Inspection of 18 May 2026 — Inspection Report
Regulation 9 — Management and recruitment
- See Statutory Notice section in relation to Immediate Action Notices IAN 0081 and IAN 0082 served. (3) All the required recruitment procedures specified in paragraph (2) had not been completed prior to staff being assigned to work with children. One staff member commenced working in the service on the 26 January and Garda vetting was not obtained until the 30 January 2026
Provider's corrective action:
- Regarding the two staff members whose Garda Vetting disclosures required certified translations, these translations were obtained the following day and were forwarded by email to the Tusla Inspector without delay. (3) The service has reviewed and strengthened its recruitment and onboarding procedures to ensure full compliance with TUSLA Regulations. Going forward, all Garda Vetting disclosures and overseas police clearance certificates will be reviewed by management before a staff member commences working with children. Where an overseas police clearance certificate is not issued in English, a certified English translation from a recognised translation service will be obtained before the recruitment process is completed. In addition, a recruitment checklist has been updated to include verification that all required documentation, including Garda Vetting, overseas police vetting (where applicable), and any certified translations, has been received and reviewed before a staff member is permitted to work directly with children or be included in the adult-to-child ratios. Where a new employee attends the service before all recruitment documentation has been finalised, they will only participate in induction activities, mandatory training, policy and procedure reviews, and administrative orientation under the supervision of management. They will not have unsupervised access to children or be included in staffing ratios until all statutory recruitment requirements have been fully satisfied. Management will continue to monitor recruitment records regularly to ensure all documentation remains complete and compliant with Tusla requirements
Regulation 23 — Safeguarding health, safety and welfare of child
- Infection Control: 1. The nappy changing practice and observed was inadequate for infection prevention. Staff did not remove their gloves after completing a nappy change and subsequently were observed assisting a child to wash their hands while wearing the same gloves. On a separate occasion, a staff member did not wash a child’s hands following a nappy change. In addition, the service’s nappy changing policy was not sufficiently detailed, as it did not clearly outline all required steps of the nappy changing procedure to support consistent and safe practice by staff. Administration of Medication: 2. A sample of nine medication forms were reviewed. Three forms did not have a witness signature posing a potential safety risk and was not in line with the medication policy. Fire Safety: 3. The required maintenance of the smoke alarm and fire extinguisher had not been completed, which posed a potential risk to the safety and welfare of children and staff in the event of a fire within the service. Action submitted by the Registered Provider
Provider's corrective action:
- Infection Control: 1. Following the inspection, all staff members were retrained on the service's nappy changing procedure and infection prevention and control practices. Particular emphasis was placed on the requirement to use two separate pairs of gloves during each nappy change, with gloves being changed between the cleaning stage and the application of the child's clean nappy. Staff were reminded that this procedure is essential in preventing cross- contamination and maintaining the highest standards of hygiene and infection control within the service. Administration of Medication: 2. In relation to medication records, the Manager met with all staff members following the inspection and reviewed the Medication Administration Policy and associated documentation. Particular emphasis was placed on ensuring that all medication administration records are completed fully, including the witness signature section where required. Fire Safety: 3. With regard to fire safety, both the fire alarm engineer and fire extinguisher service engineer attended the premises following the inspection. All fire safety equipment was inspected, serviced where necessary, and confirmed to be in good working order. Relevant records and certificates have been updated and filed accordingly
Found compliant: Regulation 11, 19, 25, 26.