Inspection of 9 September 2025 — Inspection Report
Immediate action notice. An immediate action notice was issued to the registered provider on the 9 September 2025 during the inspection in respect of
Regulation 9 — Management and recruitment
- The registered provider did not ensure the following checks were carried out prior to one adult working in the service
- (a) (b) References were not available and as such could not be validated. (c) There was no Garda vetting disclosure available for the adult. (d) Documentation was unavailable to establish whether the adult had lived outside of the State for a period longer than six months as an adult. (3) The procedures specified above under 9(2) had not been carried out prior to the adult commencing employment in the service, as detailed above under 9(2)
Provider's corrective action:
- The registered provider has obtained a full file for the adult and has reviewed the recruitment procedures to ensure all required documentation is obtained and verified prior to any new staff member commencing work. A recruitment checklist has been implemented and must be signed off by the person in charge and the registered provider before employment commences
Regulation 16 — Record in relation to pre-school service
- (i) A staff roster was not available for review when the inspectors arrived to the service. When the roster was subsequently provided, it did not accurately reflect all of the staff currently working in the service and their accurate hours of work. Ten staff who were present and working in the service and staff on annual leave or sick leave were not recorded on the staff roster. The hours staff were rostered to work was at variance with the hours staff told the inspectors they were working. Failure to maintain accurate staff rosters impacts the services ability to demonstrate compliance with required ratios
Provider's corrective action:
- The staff roster has been amended to accurately reflect all staff employed to work in the service, including those on leave or absent. Responsibility for maintaining the roster has been reassigned to another manager to ensure consistency, accuracy, and accountability. The roster will be reviewed weekly by the person in charge, all changes to staffing or absences will be recorded immediately. The registered provider will conduct monthly audits to ensure the roster remains up to date and fully compliant
Regulation 23 — Safeguarding health, safety and welfare of child
- General Safety: 1. Garda vetting was available for five staff members. However, these vetting disclosures were not dated within the previous three years in adherence with the Early Years Inspectorate Regulatory Notice ‘EYI- RN12.3 Renewal of Garda Vetting’. 2. A trailing cable from an air conditioning unit was observed near a soft play area used by children in the Forest Room. Unsecured electrical cables can pose a risk of entanglement or injury if tampered with by children. The service was found to be non-compliant for trailing cables on the last inspection on 30 January 2023.The corrective actions submitted following this inspection failed to prevent recurrence of this non-compliance. Infection Control: 3. Inspectors observed some handwashing practices were not effective in preventing infection and posed a risk of cross contamination: • Children attending the Maple Tree room did not have their hands washed following outdoor play and prior to eating their lunch. • Children’s hands were not washed before snack time in the Rainbow room. • A staff member was observed changing a child’s nappy and did not wash their hands or the child’s hands following nappy changing. 4. A staff member was observed changing a child who had soiled during toilet training; the staff member did not remove their soiled gloves and apron when redressing the child and subsequently left the changing area still wearing the gloves and apron to retrieve additional clothing. This was at variance with the services toilet/potty training policy. 5. Although staff advised that a system was in place for the effective sterilisation of mouthing toys, the inspector observed toys remaining in circulation after use by babies posing a risk of the spread of infection and cross contamination. Action submitted by the Registered Provider
Provider's corrective action:
- General Safety: 1. Garda vetting disclosures have been renewed for four of the staff members. An application for a renewed garda vetting disclosure has been submitted for the fifth staff member. Records have been updated to ensure future compliance, and a vetting renewal tracking system has been implemented. 2. The air conditioning unit has been removed from the Forest Room. A risk assessment will be conducted prior to placing the unit back into the room and room leaders will carry out a daily safety walk to identify and report any environmental hazards. Infection Control: 3. The service’s handwashing policy and nappy changing policy have been reissued to all staff. The service will incorporate handwashing into daily routines and the curriculum using stories, songs, visual ques and posters. Management will carry out regular checks on hand washing routines and document findings. 4. A new potty-training procedure has been developed, circulated and discussed with all staff to ensure clear understanding and consistent practice. Management will carry out regular checks on potty training practices and document findings. 5. The mouthing toys sterilisation procedure has been refreshed with baby unit staff. The process for immediate removal and sterilisation of mouthed toys has been reinforced and room managers now check daily to confirm compliance
Found compliant: Regulation 11, 19, 25, 26.