# Kidz Akademy Ltd, Dundalk — inspection reports and findings > Kidz Akademy Ltd (Dundalk, Co. Louth): what Tusla inspections found — 2 published inspection(s), non-compliances and the provider's corrective actions. ## Kidz Akademy Ltd Sessional · 1 - 6 Years · Dundalk, Louth · Tusla ID **TU2015LH042** · 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 3 November 2025 — Inspection Report Full report (PDF, Tusla) ##### Regulation 11 — Staffing levels - (8)(a) The requirement to have 2 adults on the premises at all times could not be determined as there was no staff roster available. While a staff sign in sheet was available for the week of the inspection, only 1 staff member had signed their arrival time to the service for the day of the inspection and the previous day - (8)(a) Staff have been reminded of the importance of signing in and that they must do so upon arrival and when leaving the premises. A new sign in document has been drawn up and is now in use. Manager will do spot checks to ensure that staff are signing in daily and make note of any changes and cover when needed ##### Regulation 16 — Record in relation to pre-school service - (g)The policies and procedure for the service were not in keeping with the requirements of Regulation 10. This does not support staff to standardise and implement best practice. For example: The policies and procedures were located in 2 separate folders. When questioned the registered provider was not sure which copy was the most up to date. On review of the folders by the inspector, one folder contained loose sheets and blank pages with no clear guidance what policies were contained in the folder. The 2nd folder contained policies and procedures which were dated June 2015 and also referenced the previous ‘out of date’ Childcare Regulations 2006. (i) A staff rota was not available for inspection in the service. When questioned on the 1st day of inspection the deputy person stated that she ‘did not know where it was’. It was also confirmed by the registered provider on the 2nd day of inspection that there was no roster available. This practice is at variance with the corrective and preventative actions submitted by the registered provider in response to a previous non-compliance for ‘an inadequate staff roster ‘which was found at the last inspection. This response stated that “the staff roster was changed to provide the correct information. All staff have been informed about the new roster and how to implement it”. These corrective and preventative actions submitted failed to prevent reoccurrence of this non-compliance. (k) It is acknowledged that an accident report was completed for a child who tripped in the Toddler Room on the first day of the inspection. However, when the inspector reviewed a sample of 11 additional accident and incident reports, these were found to be incomplete. One of the reports did not contain a parental signature to indicate that that they were informed of the incident. Ten out of the 11 reports did not contain the registered providers signature indicating that they were informed about the incident or that they had reviewed or carried a risk assessment if deemed necessary - (g)Policies and procedures have been updated with the support of an external company. The said documents are now in the one folder and a copy has been emailed to all staff for revision. Staff have received, read and replied by return e-mail acknowledging confirmation of their understanding of the policies. Going forward, staff have been advised to reach out to management if they do not have an understanding of the policies or procedures. (i)A roster has been drafted and has been placed on the same document as the sign-in sheet so all staff are aware of it and of any changes that may have been made to their hours. Reviews and checks carried out regularly to ensure the roster is running smoothly and being completed correctly. (k)Manager is always informed of any accidents that happen on the premises but due to managers own self- negligence the reports were not signed by her, however reports are always signed by key workers. Manager is aware that she must sign all accident reports going forward. Manager will check the accident report folder weekly to ensure that no accidents that have occurred, have been missed. The deputy manager will sign the forms if the manager is unavailable ##### Regulation 19 — Health, welfare and development of child - The registered provider did not ensure that each child’s learning, development, and well-being was facilitated within the daily life of the service in relation to the following: 1. The consistency of the dinners provided on both days of the inspection was not considered appropriate for the age and stage of development of the children in attendance. There was no variety in textures and all children ranging in age from 1 – 4 years were provided with a pureed dinner of ‘Irish stew’ and mash potato on the first day of inspection and a pureed dinner of mince and mash potato on the 2nd day. 2. The majority of toys and equipment in the Toddler Room were on high shelves, in heavy boxes and were inaccessible to the children. For example, the plastic blocks, kitchen equipment, jigsaws and some books were contained within heavy plastic containers or on high shelves and the children could not access them independently. 3. The physical and material environment in the Toddler room was not adequately resourced for the number and developmental stage of the children attending. Many of the toys were plastic or wooden with a limited variety of specific areas of interest, textures, shapes and sizes. 4. The programme of activities observed for the children attending the Toddler Room was limited e.g., on the 1st day of the inspection while it is acknowledged that the children were observed to engage in an adult initiated jigsaw activity and a reading activity when an additional staff member arrived on the premises. For most of the time prior to this the children (aged 1-2 years) were observed to wander around the Toddler room without any engagement from the staff in attendance as they were more focused on meeting the children’s basic needs or tidying up the room. 5. The children attending the Toddler Room did not get a change of environment to the outdoor areas on either day of inspection - 1. There are a variety of textured meals available (sausages, stew, mince, chicken, fish fingers) Food is provided by a HSE approved food supplier, vegetables (carrots, turnips) are mashed before they mixed with dinners as many children are reluctant to eat their meal when whole pieces of vegetables are visible, this ensures nutrient intake of the children’s daily dietary needs. Environmental Health Office has been contacted and completed a review of the menu and are satisfied with it. Manager will review menus monthly to ensure all dietary requirements are met and alterations will be made to the menu if needed. 2. Toys have been moved to the lower shelves at an appropriate level for the children to access them at all times. The room has been re-arranged to give the children more independence and access to materials. The service has engaged with an external early years quality development agency to review the layout and materials within the service. Following contact, the agency is liaising with staff to review and change the layout of the room. 3. Additional materials have been added to the toddler room as there are many types of play that takes place in the toddler room which were not on display at the time of the inspection as they are stored in different areas of the building due to lack of storage space in the toddler room. The registered provider is engaging with the quality development agency regarding the materials, equipment and space in the toddler room. 4. The daily routine for the Toddler Room has since been revised. The updated daily room routine will be displayed in the room, including visual aids. Assistance will also be provided for staff with the classroom curriculum from the quality development agency. 5. Each room has their own set times to access the covered outdoor area. Going forward the daily timetable will be placed in each room to ensure all staff are aware of times for access to the covered outdoor area in circumstances where the main outdoor area cannot be used ##### Regulation 20 — Facilities for rest and play - (1)(b) The rest and sleep facilities in the service were found to be inadequate, as demonstrated by the following: • There were no adequate rest facilities available in the care rooms for a child to rest or take a break from activities when they required. For example: one child in the Toddler room was observed to attempt to lie down on a wooden bench in the room and when they rolled off the bench they tried to lie down again but could not settle. • One of the cot mattresses was unsuitable as it was ill-fitting and had a foothold present in the cot which is a potential safety hazard. This is a recurring non-compliance from the last inspection carried out on 15/07/2024 and is at variance to the corrective and preventative actions submitted by the registered provider in response to the previous non-compliance which stated that; “Checklists for cleanliness and upkeep done for each cot to be carried out daily/weekly. All staff informed about checklists and how to implement them”. However, when the inspector reviewed the checklists, the last recorded checklist was dated August/ September 2024. The corrective and preventative actions submitted following that particular inspection failed to prevent reoccurrence of this non-compliance - • A quiet/rest area has been added to the toddler room furnished with soft calming materials. • Regular checks do be done on the resting area to ensure it is working and the children are benefiting from the addition. Soft furnishings will be taken home weekly and washed. • A new mattress has been purchased. Checklists have been updated and are being carried out daily with the other daily checklists. This task has been delegated to a specific staff member. • Manager will perform weekly checks on the new updated daily checklists ##### Regulation 23 — Safeguarding health, safety and welfare of child - The Inspectorate is not assured that adequate steps have been taken to ensure the health, safety and welfare of the pre-school children attending the service. Two of the five non-compliances observed at this inspection were found at the previous inspection on 15/7/2024. The registered provider submitted corrective actions to indicate that the non-compliances would be addressed and also gave assurances that they would not reoccur however these actions and assurances were inadequate. General Safety: 1. The maintenance records for the firefighting equipment and smoke alarms detailed that the equipment was last serviced on 07/2024 and 24/03/2024 respectively. This is not in accordance with best practice guidelines that requires such equipment to be serviced at a minimum annually or more frequent if deemed necessary. This is a recurring non-compliance from the last inspection carried out on 15/07/2024 and is at variance to the corrective and preventative actions previously submitted by the registered provider in response to the non-compliance which stated that; “Annual Fire safety maintenance carried out. New fire extinguishers purchased and fitted. Fire safety system has been set up for annual checks with a reminder system in place”. The corrective and preventative actions submitted following that particular inspection failed to prevent reoccurrence of this non-compliance. Infection Control: 2. Inadequate hand washing practices were observed on both days of inspection e.g. on Day 1 it was observed following nappy changing that the child’s hands or the staff member carrying out the procedure did not wash their hands. On both days of inspection, the children attending the Toddler room did not have their hands washed before dinner. This is a recurring non-compliance from the last inspection carried out on 15/07/2024 and is at variance to the corrective and preventative actions previously submitted by the registered provider in response to the non-compliance which stated that; “Staff meeting held to remind staff of the importance of correct hand washing. Infection control and good hand washing practises to be included regularly in staff meetings”. The corrective and preventative actions submitted following that particular inspection failed to prevent reoccurrence of this non-compliance. 3. On both days of the inspection some perishable items e.g. yoghurt, cheese and chicken nuggets were observed inappropriately stored in the children’s lunch bags on the hall floor, rather than in a refrigerator. 4. A grey coloured hand towel was observed on the radiator in the downstairs sanitary. Some of the children were observed to use the hand towel to dry their hands after handwashing which is a cross-infection risk. 5. Nappy changing was not carried out in accordance with best practice guidelines. For example, the staff member observed carrying out a nappy change did not wear an apron during the procedure and did not wipe the unit down after the procedure was carried out prior to the next child having their nappy changed - Corrective & Preventive Actions General Safety: 1. Fire equipment has been serviced, manager acknowledges that the inspection dates were not checked. The manager has recorded the dates in advance for the next inspection. Infection Control: 2. A staff meeting was held and the importance of hand washing was discussed at length. Manager has overseen washing hands to ensure it is being done correctly. Random spot checks to take place during hand washing times by manager. 3. Staff have been reminded to visually check lunch bags in the morning for perishable foods, any perishable foods must be stored in the fridge with the child’s name on them. Spot checks carried out on children’s lunch bags to ensure perishable food is stored correctly. 4. Blue paper towels are available in the bathroom. Staff have been reminded to store items in their correct area. Manager will do checks to ensure there is no towels left in the bathroom and that children are washing and drying hands correctly. 5. A staff meeting was held and a step-by-step plan was printed, read and signed by each member of staff. The manager directly observed each staff member completing nappy changing and hand-washing procedures to ensure full compliance with the required procedures. The Manager will be completing random spot checks on staff when completing nappy changes Found compliant: Regulation 9, 26. #### Inspection of 15 July 2024 — Inspection Report Full report (PDF, Tusla) ##### Regulation 9 — Management and recruitment - (d) Documentary evidence of a processed international police vetting was not available for one staff member who had resided outside the Irish jurisdiction for a period of greater than six months as an adult - (d)Staff member supplied her International Police Vetting Certificate. Any future staff hired will be asked to supply their international police vetting before commencing work ##### Regulation 16 — Record in relation to pre-school service - (i) The staff roster on display in the service was inadequate for the following reasons; • It did not detail the actual start, finish and break times of each person in attendance every day. It was not dated and did not include information about staff who were on leave and what staff were providing relief cover in the service. When questioned, the staff confirmed that the page on display was the only one available - Staff Roster Changed to provide correct information. All staff have been informed about the new roster and how to implement it ##### Regulation 20 — Facilities for rest and play - (1)(b) There were instances where sleep facilities were found to be inadequate as demonstrated by the following: • Two of the cot mattresses were unsuitable; one was ill-fitting and had a foothold present in the cot, which is a potential safety hazard and the 2nd mattress had a number of brown stains on the cover which is a cross-infection risk. There was no documentary evidence available to confirm that a risk assessment had been carried out on the cots and mattresses prior to a child being put down to sleep - New Cot and mattress purchased to replace the mattress with the foot hold and the cot to fit the new mattress correctly. Mattress covers replaced on all cots Checklists for cleanliness and upkeep done for each cot to be carried out daily/weekly. All staff informed about checklists and how to implement them ##### Regulation 21 — Equipment and materials - 1. The large white toy storage box in the covered outdoor area off the Preschool Room was not maintained in a clean and hygienic condition. Accumulations of black dirt were evident at the base of the box. This is an infection control risk. While it is acknowledged that there was documentary evidence available that an outdoor checklist had been completed, this document was not signed by a staff member. Subsequentially it did not contain a date and did not detail the condition of the toy box - 1. Storage box was cleaned using the correct protocol. Regular checks implemented, forms to be signed and dated ##### Regulation 23 — Safeguarding health, safety and welfare of child - The Inspectorate is not assured that adequate steps have been taken to ensure the health, safety and welfare of the pre-school children attending the service for the following reasons: Infection Control 1. Ineffective hand washing practices were observed; • Handwashing did not take place for the children in the Toddler Room when they returned from outdoor play and prior to snack time. • No handwashing took place after two observed nappy changing procedures. While the staff member was observed to wear gloves these were removed after the procedure, but no handwashing took place for the child or the staff member who returned the child to the care room and took a 2nd child for nappy changing. This process was also repeated following the 2nd nappy change. General Safety 2. The ambient temperature in the sleep room upstairs where children were sleeping were above the optimum sleep room temperature of 18-22°C for sleeping children aged over 1 year. At 2.05pm when 2 children were asleep, the sleep room temperature was recorded at 25°C. This went unnoticed by the staff until it was brought to their attention by the inspector. In addition, the electric thermometer present in the room was plugged out and there was no means of recording the room temperature. It is acknowledged that the staff implemented control measures seeking to reduce the room temperature, through opening windows and doors to enhance ventilation in the rooms. However, this was only partially effective as the temperatures recorded during the afternoon remained elevated and were recorded at 24.3°C. These measures did not prevent the room temperatures from remaining in excess of the maximum safe sleep room temperature of 22°C which is at variance with best practice guidelines and the services own safe sleep policy. 3. The maintenance records for the firefighting equipment and smoke alarms detailed that the equipment was last serviced on 06/2021 and 24/01/2023 respectively. This is not in line with best practice guidelines of the requirement for such equipment to be serviced at a minimum annually or more frequent if deemed necessary. Safe Sleep: 4. The documented sleep log did not include the details of all the required observations made during each 10-minute physical check. For example, only the position of the child and the time and signature of the staff member were documented. When questioned one staff member was unable to state the requirement to observe the ‘colour’ and ‘breathing pattern’ of children when they are sleeping. This is also at variance with the safe sleep observations detailed in the services own Safe Sleep Policy. Action submitted by the Registered Provider - Infection Control – 1.Staff meeting held to remind staff of the importance of correct hand washing. Infection control and good hand washing practises to be included regularly in staff meetings. General Safety – 2. New Air Cooler Fanning system purchased Thermometer plugged in and in placed in the centre of the room for a more accurate reading and better view. The room temperature is also recorded every ten minutes. Staff have been trained in how to use the air cooling system and regular checks of the fan and thermometer will be a continual practice. 3.Fire Safety – Annual Fire safety maintenance carried out. New fire extinguishers purchased and fitted. Fire safety system have been set up for annual checks with a reminder system in place. Safe Sleep – 4.New sleep record sheet was created to include more detail about a child’s appearance and recording the temperature of the room every ten minutes. Staff have been informed on how to use the sleep sheet correctly and given the sleep guidelines to read and take note of Found compliant: Regulation 11, 22, 25, 26. ### Other services in Louth - [Kilsaran Preschool](/creche/kilsaran-preschool-castlebellingham.md) Castlebellingham - [Knockbridge Childcare](/creche/knockbridge-childcare-dundalk.md) Dundalk - [Ladybird Lane Day Nursery & Montessori](/creche/ladybird-lane-day-nursery-montessori-clogherhead.md) Clogherhead - [Little Nippers Playschool](/creche/little-nippers-playschool-dundalk.md) Dundalk - [Naíonra Dhún Dealgan](/creche/naionra-dhun-dealgan-dun-dealgan.md) Dún Dealgan - [Respond Early Years Service, Tredagh Close](/creche/respond-early-years-service-tredagh-close-drogheda.md) Drogheda - [Ferndale Creche & Montessori](/creche/ferndale-creche-montessori-drogheda.md) Drogheda - [CBS pre-school](/creche/cbs-pre-school-dundalk.md) Dundalk - [The Holy Family Parish Community Creche](/creche/the-holy-family-parish-community-creche-dundalk.md) Dundalk - [Mol an Óige Community Childcare](/creche/mol-an-oige-community-childcare-dundalk.md) Dundalk [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/kidz-akademy-ltd-dundalk/ Fonte: Tusla Early Years Inspectorate Recolha: 2026-09-11