Inspection of 25 February 2025 — Inspection Report
Regulation 19 — Health, welfare and development of child
- Basic Needs 1. The staff in the Baby room did not promote an awareness of healthy habits in children, the babies and young children’s hands were not washed or cleaned prior to their mealtime. 2. The staff in the Baby room were observed to use blue hand paper to clean and wipe the young children’s noses, soft tissue paper was not used. 3. The children in the Toddler room did not have access to tables and chairs in their playroom, to sit and engage in activities. 4. The children had limited space to rest and relax in the Toddler room. The area in the corner of the room that was allocated for the children to sit on the floor had only a small number of cushions and a soft blanket. The children were observed using this limited space for a large portion of the time the inspector was in the room. 5. The privacy and dignity of the children using the children’s sanitary area (five cubicles) were not respected as the doors of the cubicles could not be closed fully, as the staff identified there was a risk the children would not be able to open them. 6. There was no adult chair available to the staff in the Toddler room, for the purposes of comforting and nurturing the young children in their care
Provider's corrective action:
- The registered provider stated the following in the reply: Corrective and Preventive Action 1. The importance of handwashing was discussed at a recent staff meeting and posters to reinforce this practice are on display in the playrooms. 2. Tissues are now used by staff and children; blue hand paper is no longer in use. 3. Age-appropriate tables and chairs are now in use in the Toddler room. 4. The soft seating area has been developed with the addition of soft matting and bean bags and will be further developed over time. 5. Work has commenced in changing the locking mechanism of the toilet doors and will be completed over the next few months. 6. A suitable chair is in place in the Toddler room. Summary Comment The actions taken by the registered provider addressed five of the six non-compliances identified. The findings documented at point 5 remains non-compliant as the registered provider did not provide adequate assurances that the non-compliance had been rectified
Regulation 23 — Safeguarding health, safety and welfare of child
- General Safety: 1. Garda vetting was available for 18 adults employed by the service. However, two vetting disclosures were not dated within the previous three years in adherence with the Early Years Inspectorate Regulatory Notice. Infection Control: The following points posed a risk of cross infection. 2. The nappy disposal bins, which were used in the Baby room and Toddler room sanitary areas were not adequate as they were not foot pedalled or airtight. There was a malodour from the designated nappy changing room adjacent to the Toddler room. There was no sealed, airtight foot pedalled nappy bin in the third nappy changing area for the safe disposal of used nappies. 3. The mechanical air vent in the nappy changing area did not appear to be working. The staff informed the inspectors that they were aware of issues with the mechanical ventilation. There was a malodour present in this nappy changing area. Action submitted by the Registered Provider The registered provider stated the following in their reply:
Provider's corrective action:
- General Safety: 1. Garda Vetting disclosures are in place for the two adults that were not dated with the previous three years in adherence with the Early Years Inspectorate Regulatory Notice. Garda vetting renewal dates are recorded to ensure this non-compliance does not re-occur. Infection Control: 2. Three new sealed foot pedalled air tight bins were purchased and are in place. 3. An air hygiene specialist inspected the mechanical air vents, and an action plan will be completed in due course to improve ventilation in the sanitary area
Regulation 26 — Fire safety measures
- (1)(b) An annual up to date record of the number, type and maintenance for the firefighting equipment was unavailable on the day of inspection
Provider's corrective action:
- The registered provider stated the following in their reply: Corrective and Preventive Action An up-to-date record of the maintenance record for the firefighting equipment was obtained on the 04/03/2025 and is valid until the 03/04/2025. This certificate will be updated annually
Found compliant: Regulation 9, 11, 25.