# Giraffe Childcare Leopardstown, Dublin 18 — inspection reports and findings > Giraffe Childcare Leopardstown (Dublin 18, Co. Dublin): what Tusla inspections found — 4 published inspection(s), non-compliances and the provider's corrective actions. ## Giraffe Childcare Leopardstown Part Time · 0 - 6 Years · Dublin 18, Dublin · Tusla ID **TU2015DR080** · Registered since 1 January 2026 An inspection records what inspectors saw **on one day**; services respond with corrective actions — [how to read this](/methodology.md). #### Inspection of 4 March 2026 — Inspection Report Full report (PDF, Tusla) No non-compliance recorded in this report. Found compliant: Regulation 9, 11, 19, 23, 25. #### Inspection of 3 June 2025 — Inspection Report Full report (PDF, Tusla) ##### Regulation 23 — Safeguarding health, safety and welfare of child - General Safety: 1. The room temperatures in the Wobbler Namibia were not maintained within the required temperature ranges of 18oC to 22oC as follows: • At 11.05am the temperature in the Wobbler Namibia room was recorded at 23.1oC whilst the inspector was present in the room. Infection Control: 2. Children in the Wobbler Namibia were observed mouthing toys. There was no system in place in the room to sterilise these toys. Staff did not remove them from circulation this poses a risk of cross contamination. 3. The nappy changing practice observed was inadequate for infection control purposes due to the following: • Staff did not wash their hands before nappy changing. • The children were redressed with the same gloves used for nappy changing. • Staff did not wash their hands after nappy changing. • Staff opened the lid of a bin to dispose of a nappy with the same gloves on. • Children’s hands were not washed after nappy changing. • Staff wore soiled gloves while returning children to the care rooms. • Staff wore soiled gloves when cleaning the change mat. Safe Sleep: 4. The room temperatures in the Toddler Safari and Toddler Botswana rooms were not maintained within the required temperature ranges of 18oC to 22oC whilst children slept as follows: • In the Toddler Botswana room at 12.15pm was recorded at 23.1oC. • In the Toddler Safari Room at 12.37pm was recorded at 23.9oC. Action submitted by the Registered Provider - General Safety: 1. The ICON maintenance team, have control over the temperatures of our rooms. We have asked the maintenance team to lower the temperature setting which has been actioned. We have also arranged for air conditioning units within these rooms to be serviced and thoroughly cleaned. This will ensure that they are functioning efficiently and will help maintain appropriate room temperatures throughout the service. Management will continue to monitor the temperature levels regularly to ensure compliance. Staff have been trained in the steps to take if a room gets too warm. Infection Control: 2. Following the inspection feedback the staff team receive comprehensive retraining on the critical importance of prompting good hygiene practices, whereby the sterilisation of the mouthing toys and the risk of the cross contamination between the children. The staff will continue to receive ongoing training in this area. 3. All staff have been retrained on the nappy changing policy, emphasising the critical importance of the handwashing of the children and the staff and the general hygiene at the nappy room. Additionally, the training included comprehensive guidelines on the proper use of the gloves and the bin during the nappy changing process, whilst highlighting both the practical aspects and the reasons behind this essential practice. Ongoing monthly training during staff meetings is implemented to ensure that all staff members are fully informed and competent regarding the necessary procedures involved in nappy changing. Safe Sleep: 4. The air conditioning units in these areas are scheduled for a full annual service and deep cleaning. This will enhance their efficiency and support consistent temperature regulation during operations. Management will continue to check and track temperature levels regularly to ensure they remain within acceptable limits. Staff have been instructed to take the following steps, inform management, open internal doors and use workstations to secure the area, and open windows to increase airflow and ventilation Found compliant: Regulation 9, 11, 19, 26. #### Inspection of 19 November 2024 — Inspection Report Full report (PDF, Tusla) ##### Regulation 19 — Health, welfare and development of child - 1. Water was not accessible to children in the Baby Baringo, Wobbler Namibia, Wobbler Acacia and Toddler Botswana rooms. Children’s beakers were stored in a cupboard out of reach and sight - 1. We can confirm that we have now a water station in all rooms. The children’s names and photos are on their beakers, and they are stored on the kitchenettes. The management team informed all staff members on the new procedure to be followed, to ensure water is accessible for the children. Management also informed staff the importance of water being on display so the children can visibly see beakers and point or ask for it when they need throughout the day ##### Regulation 23 — Safeguarding health, safety and welfare of child - General Safety: 1. An Immediate Action Notice was issued on the 19 November 2024 as a potential choking risk was identified on inspection. Inspectors observed a number of animal toys in the Wobbler Namibia and Toddler Safari rooms which were accessible to children and were unsuitable for use by children aged under 3 years. There were 6 children aged 1 year in the Wobbler Namibia room on both days of inspection and 8 children aged 2 years in Toddler Safari room on both days of inspection. 2. Trailing cables from a baby monitor, a lamp and a stereo were observed within reach of a cot in the Toddler Botswana cot room. The stereo was within reach of another cot in the cot room posing a risk of injury. This non-compliance was present on the last inspection on 30 November 2023. The corrective and preventive actions as stated by the registered provider did not prevent recurrence of this non-compliance. Infection Control: Inspectors observed a number of practices which posed a risk of transmission of infection within the service: 3. Some nappy changing practices observed during the inspection in the service were inadequate for infection control purposes and at variance with the service’s nappy changing procedure as follows; - Staff were observed to redress children with the same used gloves. - Children’s hands were not consistently washed following nappy changes. 4. The handwashing practices observed were inconsistent during the inspection and at variance with the policy in place in the service. Children in the Wobbler Namibia and Toddler Serengeti rooms did not wash their hands before dinner on the first day of inspection. 5. Eleven cot mattresses did not have a waterproof cover posing a risk of the spread of infection as they could not be adequately cleaned and disinfected. Fire Safety: 6. In the Toddler Serengeti room during the designated nap time, the fire exit leading to the outdoor area was blocked with a child’s low bed on both days of inspection posing a risk to timely evacuation in the event of a fire. Action submitted by the Registered Provider - General Safety: 1. We submitted a response on 20 November 2024 which was deemed to satisfactorily address this non- compliance. The management team will review all age and stage appropriate equipment and ensure they are in line with the age profile of the rooms. 2. We can confirm that the non-compliance on the last inspection was rectified, however since the last inspection, new appliances were purchased and were awaiting fixtures to be put in place. We can also state that the shelf has been risen, and the wires are secured and are no longer accessible to children. The management team will carry out weekly checks on all cot rooms to ensure wires are not accessible to children. The management team will work closely with the maintenance team to facilitate fixtures being in place before appliances are replaced. Infection Control: 3. All staff have received further training on this area along with skills demonstrations that were conducted on the nappy policy and procedure, to ensure an effective nappy changing process to be carried out correctly and in line with the policy of the service. The management team work closely with all staff members, to provide a high level of training. Monthly staff training meetings are carried out to ensure everyone is kept up to date with all new policies and procedures. The management team also carry out audits throughout the nappy changing process. 4. Following discussions with staff, they stated that hand washing did occur after nappy changes, prior to mealtime, however following the inspectors feedback, we have retrained all staff on the handwashing policy. The management team work closely with all staff members, to provide a high level of training. Monthly staff training meetings are carried out to ensure everyone is kept up to date with all new policies and procedures. The management team also carry out audits throughout the mealtime process and the nappy changing process. 5. We have sourced waterproof mattresses from additional supplies within the service and have been placed within our cot rooms. The management team will carry out checks to ensure the mattress are fit for use. Fire Safety: 6. The management team have worked with the staff members in the Serengeti room and rearranged the sleep map layout. We can confirm that all fire exit doors are kept clear. The management team will carry out daily checks throughout sleep time to ensure all fire exits are kept clear Found compliant: Regulation 9, 11, 16. ### Earlier inspections - 30 November 2023 — Inspection Report · PDF ### Other services in Dublin - [Giraffe Childcare Liffey Valley](/creche/giraffe-childcare-liffey-valley-dublin-22.md) Dublin 22 - [Giraffe Childcare Lucan](/creche/giraffe-childcare-lucan-lucan.md) Lucan - [Giraffe Childcare Northern Cross](/creche/giraffe-childcare-northern-cross-dublin-17.md) Dublin 17 - [Giraffe Childcare Stepaside](/creche/giraffe-childcare-stepaside-dublin-18.md) Dublin 18 - [Grian na nÓg](/creche/grian-na-nog-dublin-24.md) Dublin 24 - [Helping Hands PreSchool](/creche/helping-hands-preschool-swords.md) Swords - [Kandoo After School Club](/creche/kandoo-after-school-club-malahide.md) Malahide - [Lir Childcare Centre](/creche/lir-childcare-centre-dublin-5.md) Dublin 5 - [Narnia Nursery School](/creche/narnia-nursery-school-dublin-16.md) Dublin 16 - [Early years service TU2015DY156](/creche/tu2015dy156.md) Dublin 9 [Alert me when a new report is published](/help.md) · [Dated report on this service — €19](/report.md) --- Página: https://creche-inspection-reports.pages.dev/creche/giraffe-childcare-leopardstown-dublin-18/ Fonte: Tusla Early Years Inspectorate Recolha: 2026-09-11