Inspection of 1 November 2024 — Inspection Report
Regulation 9 — Management and recruitment
- (2) (d) The requirement for police vetting could not be determined for one adult who did not have a comprehensive curriculum vitae on file. Not ensuring all staff are appropriately vetted may allow for staff that are not suitable have access to children. (4) One staff member did not have evidence of an appropriate qualification in early childhood care and education on file. Not ensuring all staff are appropriately qualified may allow for staff not suitably trained to have access to children
Provider's corrective action:
- (2) (d) The updated curriculum vitae received indicated that there was no requirement for police vetting for the individual staff member. The registered provider has committed to ensuring that all curriculum vitae are assessed fully prior to a staff member commencing in the service. (4) The letter from the college and the letter from the DCEDIY has been obtained and is on file. The registered provider has committed to ensuring all relevant qualifications and letters as appropriate will be available on all staff files
Regulation 19 — Health, welfare and development of child
- Basic Needs: 1. The children in The Sun Room had their clothes removed as far as their vest and nappy or to just a nappy before dinner. The staff explained that this was in preparation for sleeping after dinner, this practice was not detailed in any policy. The children then washed hands and sat undressed in highchairs for dinner. The dignity and comfort of the children was compromised by having them in a state of undress for a period of time and when eating
Provider's corrective action:
- 1. The staff in the Sun Room and in the service as a whole have been informed not to undress children prior to their dinner in preparation for bed, this must be done immediately before putting the children to bed. The registered provider has committed to having monthly meetings and will discuss this at each meeting and will also review the practice in the service
Regulation 22 — Food and drink
- 1. Food/snacks were not provided between breakfast and dinner in the baby room. Snack provided in The Sun Room was banana and orange, with no milk or additional food offered. Not providing a snack or providing insufficient food for snack may allow the children to become hungry which may lead to behaviour problems
Provider's corrective action:
- 1. The registered provider has discussed the provision of all meals and snacks in the service with the staff at a staff meeting. Revised menus have been developed and have been implemented
Regulation 23 — Safeguarding health, safety and welfare of child
- General Safety: 1. A child attending the Blossoms (Baby) room was not signed in, and may not be accounted for in the event of an emergency evacuation, this was practice in the service for the children attending for settling in. Infection Control: 2. The single use gloves used for changing nappies were constructed of polythene, these gloves were not suitable and were too light and permeable and did not provide sufficient protection from body fluids when changing nappies to prevent contamination and cross infection. 3. A staff member was observed to be handling the lid of the bin in the nappy changing room even though a pedal operated mechanism was available to them. This is a potential cause for contamination and cross infection within the service. 4. There was a seal missing on the chipboard cover around the water heater in the Woodlands room and exposed chipboard was evident, this porous wood is not easily cleaned and may be a source of infection. Administration of Medication: 5. In two cases assessed the parents/guardians of two children did not sign to acknowledge when medication was administered where daily medication was needed to be administered for a period of time, e.g. antibiotic, in both incidences the parent/ guardian did not sign to acknowledge that the medication was given or that it was not administered as it had not been received in the service on the day in question. This lack of communication may hinder the continuity of care given to the children when they return home. Safe Sleep: 6. The sleep room where the children under one year slept was darkened to a degree that the children could not be adequately checked, the staff could not see the colour of the children and had to lay their hand on the child’s back to see if they were breathing. Not ensuring the environment is correct to allow for adequate checking of sleeping children may hinder the appropriate care given to them and may prevent adequate checks being carried out. Action submitted by the Registered Provider
Provider's corrective action:
- General Safety: 1. The registered provider has stated that management has explained to all staff that all children must be signed in and signed out regardless of duration of time in the service daily. A staff meeting was held post inspection to discuss this with staff. Management have committed to carrying out daily checks to ensure all staff, sign in and sign out each child daily, particularly during settling in periods. Infection Control: 2. Vinyl gloves have been purchased and the polythene gloves are no longer in use in the service. Management will ensure it is vinal gloves and not polythene gloves used throughout the service and will monitor this to ensure compliance. 3. Staff have been reminded at a staff meeting that all bins are to be operated using the pedals only and not opened by hand. The nappy changing policy has been updated to ensure that staff only operate the nappy bins using the pedal. Management will ensure all staff, including new staff members, are made aware that bins are to be operated using the pedal and not their hands and this will be monitored by the management. 4. The exposed chipboard was repaired. The exposed chipboard is now covered and can be cleaned by staff. Staff have been asked to notify management of any broken equipment and Management will carry out weekly observations of all care rooms and communal areas to identify any broken materials or materials in need of repair. Administration of Medication: 5. The administration of medication was discussed at a staff meeting, the importance of parents signing medication forms was noted and discussed. Staff were informed that all medication forms require a parental signature before medication is administered. Staff were notified that if permission for medication is given by a parent via a telephone call, this must be noted on the form and signed by the parent on collection. New medication forms have been designed to ensure parents sign the medication forms daily. Staff have been updated in the administration of medication policy. Safe Sleep: 6. The registered provider has stated that the black paper occlude on the window in the door has been removed to allow for extra light into the cot room and the blackout blinds are no longer in use. The fire escape door also allows light into the cot room. Staff have been notified that the cot room must have sufficient light to check the children at all times. Management have committed to ensuring there is adequate light available to check the children
Regulation 30 — Minimum space requirements
- 1. The Blossoms (baby room) measured 13.24 SqM, this space allows for three children under the age of one year to be cared for in this space, allowing for 3.5SqM per child. On the day of inspection there were five children being cared for in this room. Not providing enough space for the care of the children may hinder their movement and access to resources and increase the risk of accidents occurring
Provider's corrective action:
- 1. The registered provider has stated that a plan has been implemented to remove the partition in the Sunroom to increase the capacity in this room to facilitate the children from The Blossoms which will be completed over the Christmas break in December 2024. A change in circumstance has been applied for to allow for this change. With additional changes to the remaining rooms to cater for alternative age groups. All rooms will adhere to the appropriate space requirements for each child. Management have stated they will ensure the care rooms will operate within the appropriate space and ratios
Found compliant: Regulation 10, 11, 15, 29.