Inspection of 19 September 2025 — Inspection Report
Immediate action notice. 19/09/2025 An Immediate Action Notice (IAN) was issued to the registered provider onsite in relation to non-compliances identified under Regulation 23. 22/09/2025 A response to the IAN was subsequently received on 22/09/2025. The photographic and documented evidence submitted by the registered provider were accepted in mitigating the safety risks to the children in the service.
Regulation 9 — Management and recruitment
- (d) Overseas police vetting could not be assessed for 1 adult as there was no translation into English by an official translation company posing a potential safety risk to the children
Provider's corrective action:
- The following statement was received from the registered provider;
- (d) Overseas police vetting, with official translation, is now available on file for the adult for whom it was required. In future all necessary documentation in regard to paragraph (2) will be in place prior any adult having contact with or access to the children
Regulation 23 — Safeguarding health, safety and welfare of child
- General Safety: 1. An Immediate Action Notice was issued onsite on 19/09/2025 in respect of the following which represented a safety risk to the children: • Children were observed walking around the food table at 11:05 carrying hot bowls of porridge in which the temperature was recorded at 64°C, posing a scalding risk to the children. • Two pots of porridge on the table were accessible to the children in which the temperature of the pots were recorded at 50.3 °C and 45.6°C respectively, posing a scalding risk to the children. • A lit wax candle was observed on the table as a decoration during mealtimes, posing a safety risk. 2. Splintered wood and torn felt were accessible to the children on the roof of the outdoor wooden playhouse, posing a safety risk to the children. Safe Sleep: 3. An Immediate Action Notice was issued onsite on 19/09/2025 in respect of the following which represented a safety risk to the children: • Sleep facilities were observed to be inadequate. A child who was attempting to rest/sleep in the care room on a waterproof mattress within an unstable, wooden 3-sided frame known in the service as a wooden gate, which was held together with wool and black webbing. The spaces between the wooden horizontal bars were measured between 20.5 and 23 centimetres and a cotton sheet was placed above the structure posing a safety risk should it fall on the child. • A second child was observed resting intermittently on a cover which was placed on the floor of the care room, posing a safety risk should a child fall over them while moving around the care room. • There was no evidence of documented physical sleep checks carried out every 10 minutes which was contrary to the service’s safe sleep policy, posing a safety risk to the children. In conversation, an adult stated that none were available or in use. • Ambient lighting was not provided in the care room while children were resting/sleeping. The lighting in the care room was not reduced and there were no blinds available to limit the amount of light for children wishing to rest/sleep. • While 2 children were attempting to rest/sleep the care room was noisy which was not conducive for restful sleep. The inspector observed children interacting regularly with the 2 resting children between 12:15 and 12:45. Administration of Medication: 4. There was no temperature reducing medication available in the service, posing a safety risk to the children in the event of an emergency. Infection Control: 5. Children were observed in the outdoor area washing their hands in a communal bowl which contained used cold water, posing a risk of cross infection. This was documented on the last inspection dated 01/12/ 2023. 6. Perishable food was not stored in a fridge. Children signed in at 09:00 were observed leaving their snacks, including perishable food, on a table in the care room. The inspector observed that the children did not collect these snacks until 13:00, posing a risk of the perishable food spoiling. Action submitted by the Registered Provider
Provider's corrective action:
- The following statements were received from the registered provider: General Safety: 1. All of the safety issues identified on the Immediate Action Notice (IAN) have been addressed to ensure the safety of the children attending the service; • No hot liquid food will be served by children to minimise risk of spillage. The adults will serve the porridge once it has cooled down. • The porridge pots are now covered with heat resistant covers and placed out of reach of the children. • The lit wax candle, in use at mealtimes and only lit when all of the children are seated, is now fully encased in a lantern and placed out of reach of the children. • Staff received training on the new benefits risk assessment and a risk assessment and analysis to ensure the safety of the children. The children have received information on fire safety. 2. The roof of the outdoor playhouse has been replaced. The materials used will ensure the longevity of the playhouse. Safe Sleep: 3. All of the safety issues identified on the Immediate Action Notice (IAN) have been addressed to ensure the safety of the children attending the service in relation to safe sleep. The wooden gates have been removed from the service, the room has been reorganised and a designated sleep area has been arranged in a quiet area with 2 waterproof sleep mats available. A 10-minute physical sleep record is now available for recording the position, colour, breathing of each child and the room temperature. Administration of Medication: 4. Temperature reducing medication has been purchased and is available in the event of an emergency in the service. It is stored in a locked cabinet out of reach of the children. The details of the temperature reducing medication including the expiry date have been added to the first aid checklist and will be checked regularly. Infection Control: 5. The communal bowl at the outside water station has been removed to prevent the risk of cross infection. 6. Perishable food is removed from the children’s lunch boxes and stored in the fridge
Regulation 25 — First aid
- (2) (b) The inspector observed that the following supplies with expired dates in the first aid box: • Sterile moist wipes dated 2024-10 • Small dressings dated 2023-01 x 3 • Eye dressings dated 205-05 x 5 • Medium dressings dated 2505-05 x 1 • In addition, a triangular bandage with a ripped wrapper was visible compromising the sterility of the bandage and there was no burn gel available should a child or adult receive a burn, posing a risk that immediate treatment was available in the service to halt the impact of the burn
Provider's corrective action:
- The following statement was received from the registered provider;
- (b) All the out-of-date supplies have been replaced and burn gel is now available. The first aid checklist with the temperature reducing medication and the burn gel added will be checked for expiry dates and replacement supplies at the monthly staff meeting with management
Regulation 26 — Fire safety measures
- (a) Records were not maintained of monthly fire drills contrary to the service’s Fire Safety policy and regulatory requirements. Documented evidence indicated that the last fire drill carried out, prior to closing for the summer break, was completed on 22 May 2025. In addition, there were no fire drills available for the months of April 2025 and November 2024, which may lead to confusion with the adults and children knowing where to go and what to do to ensure safe evacuation in the event of an emergency
Provider's corrective action:
- (a) A fire drill was carried out and recorded on 22/09/2025. Fire drills have been scheduled for the coming months. These will be noted on the curriculum planning and have been allocated a date on the attendance records for each month going forward
Found compliant: Regulation 11, 19, 20, 22, 28.