Inspection of 28 November 2024 — Inspection Report
Regulation 9 — Management and recruitment
- (d) Police vetting was not available on file for one staff member who had lived in a state other than Ireland for a period of longer than six consecutive months
- The evidence available for one staff members qualification was not conclusive that they had achieved a level 5 in Early Childhood Care and Education at Level 5 or above on the National Qualifications Framework
Provider's corrective action:
- (d) An application for police vetting has been sent for the staff member who has lived in a state other than Ireland for a period of longer than six consecutive months
- The service in conjunction with the staff member is still in the process of establishing the staff member is qualified to work directly with the preschool children. The manager of the service has linked in with several agencies to clarify the situation for the service and the staff member. The staff member is currently working in the kitchen in the service until the situation is clarified
Regulation 23 — Safeguarding health, safety and welfare of child
- Infection control
- The nappy changing area attached to the explorer room needed to be organised to prevent cross contamination during the procedure. Gloves, aprons, disposable hand towels, and paper towels to clean the mat after the procedure were all stored in a haphazard manner which necessitated the staff handling them excessively during the procedure. This posed a risk of cross infection in the service
- There was no warm water to support handwashing flowing from the tap in the nappy changing area attached to the explorer room. Fire Safety
- Monthly fire drill practices were not in line with the Fire Safety in Pre-Schools 1999 guidance document. The document recommends that fire drills should include a monthly complete evacuation of the children from the premises to a place of safety in the open air. The service carries out evacuation drills for each room in the service when a complete evacuation is recommended as best practice. Action submitted by the Registered Provider
Provider's corrective action:
- The manager is currently sourcing a unit to store all nappy changing equipment to ensure the best practice in infection control is maintained in the service
- A plumber was commissioned to replace the taps in the nappy changing area. Fire Safety
- A fire drill which includes the evacuation of the entire service is now carried out in the service monthly.111
Regulation 25 — First aid
- There was one person trained in a first aid responder course working in service. However, the inspector noted if this person was off duty or on leave there would be no person available to the children trained in a first aid responder course. Preschool services are required to have a person always trained in a first aid responder course available to the children when attending a preschool service
Provider's corrective action:
- There will be three staff qualified in a first aid responder course available to the children going forward
Found compliant: Regulation 11, 15, 21, 22, 26, 28.