Inspection of 26 May 2026 — Inspection Report
Regulation 20 — Facilities for rest and play
- (1)(b) Adequate and suitable sleep facilities were not provided in the service for children under 24 months as demonstrated by the following: • There were no cots available in the service for children under 24 months. The service is currently registered to provide care to children from 12 months. Staff members stated that children typically commence attendance in the service at 15 months and are automatically assigned to sleep on a floor bed. This is at variance to the ‘Guidance for the early learning and care sector on sleep provision for children under 24 months’ which emphasises that children’s individual sleep needs are required to be met and outlines the safeguards required to be completed prior to a child under 24 months moving from a cot to a floor bed. The safeguards include consideration of a child’s needs, parental involvement, risk assessments and appropriate equipment. The absence of cots impacts the service’s requirement to provide adequate sleep facilities for children under 24 months, as there are no alternative options to the floor bed. • The beds that were available for the children under 24 months were inadequate as they did not meet the requirements of the Tusla ‘Guidance for the Early Learning and Care sector on sleep provision for children under 24 months.’ The guidance document outlines the type of floor bed and mattress’ required for children who have sleep plans in place to sleep on floor beds. The beds provided were stackable beds. • A designated sleep room was not provided in the service for the children under 24 months. The Wobbler Room, where the youngest children aged 1 to 2 years attending the service are cared for, accommodates up to 8 children at any one time. The children slept on floor beds in the care room typically at one scheduled time. This is a service led approach rather than based on the individual needs of the children. Considering the service can accommodate children from 12 months onwards, the ability to provide child- led sleep practices is impacted. It was recorded in the services’ last fit for purpose inspection carried out on 30 March 2021 that the service had a designated sleep room with 10 standard cots for children under 24 months. This was no longer available
Provider's corrective action:
- Corrective Action (1)(b) The service acknowledges the inspection finding regarding sleep provision for children under 24 months. At the time of the inspection, the youngest child attending the service was 18 months old. The service currently uses cocoon beds specifically designed for use in early years settings. Following the inspection, the service has confirmed that no child under 24 months is to sleep on stackable beds. Children under 24 months will sleep in a cocoon bed or a cot, where required, based on an individual sleep assessment, documented risk assessment and the child's individual developmental needs. Following the inspection the Centre Manager was retrained on the service’s sleep policy and the Tusla Guidance for the Early Learning and Care Sector on Sleep Provision for children under 24 months. The Regional Manager has reviewed all sleep procedures and will monitor compliance through regular audits to ensure all required documentation is completed prior to any transition from a cot to a cocoon bed. All children under 24 months currently attending the service now have an individual sleep plan, documented sleep risk assessment and written parental agreement in place. These records will be reviewed regularly to ensure they continue to reflect each child's individual sleep needs and stage of development. As an interim control measure, children who have been individually assessed as developmentally suitable will sleep in cocoon beds. No child under 24 months will transition to a stackable bed or floor beds. To fully address the inspection finding, from September 2026, Little Harvard will introduce dedicated foldable cots and will continue to have cocoon beds available for children under 24 months, where appropriate, based on an individual's sleep risk assessment, the child's developmental needs, and documented parental agreement. Preventive Action (1)(b) Going forward, the Centre Manager, Regional Manager and the Operations Manager will complete regular audits of sleep practices, documentation and risk assessments to ensure ongoing compliance with the regulations and Tusla Guidance, and to ensure that each child’s individual sleep needs continue to be met
Regulation 23 — Safeguarding health, safety and welfare of child
- Safe Sleep: 1. Sleep plans including risk assessments were not available for 5 children under 24 months who slept on stackable beds on the floor in the Wobbler room. This is at variance to the ‘Guidance for the early learning and care sector on sleep provision for children under 24 months’, which states that a sleep plan must be agreed and signed by a parent/guardian and the registered provider/person in charge to demonstrate that the child is developmentally ready to sleep on a floor bed. Action submitted by the Registered Provider Corrective Action Safe Sleep: 1. Risk assessments and individual sleep plans have now been completed for all 5 children under 24 months of age. Each sleep plan has been discussed with and signed by the child's parent/guardian and the Creche manager. In addition, all educators have been retrained on the sleep policy. Staff have been reminded of the requirement that no child under 24 months may transition to a floor bed without a completed sleep risk assessment and signed sleep plan in place. Preventive Action 1. Local and senior management will carry out a regular audit of children’s records to ensure all required documentation is completed and maintained in line with the regulations and the services policies. Supporting documentation submitted • Sleep plans for 5 children under 24 months of age. Summary Comment The inspector has reviewed the actions and evidence submitted. The non-compliances under Regulation 23 have been addressed
Found compliant: Regulation 9, 11, 19, 22, 26, 28.