(9)(7) Childcare staff are deemed mandated persons under the Children First Act 2015 meaning all childcare staff are mandated to make direct referrals to the social work department if they have any child welfare concerns about the children in their care. Four staff who spoke to the inspector were not aware they were mandated to make direct referrals to the social work department if they had concerns in relation to any child in their care. It was acknowledged that all staff had attended children first courses online however many of the staff did not understand their responsibilities as mandated persons under the Act
Provider's corrective action:
All staff working directly with the children have now completed children’s first training in the service. The service has included mandatory children’s first training for all staff who are working in the service. The managers will include the topic of the role of mandated persons working in the service in the planned staff meetings
Regulation 19 — Health, welfare and development of child
The inspectors noted improvements in the play facilities in the outdoor areas on both day of the inspection. However, the rooms in the service particularly the playgroup room, the junior ECCE room and the senior ECCE room needed further development to meet the children’s learning, wellbeing and development through the provision of appropriate activities, interactions, materials and equipment. Examples of these developments needed were as follows: Approaches to promoting positive behaviour management 1. The transitions between the daily activities were observed to be chaotic. For example, children were observed to ignore staff due to the noise level and activity in room. This resulted in incidents over sharing of toys and squabbling between children. Staff were heard to shout over the noise to gain the children’s attention. Physical and material environment: 2. In the nursery room there was insufficient seating to accommodate the feeding of young children. Staff were observed to feed young children who were sitting on the floor mats while being fed by staff. 3. Two children in the nursery room who were in the pre walker development stage had no equipment of furniture available to them to facilitate them to pull to stand. 4. Books in some rooms were torn and worn. 5. The dolls were soiled and worn with an absence of clothes for the children to dress them up. 6. The construction bench in the senior ECCE room was bare, with broken parts. 7. There was no evidence of curriculum planning in the preschool room, junior ECCE and senior room. There was an absence of evidence of prior planning to inform how the children’s day would flow. Staff were observed to react to events rather than facilitating planned enriching activities to engage the children’s imaginations. 8. The inspectors observed the lack of enriching environments contributed to the behaviours observed. For example, there were limited areas of interest. Toys were stored and presented in a disorganised fashion and not easily accessible to the children. It is acknowledged the service continues to engage with the service of the National Quality Development Organisation Better Start and the County Childcare Committee
Provider's corrective action:
Approaches to promoting positive behaviour management 1. Routines and environments have been amended in the service. Large pieces of fitted furniture have been removed to make way for the development of areas of interest. Staff have been made aware of the need to manage transitions more effectively by talking to the children and letting them know in advance of the changes in their daily routine. Physical and material environment: 2. New highchairs have been purchased for the baby room. 3. Equipment for children to pull to stand are now in place in the baby room. 4. Worn books have been removed, and new books have been purchased for all rooms in the service. 5. The dolls clothes have been washed, and clothes reorganised to make them accessible to the children. 6. A new construction bench is in place and is now resourced with the required toys. 7. Aistear planning books are in place in all preschool rooms. Staff use these books to plan activities in the rooms. Parents are sent messages weekly on the emerging interests in the preschool rooms. 8.The environments in all preschool rooms will continue to be reviewed and updated in consultation with the staff
Regulation 23 — Safeguarding health, safety and welfare of child
General Safety: 1. Two staff were observed on their mobile phones in the outdoor area when supervising children. This posed a risk to the safety of the children as staff are required to supervise the children at all times when in their care. One staff member was observed looking down at her phone for 5 minutes without looking up at the children in her care. 2. The placement of furniture posed a risk of injury to children. Staff members stacked the children’s chairs during the morning and afternoon free play time. This posed an increased risk of injury to a child in the event that they attempted to climb or pull them down. Infection control: 3. A staff member was observed to wash children’s hands after nappy changing while still wearing the gloves used during the nappy changing. This posed as an increased risk to cross infection. 4. A soother that was dropped on the floor by a child was not cleaned or sterilised before being given back to the child. 5. The two nurturing chairs in the nursery room were not cleaned and maintained. One chair was torn and frayed, and the second chair was visibly stained. Action submitted by the Registered Provider
Provider's corrective action:
General Safety: 1. Staff have been reminded of the policy in the service which requests staff not to use their mobile phone when on duty in the service. Staff are now requested to sign they have read and understood this policy which is in place in the service. 2. All staff have been instructed not to stack chairs unless it is for an organised activity or cleaning. Infection control: 3. This practice is not part of the nappy changing policy in place in the service. Staff have been reminded of this policy which is on display throughout the service. 4. The steriliser has been reinstated into the nursery room and is used daily. 5. The torn and frayed chair has been removed; the other chair has been steam cleaned
Regulation 29 — Premises
(d) The service required some work to be completed including painting and general maintenance. For example: 1. There was plaster chipped off the wall in the junior ECCE room. 2. Doors were marked and stained. 3. The sofa in the senior ECCE room was worn and stained. 4. The sofa in the junior ECCE room was visibly stained and marked. 5. The straps on the three highchairs in the nursery room were visibly stained and had ingrained food debris. 6. There was masking tape that appeared to be holding together the legs of the highchairs in the nursery room. 7. The soft play mats on the floor in the nursery room were frayed and torn at the edges
Provider's corrective action:
1.2. Maintenance will be carried out more frequently as required. 3.4. Sofas will be steam cleaned more frequently as required. 5. Straps on the highchairs will be washed weekly. 6. A washable rug is now in place in the baby room which can be laundered as required. 7. The highchairs have been replaced
Found compliant: Regulation 10, 11, 25, 26, 28.
Inspection of 21 November 2024 — Inspection Report
The registered providers did not ensure there was enough staff to always meet the children’s needs throughout the day as evidenced in the non-compliances found in relation to Regulation 19 Health Welfare and Development of the child
Day 2 At 2.45 pm in the senior ecce room there were 17 children aged from 3 to 6 years in the care of 2 staff when 3 were required
Provider's corrective action:
(1) (2) Room leaders have been designated to ensure ratios are always maintained in the service. Management in the service will continue to monitor to ensure staff child ratios are always maintained. Steps the service has taken to address the deficit in the care provided to the children on the day of inspection are outlined in the response to the non-compliances outlined in regulation 19 of this report
Regulation 19 — Health, welfare and development of child
There were three rooms in the service the playgroup room, the preschool room and the junior ecce room that needed further development to meet the children’s learning, wellbeing and development through the provision of appropriate activities, interactions, materials and equipment. The lack of an enriched environment directly impacted the experience of the children attending and compounded challenging behaviours. Examples observed included. Approaches to promoting positive Behaviour Management 1. Behaviour management observed on the day was not in line with the service’s positive behaviour policy. While the staff were observed to work in small groups and one to one with children, other children were observed wandering around the playrooms and engaged in minor disputes. The children’s lack of engagement with the planned activities led to further disputes as they sought stimulation through initiating minor disputes with their friends. 2. In the junior ECCE room during free play children were observed throwing toys and pushing and pulling each other in rough play. These behaviours were not addressed by staff who were observed not to adequately oversee the children during 3. Behaviour disputes were observed during the day in the preschool and junior ECCE rooms as the children did not have enough of an engaging or stimulating environment to enjoy child led play. 4. The staff were observed to shout during transitions as the children did not respond to staff prompting at times and there was a lack of clear expectations of behaviour. 5. During an organised activity of yoga and dance minor episodes of behaviour were observed with children running away, pushing at each other and some crying. Staff did not pick up on cues to adapt the activity to include the children who did not choose to engage and continued with the plan to facilitate the yoga. 6. During the afternoon in the preschool room, the atmosphere was chaotic. Some children were eating their snack, while others were finished. Staff were cleaning up around them. One child was standing crying and was not responded to by the staff. The inspector spoke to the staff member three times before the responded to the child. 7. The inspectors observed that supporting relationships with parents could be further developed for example at collection time the parent of the child was not given accurate information as to how her child was during the afternoon. 8. Minor episodes between two children were addressed incorrectly by the staff, as the wrong child was corrected for grabbing from the other due to poor staff supervision within the room. 9. One child who was still eating their afternoon lunch had their lunchbox taken away by another child. The staff member removed the lunchbox from the child and put it away without checking if the child was finished eating. 10. Staff were not sensitive to the needs of one child who was placed sitting beside a child who caused upset to the child on previous occasions. The child was visibly upset sitting beside this child and another incident occurred at the table where the upset child was hit by the child again. 11. At 5pm children were observed being brought back to the outdoor area to play. The inspectors observed it was a bitterly cold, damp and almost dark evening. This practice did not meet the best needs of the children at that time. The children were observed to be tired rubbing their eyes and showing signs they needed to rest. The outdoor area did not offer any choice for the children who may have preferred to have to rest and have some shelter. Staff Interactions with Children Positive behaviour management techniques were not implemented: the following was observed. 12. A staff member was observed to physically pull a child to clean their face with wipes without consent. A staff was observed to grab wipes from another child’s hands. 13. A child who was having difficulty regulating emotions during art time was further distressed when the staff member took their painting without asking before hanging it up to dry. 14. A sample of accident and incident books were reviewed in four rooms on the day of inspection. These indicated high number of biting incidents across the service. There were no behaviour plans or evidence of other interventions in place to address these incidents. Environment 15. There was no nurturing chair available in the playgroup room for staff to sit with children to provide comfort and physical reassurance. Young children need to be comforted when they are upset, and staff need to be provided with adequate seating to hold and comfort them. 16. There was no rest or quiet area within the preschool and junior ECCE room to provide measures to calm the children and allow for restful periods during the day. 17. During the afternoon children in the preschool room showed signs of tiredness, rubbing the eyes, over stimulation and irritability and were not provided with adequate facilities to rest or sleep. 18. In the outdoor area there were no interest areas, sheltered areas and children were all confined to the large, concreted area and not allowed to access the grassy area despite children having wellies and wet gear. 19. Tables were pushed back and chairs stacked in the playgroup room. 20. It is acknowledged that the registered providers have made improvements to the physical and material environments since the last inspection on 20 November 2023. The service on recommendation from the inspectors engaged with Better Start quality development and continue to work with them. However, the inspectors continue to remain concerned that the lack of an enriched learning environment is impacting on the care of the children within the service. There is limited open ended or natural materials, interest areas are sparsely resourced. Invitations for play were limited within the rooms. Large shelves and fitted structures within the rooms caused difficulties with the layouts and are not conducive to development of child friendly environments. 21. The playgroup room was not conducive to sleep as there was insufficient number of blinds to provide a dimmed and restful environment
Provider's corrective action:
The registered providers and managers have considered the non-compliances found on the day of inspection. The report has been shared with staff and a number of measures have been put in place to address the non- compliance found on the day of inspection. Approaches to promoting positive Behaviour Management 1,2,3, The managers have shared the current behaviour management policy with the staff to refamiliarise them with the services policy. Routines have been evaluated in each care room and new routines have been established in each preschool room. These routines have been updated to suit the children’s interests better and are more adaptable to allow more choice for the children. The service has begun to implement more open-ended natural materials in the service. Parents have been informed and asked to support this new initiative by bringing in materials from home. Staff have undertaken online training courses in behaviour management. The service has engaged with the Wexford Childcare Committee to assist in developing training programmes for staff. More areas of interest have been added into the junior ECCE room to ensure that children are stimulated and not engaging in rough play. The service continues to engage with and work alongside Better Start the quality development service to improve the environments in the service. 4,5. New schedules have been established in each preschool room. Staff have been reminded to plan transitions by alerting the children before hand to allow the time to adjust to a new activity. Staff have been encouraged to evaluate planned activities to ensure there are other activities available for children to enjoy if they do not want to join in the main activity. In relation to managing behaviour staff will continue to evaluate planned activities, try to provide choice for the children and work in smaller groups for the children who enjoy small groups. This area of non-compliance has been discussed with the staff staff. Evaluation of plans will be recorded on a more frequent basis
Mealtimes are now designated to take 30 minutes. Staff have been advised they need to sit with the children for this allotted time to make meals a more sociable and relaxing time for them
The service is in regular communication with the parents of the child in question and will continue to support the child settling in to the service. 8,9,10. The staff have been spoken to regarding the non-compliance in relation to behaviour management in the service The service will ensure all staff, going forward, will be sensitive to the needs of all children in their care. Training will be provided alongside Wexford County Childcare Committee to ensure staff are trained in the needs of all the children in their care. Staff will observe children’s emotional needs and ensure that they are monitored closely for this issue not to re-occur
Management have designated a set time for all the children to be inside in the evening. The new schedule in place allows for some quiet and calm time in the daily schedule of the service. Staff Interactions with Children 12.13, Staff have received additional training. Managers will monitor and ensure staff manage transitions by giving children notice and ensure they are given support to be independent. Staff will be mindful to offer more choice in the planning of activities in the service
Staff have been booked to do an online course in understanding and preventing biting in a preschool service. The managers will continue to keep in contact with parents to ensure they are aware of the issue and can continue any interventions at home. Environment
There is a nurturing chair in the playgroup room now for staff to sit on
All rest areas have been further developed in the service
There are mats and floor beds available in the sleep room if a child needs to sleep during the day. The service has sleep plans for each child who sleeps during the day. These plans are updated every 6 months
The registered providers will continue to improve the large, concreted area to the rear of the service. Parents have been requested to supply more robust outdoor gear to ensure the children are dry and warm while playing in the outdoor area. A message has also been sent to parents to remind them to pack a spare set of clothes for their children
Staff will be more mindful of the need for children to sit at tables in the rooms. Staff will ensure table and chairs are replaced for children to sit on after the rooms have been cleaned of cleared to accommodate sleep mattresses
The service has taken the opportunity to visit other services to evaluate alternative approaches to creating enriching and stimulating environments for children in their care. The service looks forward to reengaging with better start and continue to work on the goals which are still in progress set by their Early Years Specialist. The managers are in the process of developing a more open-ended nature-based curriculum. This measure is in partnership with parents and some staff have concluded online training in the provision of this play-based curriculum. The large, fixed furniture units are still in place. The service will continue the environments in the service
The service has ordered blinds to place on the windows to provide a dimmed and restful environment. Evidence Submitted 1,2,3. The following documents were received by the inspector. The behaviour management policy which has been shared with staff, Photographs of new areas of interest in the preschool rooms, A document from the county childcare committee outlining a plan for the further development of the service, The new routein in place for all preschool rooms, A copy of the correspondence with parents to outline the initiative to use open ended play materials in thew service. 4,5 A copy of the behaviour plan which is also shared in discussion with parents was received. Since the inspection staff have taken part in extensive training course to educate and improve their understanding of the care needs of the children. Certificates of training in the following on line courses was received by the inspector, children learning in nature outdoors, Child led planning, Neurodiversity in preschool children, child learning in natural environments, Early years team work and leadership
A copy of the new routein detailing lunch time should take at least 30 minutes
A copy of the certificate in working in partnership with parents was received. 8,9,10 Certificates in training in a variety of childcare skills was received
Updated routein in place where children are provided with alternative activities and rest opportunities was received. Staff Interactions with Children 12,13 See previous list of certificates of online training certificates received
A copy of a course in understanding biting in a preschool setting received. A copy of the behaviour plan in use in the service was also received. Environment
Regulation 27 — Supervision
While there were adequate staffing levels in place to support effective supervision, the inspectors observed that staff were at times slow to identify issues and intervene with children. Incidents were not intervened with in a timely way resulting in some children being hurt and others showing signs of distress as described in regulation
Provider's corrective action:
The registered providers and managers have shared the report with all the staff currently working in the service. The service continues to engage with better start, has liaised with the county childcare committee, has visited other services, have made improvements in the areas of interest in the preschool rooms, staff have commenced on line training in a variety of education to improve the quality of care provided in the service. The managers and registered providers will continue to monitor the progress being made in the service
Found compliant: Regulation 9, 10, 23, 25, 26, 28.