staff. All staff working directly with the child received guidance on the procedures to follow in relation to the child’s medical needs. Additionally, management will audit allergy care plans and training records as part of internal compliance monitoring. Administration of Medication: 2. Staff were reminded that no prescribed medication can be given without written parental consent. A briefing and written guidance were issued to reinforce this requirement. All existing medication records were checked, and parents were contacted to complete any missing signatures. The service now accepts medication only when a fully completed consent form is provided, and a new medication acceptance check has been introduced to ensure medication is never administered without written consent. Safe Sleep: 3. The sleep arrangements for children under 24 months have been amended to align with current safe sleep guidance. New floor beds have been purchased, and folding cots will be used until the floor beds arrive. The safe sleep policy has been reviewed and updated to clearly state that children under 24 months will only sleep in appropriate sleep equipment that complies with current safe sleep guidance. All staff have been informed of the updated policy and reminded of the specific sleep arrangements required for children under 2 years of age
Regulation not named in the report text
The registered provider failed to notify the agency of a change in the person in charge which occurred in June 2025. The agency must be informed of any such change at least sixty days before the proposed change. A sampling process was used to assess compliance under Regulation 16 Record in relation to pre-school service. Inspection findings are documented in the inspection report which is first issued in draft format to the service with an opportunity to respond to any findings. Where statutory requirements are identified as not being met, the registered provider must demonstrate how they have rectified the non-compliance and will prevent any non - compliance from re occurring. The Corrective Action and Preventive Action plan (CAPA) will be used to inform decisions about compliance with regulatory requirements. Where the registered provider fails to meet the statutory requirements an escalation process may be commenced. The inspectorate reserves the right to edit responses received for reasons including clarity, completeness and compliance with administrative and legal processes. The contents of the report are compiled by the inspectorate body. Acknowledgments The inspectors wish to acknowledge the cooperation of the registered provider, person in charge, staff and children who were present on the day of the inspection
(2) (c) Although a Garda vetting disclosure was available for one adult working in the service, the adult had ceased a work placement programme in the service in July 2024 and did not commence employment in the service until November 2024. An updated Garda vetting disclosure was not obtained for the adult prior to them re-commencing work in the service. (d) - Although documents were available for 3 of the adults which appeared to be international police vetting, the contents of the documents could not be verified by the inspectors as they were not written in the English language. - International vetting was not available for one adult who required it from a second state. (3) Documentation reviewed evidenced that the procedures specified above under 9(2) had not been carried out prior to four of the adults commencing employment in the service, as detailed above under 9(2)
Provider's corrective action:
(2)(c)(d)(3) - The service took immediate action and re-applied for Garda vetting for the staff member. The service has amended the Recruitment & Garda Vetting Policy to clearly reflect the need for a new vetting application when a staff member moves between services. The service reinforced the importance of compliance in this area. - The service has instructed a certified translation company to begin the process of obtaining certified English translations for all international police vetting documents that were not originally issued in English. With regard to the adult for whom international police vetting had slipped out of the folder and has since been found. - The service has updated the Recruitment and Garda Vetting Policy to clearly highlight the requirement for certified English translations of non-English police vetting documents, and to re-emphasise the requirement for full and complete international police vetting from all relevant states. This matter was also discussed in a management meeting
Regulation 23 — Safeguarding health, safety and welfare of child
General Safety: 1. A combined climbing unit with a slide was observed in the outdoor play area on the day of inspection. Staff members in the Playgroup and the Baby room stated that children in these care rooms use this play equipment during outdoor play. The manufacturers guidelines for the unit state that it is suitable for use for children aged two years and over, when fourteen children aged one year between the care rooms use the equipment. Although it is acknowledged that the service was completing daily risk assessments in the outdoor play area, this play equipment had not been risk assessed or identified as a risk. This posed a risk of harm to a child. 2. A number of bikes and scooters were present on the ground of the outdoor play area during the inspection. The bikes and scooters were specified as suitable for children aged three years and over and children aged one and two years were accessing the garden. Staff members reported that they assist children in using this equipment or distract them from using it. Although it is acknowledged that the service was completing daily risk assessments in the outdoor play area, this play equipment had not been risk assessed or identified as a risk. This posed a risk of harm to a child. 3. Thirteen accident and incident forms reviewed by the inspectors did not contain evidence that the parents had been informed that their child had an accident in the service. This may affect the correct continuity of care being provided to a child once they go home and pose a risk of harm to the child. This practice is at variance with the accident and incident policy in place in the service which states accident records must be signed by parents. 4. A review of documentation and discussions with staff members evidenced that daily risk assessments were not occurring in the care rooms/indoor play environments. This was at variance with the risk management policy in place in the service and poses a potential risk of harm to a child. Action submitted by the Registered Provider
Provider's corrective action:
General Safety: 1. The service acknowledges that, although daily risk assessments were being carried out, the specific risk associated with this equipment had not been identified or recorded in relation to its manufacturer’s age guidelines. The service takes this matter seriously and immediate action has been taken to mitigate any risk of harm. Immediate Actions Taken: - Use Suspended for Under-2s: Use of the climbing unit by children under 2 years of age has been suspended with immediate effect. - Staff Notification: All staff have been informed in our staff meeting—the minutes of which have been emailed to staff, and staff have signed off on these minutes. - Updated Risk Assessments: The daily and long-term outdoor risk assessments have been updated to include the climbing unit, clearly noting its age restrictions and associated risks. The service has implemented steps and detailed procedures to ensure re-occurrence is prevented. 2. Following the inspection, all bikes, trikes, and scooters have been removed from the general outdoor area and are now securely stored in the shed when not in use. These items are now only made available during scheduled outdoor play sessions for children aged 3 years and over, in accordance with the manufacturer’s age recommendations. The outdoor play risk assessment has been updated to include these specific pieces of equipment, with clear guidance on their appropriate use based on age. In addition, we are actively reviewing the layout of our outdoor space with the aim of creating designated zones to safely accommodate different age groups during shared garden time. 3. The service has implemented an updated procedure requiring all room supervisors to review and confirm, at the end of each day, that any accident or incident reports have been completed and made available for parent sign-off. Parents are notified through an app, where they can review the report and provide their signature electronically. The addition to the end of day checklist for supervisors regarding the sign off of accident and incident reports reinforces our commitment to aligning daily practice with our Accident and Incident Policy, which states that all accident records must be signed by parents 4. This matter was formally addressed during a staff meeting on 12th May, where it was included on the agenda. Supervisors have been instructed to ensure that risk assessments are completed each morning before children arrive and to check that all required documentation is filled in accurately and stored appropriately. Follow-up spot checks will be carried out by management to ensure continued compliance
Regulation 25 — First aid
Although it is noted that an adult working in the service had paediatric first aid training on the day of inspection at all times, an adult trained in First Aid Responder (FAR) training was not available to the children from 7:30am to 09:00am as required
Provider's corrective action:
The service has taken proactive steps to strengthen our compliance. An additional three staff members have now successfully completed their FAR training, bringing the total number of FAR-trained staff to four. This ensures that the service is well-positioned to meet and exceed the requirements going forward. This allows the service to maintain adequate cover at all times, including during early morning hours and unforeseen staff absences. The service has also reviewed our rostering procedures to prioritise
Regulation 27 — Supervision
Forty records of accidents and incidents which had occurred in the service since the 16thFebruary 2025 were reviewed by the inspectors. Of these accidents and incidents, twenty-four had occurred in the outdoor play area in the last three months. A number of these incidents involved children injuring themselves from running and falling, tripping, and incidents that involved other children, indicating that additional supervision strategies are required to ensure the likelihood of accidents and injuries is reduced
Provider's corrective action:
The service fully agree that maintaining consistent and appropriate supervision at all times is essential, and are happy to continue working with the team to ensure that vigilance remains a priority across both indoor and outdoor environments. The service are consistently within ratio both indoors and outdoors, and take the supervision responsibilities extremely seriously. As part of the service’s commitment to transparency and continuous improvement, the service actively encourage staff to document and report all incidents, regardless of severity — including minor slips, trips, or peer interactions. This detailed recording reflects the safeguarding ethos, the service commitment to transparency and communication with families, and should not be interpreted as a failure in supervision. In addition to existing measures, the service are implementing the following preventative steps to further strengthen supervision practices: ● Outdoor Zoning: Introducing clearly defined zones in the outdoor area to separate age groups during shared outdoor play. This will allow for more targeted and developmentally appropriate supervision in each zone. ● Supervision Rotation Schedules: Reviewing and tightening of the supervision rota system to ensure that staff roles and observation areas are clearly assigned during all outdoor sessions, reducing the risk of overlapping or missed supervision. ● Daily Safety Briefings: Room leaders will conduct short pre-outdoor play briefings to ensure staff are clear on their supervisory roles and any specific needs or behavioural considerations for the group that day
Found compliant: Regulation 10, 11, 16, 28.
Inspection of 25 April 2024 — Change in Circumstance