Creche Inspection Reports

Discovery Queen B’s Creche & Montessori

Sessional · 0 - 6 Years · Dublin 15, Dublin · Tusla ID TU2018DY508 · Registered since 20 December 2024

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

3published inspections
0non-compliances at latest report read
1immediate action notices
0registration conditions

Inspection of 20 January 2026 — Change in Circumstance

Full report (PDF, Tusla)

No non-compliance recorded in this report.

Inspection of 13 January 2025 — Inspection Report

Full report (PDF, Tusla)

Regulation 9 — Management and recruitment

  • (3) Documentary evidence available indicated that one staff member had commenced employment within the service prior to receipt of Garda vetting
Provider's corrective action:
  • All garda vetting must be completed and submitted to service, before any training or employment can commence in our service. No preventative action submitted

Regulation 11 — Staffing levels

  • (4) The minimum adult to child ratios were not always maintained in the Pre-Montessori and Montessori rooms which had a potential impact on the supervision and safety of the children. The following was observed: Room Time Age range: Number of Children present Number of adults present Minimum number of adults required Montessori Room On arrival to the service at 9.42am - 10.00am. 3-5 years old. 17 1 2 required. Ratio 1:11 during ECCE sessional hours. Montessori Room 12.15pm - 12.56pm 3-5 years old 17 2 3 required. Ratio 1:8 after ECCE sessional hours. Pre- Montessori Room 12.32pm - 12.57pm 2-3 years old. 9 1 2 required. This was identified as a non-compliance on the previous inspection held on the 25 April 2024 and actions put in place failed to prevent a recurrence
Provider's corrective action:
  • The service ensure 2 members of staff will be present in the Pre -Montessori room when children are sleeping, adhering to child / adult ratio. The service has developed a staff roster for sleep time in the Pre-Montessori room to ensure that 2 members of staff are in the room when children are sleeping

Regulation 16 — Record in relation to pre-school service

  • (1) The registered provider did not ensure the following: (i) The staff roster was not reflective of the adults who were working in the service as evidenced by the following: o A staff member who no longer works in the service was included in the roster. o No staff had signed the staff roster and attendance log when the inspectors had arrived at the service at 9.42am and there were six staff present in the premises at that time. All adults working in the service must be detailed on a daily staff roster, including start/finish and break times. This was identified as a non-compliance on the previous inspection held on the 25 April 2024 and actions put in place failed to prevent a recurrence. (k) The registered provider did not ensure a full record in writing for accident and incidents was maintained. From a sample of ten records four did not record the date of the parents’ signature and one did not record the parents’ signature
Provider's corrective action:
  • (i) A new staff roster was created, all staff members must sign into staff roster book and initial new staff roster on arrival to work, sign in lunch breaks and sign out when leaving premises in the evening.The service will ensure the staff roster will reflect the adults who are working in the creche, all staff must sign in each day which management will monitor. (k) Staff were informed to ensure accident and incident is filled in completely and correct ensuring parents sign and date it correctly. Notes were attached to the accident and incident book explaining the procedure

Regulation 19 — Health, welfare and development of child

  • 1. (a) Two children were observed to be fed their dinner from the same bowl by a staff member in the Baby Toddler Room. All children should be served meals in individual bowls in order to support the development of children as individuals with their own sense of identity around basic needs such as mealtimes
Provider's corrective action:
  • The children will now be served their meal in an individual bowl

Regulation 21 — Equipment and materials

  • The registered provider did not ensure the following: 1. In the Baby Toddler room, of the 13 battery operated toys available, 6 were not working. This can limit the cause and affect experience and play value for the children. This was identified as a non-compliance on the previous inspection held on the 25 April 2024 and actions put in place failed to prevent a recurrence. In the Pre-Montessori Room, the following was observed: 2. The following equipment was not directly accessible to the children which can limit their engagement in developmental play experiences: o There were no props or resources in the wooden play kitchen. These were stored in a box on a shelving unit which was not adjacent to the play kitchen. o The dress-up equipment in the Pre-Montessori room was stored in a locked press. These were identified as non-compliances on the previous inspection held on the 25 April 2024 and actions put in place failed to prevent a recurrence. o There was no mark making equipment directly accessible to the children. The chalk, chalkboards, paper, crayons and pencils were stored out of reach of children
Provider's corrective action:
  • 1. Toys removed from the room and all batteries replaced immediately. A notice was placed in the room explaining all toys / batteries must be checked regularly. There is a supply / overflow of batteries in the service for when they are required. 2. Props for the kitchen area were immediately put in the kitchen area giving access to the children. Dress up press/ lock was removed immediately. Mark making equipment made directly accessible for the children. All resources for the kitchen are now placed in the kitchen being fully accessible for the children to help their engagement in their developmental play experiences. Lock was removed immediately giving the children full accessibility to the dress up equipment. All mark making equipment, paper, crayons, and pencils are directly accessible to the children

Regulation 22 — Food and drink

  • The registered provider did not ensure the following: 1. Two children aged over one year were observed to be served a pureed meal. Children require age and stage appropriate food, and texture should be added to meals in order to facilitate the development of chewing and swallowing. 2. There was no evidence or documentation in place to record and track what the children have eaten. This is not in line with the service policy which states a record of what the child has eaten will be maintained to ensure that a child’s nutritional needs are being met. 3. The provision of alternative meals was not in line with national guidelines on food and nutrition which state that a healthy alternative should be offered. An alternative meal of spaghetti hoops and bread was given to a child. Every hot meal should include ½ to 1 serving of vegetables, 1 serving of either bread, potatoes, pasta and rice, and 1 serving of either meat, poultry, fish, eggs, beans and cheese
Provider's corrective action:
  • 1. Parents were advised that children must have different textures of food for their appropriate age. 2. The registered provide ensure a food log now in place. 3. The registered provider ensures healthy alternative foods for the children are now available

Regulation 23 — Safeguarding health, safety and welfare of child

  • General Safety: 1. The handle on the door of the play kitchen was broken leaving a screw protruding. This posed a potential injury risk to the children. Infection Control: 2. The nappy changing mat in the Pre-Montessori room was torn leaving foam exposed. This reduced the risk of effective cleaning and increased the risk of cross contamination. Action submitted by the Registered Provider
Provider's corrective action:
  • General Safety: 1. The handle on the kitchen was replaced immediately. The service ensure that staff will notify management of any handles/ doors etc broken. Maintenance man available on call 24 hrs. Infection Control: 2. The nappy changing mat was replaced immediately. The service ensures there will be always duplicate nappy changing mats available to be replaced immediately

Regulation 30 — Minimum space requirements

  • (2) The registered provider did not ensure there was a minimum clear floor space available for the number of children registered in the Pre-Montessori room. This can impact on the safety and supervision of children. The room measures 25m2 which can accommodate up to ten children in the 2 to 3 year age range*. Staff reported 12 children were registered to attend the room and a review of the attendance log showed that between 10 and 12 children were regularly present in the room at any one time. This was identified as a non- compliance on the previous inspection held on the 25 April 2024 and actions put in place failed to prevent a recurrence. *2.35m2 space required for each child in the 2 to 3 age range
Provider's corrective action:
  • Two children from this room were returned to the baby room. The registered provider will ensure no more than 10 children will be in this room at one time adhering to the space required for each child in the 2 to 3 age range

Inspection of 25 April 2024 — Inspection Report

Full report (PDF, Tusla)

Immediate action notice. A referral to the Environmental Health Officer was made on the 1 May 2024 in relation to a non-compliance detailed under Regulation 23. • Regulation11(1),(2), Staffing Levels • Regulation 16(1) Records in relation to the Preschool Service • Regulation 19(1)(b) Health, Welfare and Development of child •

Regulation 9 — Management and recruitment

  • (4) The registered provider did not ensure that an employee who worked directly with children attending the service held at least a major award in Early Childhood Care and Education at Level 5 on the National Qualifications Framework or a qualification deemed by the Minister to be equivalent. This was identified as a non-compliance on the previous two inspections held on the 9 February 2022 and 11 January 2023 and preventive actions put in place failed to prevent a recurrence for a new staff member employed
Provider's corrective action:
  • Corrective Action The staff member has since received a Letter of Qualification Recognition from the DECDIY. Preventive Action The service commit that all staff members must have a minimum level 5 in Early Childhood Care and Education before working with the children. Any staff members whose qualification is outside of the EU must have it recognised by the DCEDIY

Regulation 11 — Staffing levels

  • (2) The minimum adult to child ratios were not always maintained in the Montessori room. Over the period of time while staff had their lunch breaks, the following was observed: Room Time Age range: Number of Children present Number of adults present Minimum number of adults required Montessori 12.18-12.40pm 3-5 years old 20 2 3 This had a potential impact on the supervision and safety of the children
Provider's corrective action:
  • Corrective Action An extra member of staff has been allocated to the Montessori to facilitate breaks and ensure that adult to child ratio is met. Preventive Action Adult to child ratios in the room will always be maintained even during break time

Regulation 16 — Record in relation to pre-school service

  • (1) The registered provider did not ensure the following: (i) The staff roster was not reflective of the adults who were working in the service. A staff member who was present on the day was not listed on the weekly staff roster print out. This was identified as a non-compliance on the previous inspection held on the 11 January 2023 and actions put in place failed to prevent a recurrence. (k) The registered provider did not ensure a full record in writing was consistently maintained for accident and incidents. Fifteen records were reviewed, and the following was observed: • There was no evidence that the parents had been informed in nine of the 15 records. • There was no evidence that the manager had been informed in ten of the 15 records. • There were no clear details of where in the service the accident or incident had taken place on five of the 15 records reviewed
Provider's corrective action:
  • (i) Corrective and preventive action: the service commit to have staff rosters that will be reflective of the adults who are working. (k) Corrective action: Management have instructed staff details are correct and included in the form. Management will ensure that a full record in writing is consistently maintained for accidents and incidents. Preventive action: One staff member will ensure that a full record in writing is observed with all the information that is needed for the accident or incident. Management must be informed of all accidents and incidents. Whoever is in charge on the day will sign off on report. If parents refuse to sign management must put on that they do not want to sign it

Regulation 19 — Health, welfare and development of child

  • Basic Needs: 1. The transition to mealtime in the Montessori room was not a timely sociable experience for all of the children, with the service of the meal staggered and unplanned. The following was observed: • At 10.01am, all children were seated at the table. At 10.04am eleven of the nineteen children present were given a morning snack which was supplied by parents. Only eight of the children were provided with a drink. No spoons were available for yogurts. At 10.07 a staff member returned to the room with spoons for the yogurts. The remaining children were waiting for their food. One of those children commented that they were hungry. • At 10.15 all children had received food as a staff member arrived to the room with a selection of fruit and breadsticks. Transitions within an early years’ service should be planned and timely, where children can enjoy mealtimes as a collective, relaxed sociable experience. Programme of Activities: 2. Supportive strategies such as reading the child’s cue, following the child’s interest, careful timing of activities and the provision of child led free play activities were not observed, which limited the child’s choice and movement through their care environment. This could potentially hamper the child’s independent decision-making skills. The following was observed: • The programme of activities in the Montessori room was observed to be adult led, with focus on seated activities and little time to engage in child led free play. Children in the Montessori room ranging in age from 3 to 5 years old were required to remain seated for adult-led activities from 10.01am to 11.30am. • Throughout this time, the children were observed to display signs of disinterest by moving off their seats and engaging with the inspector who was present in the room. Staff failed to read the children’s cues of disinterest and restlessness and they were repeatedly reminded by staff to stay seated
Provider's corrective action:
  • Corrective Action
  • 1. The service will ensure that all children will be given their snack at the same time with utensils and drinks. There is a water station in reach of the children where they can get their water independently throughout the day. 2. The service has switched up Montessori activities and routines, not having the children sitting for long periods and time and becoming disengaged and restless. All activities will be based on children’s interests and child led. Preventive Action 1. The registered provider will ensure that all the children receive snack at the same time and that it is a sociable experience for the children. Children who bring their snack from home will not be given their snack before the other children who ae receiving snack from the service provider. 2. The service will commit to in the future all activities are to be child led and not adult led. Children must be able to choose whatever activities they wish and that is of interest to them

Regulation 21 — Equipment and materials

  • The registered provider did not ensure the following: 1. The following toys and equipment were observed to be damaged and not suitable for use: • The slide in the outdoor play area was cracked. • The sand pit in the outdoor play area was observed to be cracked. • The saddles on two bikes in the outdoor play area were observed to be worn and torn. 2. A range of equipment was not available and accessible to the children in the Baby Toddler room and the Pre-Montessori room. The following was observed: • Music equipment, sensory equipment, blocks, books and rattles were stored in boxes up high out of reach of the children in the Baby Toddler room. • The dress-up equipment in the Pre-Montessori room was stored in a locked press. Toys and equipment should be freely available to the children to support independent decision making and provide a range of play experiences. 3. Equipment was not grouped or themed in defined interest areas, for example: • There were no props or resources in close proximity to the wooden play kitchen in the pre- Montessori. These were stored in a box on a shelving unit which was not adjacent to the play kitchen. • There were no props available for the outdoor play kitchen. This can limit play value for the children. 4. In the Baby Toddler room, of the 13 battery operated toys available, 6 were not working. This can limit the cause and affect experience and play value for the children
Provider's corrective action:
  • Corrective Action 1. The slide, sand pit and two bikes that were damaged in the outdoor area were removed immediately. 2. All music, sensory toys were taken down from shelves, making them freely accessible to the children at all times. The dress up equipment in the pre-Montessori room is now in an unlocked press giving the children free access and giving them a range of play experiences. 3. The play equipment for the Pre-Montessori kitchen is adjacent to the actual kitchen, for the equipment to be freely available to the children to support their range of play experience. All props are readily available for the children to play with the outdoor kitchen. 4. All batteries have been replaced in the battery-operated toys. Preventive Action 1. The service will ensure in the future that any toys equipment that are damaged or broken will be removed immediately. If staff notice any items broken or damaged, they must inform management straight away. 2. All toys and equipment will be freely available for the children to access supporting their independence and play experiences. 3. Outdoor kitchen has been upgraded, props and utensils will be readily available for the children, weather permitting. 4. Staff will ensure that all battery-operated toys are turned off in the evening as this can cause the batteries to run out quickly. Regular checks on battery operated toys

Regulation 22 — Food and drink

  • The registered provider did not ensure that adequate, nutritious and varied food was available. Not all of the children were observed to have vegetables and a protein source with their hot meals. Children require a varied selection of food from across the food groups. In the Montessori room, the following was observed for the hot meal at lunch time: - One child had a bowl of plain rice. - One child had pancakes with syrup. - One child had a sausage and bread roll. - One child had mashed potato
Provider's corrective action:
  • Corrective Action Management have addressed this issue with the parents advising them that the children must have a varied selection of food across the food group this includes vegetables, protein and fibre. Preventive Action Regular checks will be carried out children’s dinners. If children are seen not to have the required nutritious dinner and only have plain rice for example parents must be notified of this immediately. All staff are trained on food safety with a certificate that follows HSE guidelines for preparing and heating food

Regulation 23 — Safeguarding health, safety and welfare of child

  • General Safety: 1. Two large containers of detergent were observed to be stored on the floor in the hallway by the kitchen. These were accessible to children and posed a risk of poisoning or skin irritation. 2. There was a metal stand used to hold a parasol in the outdoor play area accessible to the children. This posed a potential risk of injury if a child were to fall on it. 3. There were two screws protruding from the wall in the Montessori room which posed an injury risk to the children. Infection Control: 4. The service did not ensure that appropriate food safety provision was implemented. The temperature records maintained were not sufficient to support safe practice and was not in line with the service policy on healthy eating which stated reheated food temperatures will be recorded. The following was observed: • There was no record or log available on the day of the inspection that temperature checks had been completed for reheated meals provided by parents when the inspector checked the log at 14.49pm. These meals had been served at 11.30am. • A review of the records showed that no temperature checks had been recorded on the day previous to the inspection. Food must be reheated to minimum core temperature of 70oC to prevent bacteria from surviving. A referral was made to the Environmental Health Officer with regards to this non-compliance. 5. The mattress used in a cot shared by two children did not have either a removable mattress cover or a wipeable surface. This increased the potential risk of cross contamination. Fire Safety: 6. The following was observed which could potentially impede the safe evacuation of children in an emergency: • A hallway by the kitchen to the outdoor play area which forms part of a fire evacuation route was not kept clear and was used for the storage of equipment such as a goal post, two benches, two balance beams and a wooden toy structure and two clothes horses, one of which was in use. • There was a bin stored in the back garden by the gate, which is a fire evacuation route. 7. The details of the attendance of the children in the Baby Toddler Room was not recorded in the attendance book in a timely manner. Two children who had been present since 9.30am and 9.45am were only marked in as present at 10.00am. Contemporaneous accurate attendance logs must be maintained to accurately account for the number of children present and to support the safe evacuation of children in an emergency. Action submitted by the Registered Provider
Provider's corrective action:
  • General Safety: Corrective action: 1. The containers of detergents removed from the hallway immediately. 2. The metal stand for parasol was removed from the garden immediately. 3. The screws were removed from the wall in the Montessori Room by the maintenance man on the day of inspection. Preventive action: 1. All detergents are now stored on higher shelves out of reach of the children. 2. Any items that are in the garden that could cause the children any harm has been removed from the garden. 3. Staff in the Montessori Room are to make management aware of any nails or broken materials in the Montessori Room. Infection Control: Corrective action: 4. Kitchen staff have been made aware of all temperature reheating protocols when reheating the children’s dinner. 5. The mattress that is now shared is a washable mattress that is able to be washed down after each child has got up from their sleep. Preventive action: 4. Temperature controls will be checked by management daily on the reheating of the children’s food. 5. Staff have been made aware that any mattresses that are being shared are to have either a removable cover or a wipeable surface. Fire Safety: Corrective action: 6. The hallway by the kitchen has now been cleared of any obstacles that could get in the way of a fire evacuation. 7. All children are to be signed in when they arrive in the room straight away. Preventive action: 6. Staff have been told that all equipment, goal posts, benches and balance beams are to be placed in the garden each morning to prevent any endangerment during a fire evacuation. 7. Staff have been notified that accurate attendance logs must be maintained to accurately account for the number of children that are present in the room at any given time

Regulation 30 — Minimum space requirements

  • (2) The registered provider did not ensure there was a minimum clear floor space available for the number of children in the Pre-Montessori room. The following was observed: Number of children in attendance 13 Age range of children in attendance 2-3 years old Clear floor space measured by EYI: 25m2 Space required for age range of children: 2-3 years: 2.35 m2 3-6 years: 2.3 m2 Maximum number of children who can be accommodated: 10
Provider's corrective action:
  • Corrective Action The two children who had transitioned into the Pre Montessori room have now been brought back to the baby room until the other children are able to progress into the Montessori Class. Preventive Action We will make sure that the correct number of children have been transitioned into the classrooms to adhere with the classroom size

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