Creche Inspection Reports

Little Scholars

Sessional · 1 - 6 Years · Tullamore, Offaly · Tusla ID TU2017OY500 · Registered since 25 August 2026

An inspection records what inspectors saw on one day; services respond with corrective actions — how to read this.

4published inspections
0non-compliances at latest report read
1immediate action notices
0registration conditions

Inspection of 9 February 2026 — Inspection Report

Full report (PDF, Tusla)

No non-compliance recorded in this report.

Found compliant: Regulation 9, 11, 16, 19, 20, 23, 25, 27.

Inspection of 25 February 2025 — Inspection Report

Full report (PDF, Tusla)

Immediate action notice. 1. Two written immediate action notice s under

Regulation 11 — Staffing levels

  • 1. There were fifty-five children attending the service and they were supervised directly by twelve adults. A sufficient number of adults were not provided to meet the adult: child ratio in the junior pre -school room. There were two adults caring for 18 children aged 3-4 years attending on full day basis. Three adults were required to maintain the adult: child ratio
  • 2. At 14:10 – 14:16 hours two children aged 2-3 years were observed asleep on low level beds in Senior Wobbler room unsupervised as the staff member left the room to attend to another child. The door to the room was observed to be left open on to the main corridor . One adult was req uired to remain with the two sleeping children to maintain the required adult: child ratio at all times. This was a non-compliance following inspections conducted on 6 February 2018 and 9 January 2023. The corrective actions submitted by the registered provider following the inspections failed to prevent recurrence of this non - compliance
Provider's corrective action:
  • 1, 2. The management has employed two additional staff to help always meet the adult child ratio. A staff member is allocated to be a floater on the floor to help with pressurised times. The management will ensure that the roster has additional staff members and will also ensure in advance what relief workers are available for that coming week to have sufficient cover and won’t let it happen again. See appendix 1 and 2

Regulation 16 — Record in relation to pre-school service

  • (h) 1. The registered provider did not ensure that the children’s attendance record in the Junior pre-school room was completed in real time on their arrival to the premises. At 09:45am it was observed that the time of entry to the service was not recorded on the children’s attendance book. This was a non-compliance following inspections conducted on 6 February 2018. The corrective action submitted by the registered provider following the inspections failed to prevent recurrence of this non-compliance. (i) 2. The registered provider did not ensure that the staff roster reflected the details on a daily basis as one adult was not on the roster and one adult’s hours did not correspond with the hours that she stated that she was working on the day of the inspection
Provider's corrective action:
  • 1. The manager has given this role to the room leader in every room to ensure that all children’s attendance is taken in real time every morning and evening. The management will ensure that all Roll call books are completed in real time, and this will be checked when getting the numbers of each room for dinner. 2. The Management will ensure that there are set hours in place for relief workers to provide adequate cover and are familiar with their set hours. We will continue to have a number of relief staff on our roster and have established set hours for our relief staff

Regulation 19 — Health, welfare and development of child

  • 1. In the Senior Wobbler room , the transition from lunch to sleep was rushed and disorganised as evidenced by the following observations: • Some children who had finished eating were then prepared for sleep in the adjoining sleep room initially by the two adults leaving three children still eating their lunch at the two tables. One of the adults then went and attended to the children eating lunch. • A child was observed eating food left over in bowls and also food spilled on the table. The child was not offered additional food despite staff stating that extra portions were available if any child remained hungry. 2. In the Senior Wobbler room, t he children’s hands and face s were cleaned with wipes after their lunch rather than wet face cloths to minimise any skin sensitivities. 3. There was no armchair available in the Baby and Senior Wobbler rooms for staff to sit when feeding children or to comfort a child. This was a non -compliance following an inspection conducted on 15 July 2019. The corrective action submitted by the registered provider following the inspection failed to prevent recurrence of this non-compliance. 4. Children in the Senior Wobbler and T oddler rooms did not have the opportunity for outdoor play during the inspection. This was a n area of non-compliance following inspection conducted on 9 January 2023 . The corrective action submitted by the registered provider following the inspection failed to prevent recurrence of this non-compliance
Provider's corrective action:
  • 1. The management have added an additional staff member who is available for the pressurised points during the day. The management along with staff have completed training to ensure that all updated policies including transitions are adhered to help the children enjoy smoother transitions. An additional staff member will remain floating throughout the day to help the ease of transitions in the wobbler room. 2. The staff have been advised to no longer use water wipes to clean children’s faces and we have purchased face Cloths to clean them with warm soapy water. Staff use warm soapy water with face cloths to clean the children’s faces to minimise any skin sensitivities. 3. We have replaced both chairs that were in our baby room for staff to sit on while feeding children in the highchairs and while comforting a child. Two armchairs have been purchased and added to both our junior and senior wobbler rooms. 4. There is a timetable in place for all the children to have an opportunity for outdoor play and both the Wobblers and Toddler room avail of their outdoor time at 9:00am. They came back inside on that day at 9:40am to get ready for morning snack. We understand the importance of the outdoors and have a timetable in all rooms which is strictly followed to ensure that every room get the opportunity to go outside in both the morning and evening

Regulation 20 — Facilities for rest and play

  • 1. The mattresses of four of the eleven cots were unsuitable as evidenced by the following observations: • There was no documentary evidence provided that two of the cot mattresses complied with EU safety standards. • An exposed foam mattress was noted in cot 3 (right hand side) in the senior wobbler sleep room. Protective covering was not in place and there was no EU safety standard information including a fire safe label attached. • Three of the four mattresses did not have a fire safe label. • One cot mattress was not fitted with a waterproof cover. This practice did not align with the Safe Sleep policy which stated under sleep environment that “Cot mattresses / rest mats /toddler beds should be completely covered in waterproof fabric such as PVC. All mattresses should be regularly inspected for signs of damage to the waterproof fabric and if punctured, cracked or torn , should be replaced immediately.” This was a non-compliance following inspections conducted on 6 February 2018, 9 May 2022, 9 January 2023 and 15 May 2024. The corrective actions submitted by the registered provider following the inspections failed to prevent recurrence of this non-compliance. 2. The minimum 50 cm distance between the cots in the two sleep rooms was not observed as evidenced by the following observations: • The minimum distance of 50 cm between three of the cots in the sleep room attached to the Baby room was not maintained. • The minimum distance of 50 cm between five cots in the sleep room attached to the Senior Wobbler room was not maintained. • The minimum distance of 50 cm between two level beds in the toddler room was not maintained. • There were seven cots in the sleep room attached to the Senior Wobbler room. The sleep room can accommodate six cots to ensure that the minimum 50 cm distance can be maintained at all times. 3. A cot was placed beside a blind covering the viewing window in the sleep room attached the Senior Wobbler room. It was observed that the blind was accessible to the child using the cot who was observed pulling at the blind
Provider's corrective action:
  • 1. The cots and mattresses have been replaced. C ots and mattress which comply with the EU safety standard s have been purchased . We have sourced new mattresses that comply with the EU safety standards and will continue to ensure that all of our mattress is compliant with the EU safety standards. 2. We have placed sticky tape measuring 50cm between the cots and will ensure that these measurements always remain in place. The management has purchased 50cm sticky tape to ensure the required distance is maintained at all times. New space saver cots have been purchased to ensure there is sufficient room in both the sleep rooms which allows additional space. 3. The viewing blind has been removed from the sleep room and will be placed in the Senior Wobbler room for the Staff to adjust accordingly

Regulation 23 — Safeguarding health, safety and welfare of child

  • General Safety: Appropriate safeguards were not taken to maintain the safety of children on the ground floor as evidenced by the following observations: 1. The door to the kitchen was wedged open and not secured to prevent a child from accessing this area. 2. The door to the office / staff room was open. The safety clips on the fridge and the press under the sink in this area were not secure d to prevent a child accessing them . Hazardous items included an open box of dishwasher tablets, a bottle of sterilising fluid, a spray bottle of limescale remover, a spray bottle of window and glass cleaner were all accessible to a child and posed a risk of harm if they were handled or ingested. This was a non-compliance following inspection conducted on 15 July 2019. The corrective action submitted by the registered provider following the inspection failed to prevent recurrence of this non-compliance. 3. Three cord blinds were not secured in the Senior Wobbler room. This was a non -compliance following inspections conducted on 6 February 2018 and 15 July 2019 . The corrective actions submitted by the registered provider following the inspections failed to prevent recurrence of this non - compliance. A written immediate action notice under Regulation 23 – Safeguarding health, safety and welfare of child was issued onsite to the registered provider on 25 February 2025. 4. Fourteen dancing ribbons were observed to be attached to a wooden rail in the Baby room and were accessible to the children in the room. Dancing ribbons are not suitable for use with children aged under 18 months and must be used with adult supervision. They posed a potential risk of choking / entanglement to the children. The risk was brought to the attention of the staff members in the Ba by room who removed the ribbons from the wooden rail. 5. Two wall mounted fire extinguishers in the entrance hallway were partially blocked by a black bin bag and a coat hanger. These could impede access to the equipment in the event of a fire emergency. This was a non-compliance following inspection conducted on 15 July 2019. The corrective action submitted by the registered provider following the inspections failed to prevent recurrence of this non-compliance. 6. A non-slip floor mat was not in place in the toddler room. The mat in place posed a potential risk of slip, trip and falls to children and staff. Infection Control: 7. It was observed that a child dropped their soother on the floor. It was picked up by a staff member who put it under running water from the tap and returned it to the child who promptly put it in their mouth . This was not an appropriate infection control practice. 8. There was a lack of clarity about the system in place for the management of mouthing toys in the Baby and Senior Wobbler room. There was no evidence that a container of sterilising solution, freshly made up daily was available in the service on the day of the inspection. It is acknowledged that t here was a bottle of sterilising solution in the service. This area of practice needs to be reviewed, and a system put in place to manage the immediate sterilisation of shared toys, soothers and equipment in the Baby and Senior Wobbler rooms for infection control purposes. 9. The staff member supervising the children’s handwashing before meals allowed the children to dispose of their hand towels by handling the lid of the bin which posed a risk of cross contamination. The bin had a foot pedal to use. This was a non -compliance following inspection conducted on 9 January 2023. The corrective action submitted by the registered provider following the inspections failed to prevent recurrence of this non-compliance. Safe Sleep: 10. One mattress did not have protective waterproof covering and the foam was exposed which created a potential risk of harm for a child if they ingested a piece of the exposed foam. This practice did not align with the Safe Sleep policy which stated under sleep environment that “Cot mattresses / rest mats /toddler beds should be completely covered in waterproof fabric such as PVC. All mattresses should be regularly inspected for signs of damage to the waterproof fabric and if punctured, cracked or torn, should be replaced immediately.” The daily risk assessment had been completed for the sleep room attached to the Senior Wobbler room on 25 February 2025. The hazard titled “The children have clean and safe bedding” was positively ticked. A written immediate action notice under Regulation 23 – Safeguarding health, safety and welfare of child was issued onsite to the registered provider on 25 February 2025. 11. The sleep template record used for documenting sleep observations was illegible and required to be rewritten. 12. The staff members were not familiar with the revised sleep room temperatures as per the updated Guidance for the Early Learning and Care sector on sleep provision for children under 24 months. Action submitted by the Registered Provider
Provider's corrective action:
  • General Safety: 1. The management have removed the wedge from the kitchen door and new locks have been purchased to add an additional layer of safety along with keeping the staff room door locked. 2. In addition to the above we have reviewed our systems and staff now put their personal belongings in a new location which minimizes the use of the staff room. We will ensure the door always remains locked. The role of Health & Safety has now been added to the Early Supervisors Risk assessment morning list and checks will be carried out each morning to ensure that the Kitchen and Staff room are both locked. 3. The three short Cord blinds were secured by 9am the morning after the inspection. 4. These ribbons were removed during the inspection and are now stored in the art press for a supervised sensory experience for all the children. The ribbons have been removed from our baby room. 5. The Black bin bag which had children’s clothes for the charity shop was removed during the inspection and the coat hanger is now in the main hallway. Staff are aware that all fire extinguishers must be kept assessable at all times. 6. The new car play mat has been removed from the floor . We will ensure when purchasing children’s floor mats in the future that they are non-slip before placing them on the floor. Infection Control: 7. The morning supervisor will ensure that a fresh jug of sterilising fluid is available in both rooms to sterilise the soothers and mouthed toys, this task has now been added to the morning routine for our morning supervisor. At a recent staff meeting training was provided by management to ensure a clear understanding of our infection control policy with a particular focus on soothers. We have completed staff training at our last staff meeting on Infection control, mouthed toys and cross contamination along with other policy. All staff had an opportunity to take turns on the steps needed to ensure the policy and procedure was executed correctly. The management have ensured that the staff training has been updated, and staff are confident in carrying out all procedures in their required roles. 8. The management have added labelled baskets for mouthed toys to both rooms and training on infection control has been provided. At the recent staff meeting training was provided on the systems in place for the sterilisation of mouthed toys and staff signed off on their understanding and training on the infection control policy. 9. The staff have completed training on Infection control policies and the importance of the same. This was completed and signed off on at our staff meeting. At a recent staff meeting the infection control policy was highlighted as a non-compliance and we have refreshed this training with a particular emphasis on hand hygiene and the risks of cross contamination. Staff have signed off on this training. Safe Sleep: 10. The management have implemented a morning checklist to ensure that all safety measures and risk assessments are in place, and these procedures will be implemented and signed off by the supervisor . The supervisor will ensure that paperwork is not ticked off positively if the action wasn’t completed. 11. We have disposed of the old illegible sleep records and have put new records in place. Sleep records have been updated, and templates have been kept on file. 12. Staff have now made themselves familiar with the new updated guidance and any new updates and training will be placed on the staff room notice board to highlight the importance of keeping up to date. At a recent staff meeting the updated guidance for the sector on sleep provision was highlighted and we have refreshed this training including sleep room temperatures. Staff have signed off on this training

Regulation 25 — First aid

  • (1) There were no staff members trained in in first aid response (FAR) and immediately available to the children attending the service from 07:45 to 9:00am, Monday – Friday. (2)(b) Suitably equipped first aid boxes for children were not available at all times to the adults caring for the children attending the service. • There were no antiseptic wipes and an insufficient number of bandages in the first aid boxes in the senior wobbler room and staff room. This was a non-compliance following inspections conducted on 15 July 2019, 9 January 2023 and 15 May 2024 . The corrective actions submitted by the registered provider following the inspections failed to prevent recurrence of this non-compliance
Provider's corrective action:
  • (1) The staff roster reflects someone with FAR training in the service from 7:45 -6:00. We will continue ensure to have a staff member with FAR is on site from 7:45-6:00. (2)(b) We have sourced a supplier of antiseptic wound wipes that are alcohol free along with additional bandages in Line with the quality and regulatory framework. We have sourced a supplier of antiseptic alcohol-free wipes and extra bandages have been purchased for each of the three First aid boxes on the premises to reflect the number of children in the service

Regulation 27 — Supervision

  • During the course of the inspection, it was observed that children from the Junior pre -school room were not supervised by staff while they used the toilet. Children left the room, went to the toilet and did not wash their hands, the children returned to the room and engaged in play activities. Staff did not observe or listen out for the children using the toilet facilities. This practice did not align with the Supervision of Children - Indoors and Outdoor policy which stated that “Staff should ensure their presence and position in the rooms allows all areas of the room are under constant supervision and that all children are in sight of at least one member of staff at all times.”
Provider's corrective action:
  • The management have updated the supervision of children policy which will ensure that children are always supervised in the bathrooms. Room leader will ensure that there is always a staff member supervising in the bathrooms and the key workers bring their group of children to ensure ratio and efficiency

Found compliant: Regulation 9, 26, 28.

Inspection of 9 August 2024 — Change in Circumstance

Full report (PDF, Tusla)

No non-compliance recorded in this report.

Earlier inspections

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