# Milltown Playschool, Newbridge — inspection reports and findings > Milltown Playschool (Newbridge, Co. Kildare): what Tusla inspections found — 5 published inspection(s), non-compliances and the provider's corrective actions. ## Milltown Playschool Sessional · 2 - 6 Years · Newbridge, Kildare · Tusla ID **TU2015KE026** · Registered since 1 January 2026 An inspection records what inspectors saw **on one day**; services respond with corrective actions — [how to read this](/methodology.md). #### Inspection of 19 March 2026 — Inspection Report Full report (PDF, Tusla) ##### Regulation 23 — Safeguarding health, safety and welfare of child - General Safety: 1. The premises was not adequately secured to prevent a child leaving unsupervised as outlined. a) The front door to the pre-school room was locked on the inside with a low-level thumb-turn lock. The lock could be easily opened by a child. The door led to a driveway which had an open gate onto a road. This posed a risk of injury should a child leave the service unsupervised. This risk was identified on previous inspections dated 9 January 2018, 21 April 2021 and 26 March 2025. Following the inspection on 26 March 2025 the registered provider stated that the service had requested guidance from the fire safety officer on what type of lock to implement and this would be updated over the summer if not sooner once an appropriate solution was recommended. The registered provider also stated a notice was on the service notice board outlining the gate closure times and the registered provider and staff member had familiarised themselves with it. The actions were not evidenced on inspection. b) Children were brought to play outside at the front of the premises from 10:00 – 10:49. Although, the registered provider closed the gate at this time, the gate was not secured and could easily be opened by a child, leading directly onto the road. 2. The fire alarm maintenance certificate documented that the smoke alarm system was due for inspection within four weeks of 23 December 2025. The registered provider reported that this had not been carried out. This posed a risk of the alarm not operating effectively in the event of a fire. Action submitted by the Registered Provider - (a) I have installed a new lock on the entrance door that is out of the children’s reach. (b) A new smaller lock has been sourced for the gate. This lock fits better and after it is bolted, two keys will be kept in the Playschool. 2. Certificate of servicing has been updated. Date to book next service has been added to the diary Found compliant: Regulation 9, 11, 15, 19, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28. #### Inspection of 26 March 2025 — Inspection Report Full report (PDF, Tusla) **Immediate action notice.** Escalation and Enforcement The service had a previous history of escalation and enforcement. Conditions had been applied to the registration of the service on 26 November 2021 and 20 April 2023 due to a repeated history of non-compliance with regulatory requirements, posing a risk to the safety and wellbeing of children. The conditions were found to have been breached when inspections were carried out on 23 May 2022 and 29 September 2023. The most recent conditions were removed on 20 April 2024 following an inspection on 17 April 2024. **Immediate action notice.** However, the registered provider was observed on this inspection, dated 26 March 2025, to be non-compliant with regulatory requirements posing a risk to the safety and wellbeing of children. Information is included under the relevant regulations within the report. **Immediate action notice.** This service was referred to the National Registration Enforcement Panel on the 13th May 2025 in relation to the non-compliance on inspection within the early years’ childcare facility. **Immediate action notice.** Immediate Action Notice An immediate action notice was issued to the registered provider on 27 March 2025 due to the significant risk posed to children under regulation 23 - Safeguarding health, welfare and safety of child. The notice related to non-compliance identified under regulations 23 (point 1), 24 (1), 25(1), 27 and 28. Information is outlined under the relevant regulations in the report. A response was received from the registered provider on 28 March 2025 outlining immediate actions that will be taken. The actions if implemented should mitigate the risk identified. **Immediate action notice.** Non-Compliance Information (1) & (3) The registered provider did not notify the Early Years Inspectorate of a proposed change to the number of children attending as required. On the day of inspection, the service was registered to accommodate a maximum of 18 children at any one time. Both the registered provider and staff member informed the inspector that there were 18 children present when the inspector arrived unannounced at 09:26. When asked the maximum number of children in attendance on any given day both the registered provider and staff member reported there are never more than 18 children in attendance. The inspector counted 20 children present which was subsequently confirmed by the registered provider and staff member. ##### Regulation 9 — Management and recruitment - The registered provider did not take reasonable measures to ensure that one adult was suitable and competent to work with children as outlined below. (2) (a) A past employer reference was not available for one adult who was reported to have been in employment with a previous company for 20 years until 2024. Only character references were available. The registered provider confirmed that a past employment reference had not been sourced. This regulation was previously non- compliant on inspections dated 23 May 2022, 19 December 2022 and 21 February 2024 in relation to other staff members. The corrective and preventive actions submitted by the registered provider following those inspections had not been effective in preventing the non-compliance from recurring. (3) The procedures specified in paragraph (2) had not been completed in all instances prior to any person being appointed, assigned or allowed access or contact with a child attending the service as outlined above. (4) Two children were brought to the registered providers home to be cared for by the person the registered provider reported was the emergency contact person. The children were in the care of this adult from 10:33 until they were collected by their parents/guardians at approximately 10:47 and 10:53 consecutively. The adult did not hold at least a major award in Early Childhood Care and Education at Level 5 on the National Framework of Qualifications or a qualification deemed equivalent by the Minister - (2) (a) The reference for the individual from the company they worked for has been received. To ensure this does not occur again, the registered provider has updated the services staffing policy to outline that all permanent staff, all student placements and emergency contact must have a previous work (or school for placements) reference on file before they start. This updated policy has been signed by both the registered provider and second staff member and will be in place going forward. (4) The registered provider stated that bringing the children into the adjacent building with the emergency contact was an error in judgment, while attempting to rectify having more children than were registered on the day in the service. The emergency contact person will not be with the children without another member of staff who holds at least a major award in Early Childhood Care and Education at Level 5 on the National Framework of Qualifications present ##### Regulation 11 — Staffing levels - (1) An adequate number of adults were not working directly with the children between 10:33 and 10:53 as outlined under regulation 11(3) below. (3) The minimum ratio requirement of 1 adult to 11 children was not maintained at all times as outlined below. 1. From 10:33 to 10:41 one adult was present in the outdoor area with 18 children. During this period the second adult brought two children to the house adjacent to the service. 2. At 10:44 one adult was in the pre-school room with one child while the second adult was in the outdoor area with 17 children. The first adult left the pre-school room to go to the adjacent house at 10:45 leaving the child in the preschool room without a staff member until she returned at 10:48. 3. At 10:53 one adult was in the pre-school room with two children while the second adult was in the outdoor area with 16 children. The first adult took one of the children to the main house to be collected, leaving one child in the pre-school room without a staff member for approximately one minute - The registered provider stated that bringing the children into the adjacent building with the emergency contact was an error in judgment, while attempting to rectify having more children than were registered on the day in the service. The knock-on effect was a member of staff being out of ratio and one child in the pre-school room without an adult. This would not happen under normal circumstances. The registered provider and staff will ensure adherence every day going forward to the maximum number of children the service can take as per the regulations and will keep to the ratio through the day ##### Regulation 15 — Record of pre-school child - The inspector requested the records with the information required under regulation 15(1)(a) to (i) for two children who were present but not recorded on the attendance record. There were no records available for one of the children. This information is required to allow for the appropriate individualised care of a child. The lack of a record posed a risk to the health and safety of the child should the information be required in an emergency. This regulation was non-compliant on previous inspections dated 29 September 2023 and 21 February 2024. The corrective and preventive actions submitted by the registered provider following those inspections had not been effective in preventing the non-compliance from recurring - The missing form for one of the additional children that was in attendance on this day has now been received. This child will be attending the service in September 2025. The registered provider has generated a new policy ‘Start of Playschool’ which outlines that the above information must be provided for all children before they commence ##### Regulation 19 — Health, welfare and development of child - The registered provider did not ensure that the welfare and development of children was always supported as outlined below. 1. There was a lack of planning for the children’s meal which could impact on the provision of a positive mealtime experience. The children ate their lunch in the outdoor area. There was not enough space at the picnic benches for the 17 children who were present at this time. Some of the children were seated on chairs brought from the pre-school room but had to ask for tables to place their lunches. There was no seating for the adults to sit with the children. Many of the children complained that they were cold with two children saying they were “freezing”. The adults spent much of the lunch period going in and out of the pre-school room to retrieve tables and coats. 2. An adequate area was not provided for the children to rest or take a break from activities. There were two soft seats in the pre-school room which could seat approximately four children. The cushioned seating of one of the seats was missing. There was no matting or space for a child to lie down if they became unwell and were waiting collection. 3. There was insufficient hanging space for the children’s belongings for the number of children in attendance. Several coats and bags were stored on top of each other with some bags on the floor as there were not enough hangers. This could affect the ability of children to store and access their belongings independently - 1. The service has decided that children will not spend lunch time outside for the rest of this preschool year. The children will come back into the service where they have their lunch bags and ample seating. Over the summer the registered provider will review the number of seats and tables available and potentially increase this number to allow children to sit outside, weather permitting from September 2025. Additionally, the children if sitting outside from September 2025 will be provided with their coats to allow them to put these on if needed. 2. The cushioned seating that was not present at the time of the inspection had been washed and was not yet dried. This has since dried and been returned to the soft chair. The soft chair also functions to allow children to lie down. These cushions will now be washed only when there is sufficient time to dry them before use unless required for spills etc. 3. Extra hooks have been placed on the wall under the current hooks to allow ample space for the children to hang their bags and coats ##### Regulation 23 — Safeguarding health, safety and welfare of child - General Safety: 1. The service was not adequately secured to prevent a child leaving unsupervised. The front door to the pre- school room was locked on the inside with a low-level thumb-turn lock. The lock could be easily opened by a child. The door led to a driveway which had an open gate onto a road. This posed a risk of injury should a child leave the service unsupervised. This risk was identified on previous inspections dated 9 January 2018 and 21 April 2021. The corrective and preventive actions submitted by the registered provider following these inspections had not prevented the non- compliance from recurring. An immediate action notice was issued to the registered provider on 27 March 2025 under regulation 23 due to the risk posed. A response was received from the registered provider on 28 March 2025 outlining actions that will be taken. The actions if implemented should mitigate the risk identified. 2. Garda vetting was available for all staff members. However, the vetting disclosures for two adults were not dated within the previous three years in adherence with the Early Years Inspectorate Regulatory Notice ‘EYI- RN12.3 Renewal of Garda Vetting’. This requirement was non-compliant on previous inspections dated 21 February 2024 and 17 April 2024. The corrective and preventive actions submitted by the registered provider following those inspections had not prevented the no-compliance from recurring. Infection Control: 3. The sanitary area was not equipped with soap or paper towels for children to wash or dry their hands after using the toilet. It is acknowledged the registered provider provided soap for the children to use before lunch, however facial tissues were used to dry the children’s hands which tear easily and are not absorbent enough to effectively dry hands. The lack of appropriate equipment to support hand washing poses a risk of illness to the children through the potential spread of infection. Action submitted by the Registered Provider - General Safety: 1. The registered provider has requested guidance from the fire safety officer on what type of lock to implement. The lock will be reviewed as mentioned above and updated over the summer if not sooner once an appropriate solution is recommended. In addition, a notice is on the service notice board outlining the gate closure times. The registered provider and staff member have familiarised themselves with it. 2. Garda vetting disclosures are within date. The registered provider is aware one needs to be updated in June of this year and this will be actioned. Infection Control: 3. Soap is now readily available for all children beside the sink. Paper towels have been added to the paper towel dispenser. To ensure both soap and paper towels are always present the staff member and registered provider will check the bathrooms in the morning before the children arrive and before lunch break. As part of stock management, the registered provider will ensure to bulk order paper towels and have them readily available to replace in necessary ##### Regulation 24 — Checking in and out and record of attendance - (1) There was no record of attendance for two children who were present in the service during the inspection. It could not be determined from discussions with the registered provider or staff member how long the children had been attending the service due to conflicting information provided. An enrolment record was available for one child with a start date documented 28 August 2024. This posed a risk to the safe evacuation of the children in the event of a fire as their presence was not documented. This requirement was non-compliant on previous inspections dated 9 January 2018, 14 November 2019, 23 May 2022, 19 December 2022, 29 September 2023 and 21 February 2024. The corrective and preventive actions submitted by the registered provider following those inspections had not prevented the non-compliance from recurring. An immediate action notice was issued to the registered provider on 27 March 2025 under regulation 23 due to the risk posed. A response was received from the registered provider on 28 March 2025 outlining actions that will be taken. The actions if implemented should mitigate the risk identified - The registered provider acknowledges this and its significance and unfortunately although always adhered to it was not on this day due to the two additional children. However, going forward the registered provider and staff are aware of the importance of the maximum number of children in the service and will ensure its compliance along with the compliance of the attendance document every day ##### Regulation 25 — First aid - (1) It was not evidenced that an adult with current First Aid Responder training was available to the children. This posed a risk to the appropriate treatment of a child should first aid be required. An immediate action notice was issued to the registered provider on 27 March 2025 under regulation 23 due to the risk posed. A response was received from the registered provider on 28 March 2025 confirming they had completed First Aid Responder training in January 2025 and would be issued a certificate in due course - The certificate has since been issued, and a printed copy is kept in the service. As part of the twice yearly review the registered provider and staff member will ensure these certifications and proof of same are up to date ##### Regulation 26 — Fire safety measures - (1)(b) Maintenance records were not available in relation to the smoke alarm and firefighting equipment. The registered provider reported these had been serviced within the past year but a certificate of maintenance was not issued - The previous company used to inspect the fire extinguishers signed the log book and the extinguishers when inspected however unfortunately they did not respond to provide a certificate. To correct this a new inspector from an external company inspected all fire extinguishers and supplied a new fire blanket and certificate on 7 May 2025. This company do not inspect smoke alarms. The registered provider has contacted another company, and they have confirmed they will inspect before the end of term. Once a certificate has been provided the registered provider will forward it to the early years inspectorate ##### Regulation 27 — Supervision - The registered provider did not ensure the children were adequately supervised at all times as outlined under regulation 11 (1) and (3) posing a risk to their safety. An immediate action notice was issued to the registered provider on 27 March 2025 under regulation 23 due to the risk posed. A response was received from the registered provider on 28 March 2025 outlining actions that will be taken. The actions if implemented should mitigate the risk identified - The incident of the child in the pre -school room on their own was an unfortunate situation while the registered provider attempted the rectify the additional child number s. The registered provider and staff member are aware the number of children allowed is 18 and will ensure going forward that this number is never exceeded ##### Regulation 28 — Insurance - (1) & (3) The registered provider did not notify the Early Years Inspectorate of a proposed change to the number of children attending as required. On the day of inspection, the service was registered to accommodate a maximum of 18 children at any one time. Both the registered provider and staff member informed the inspector that there were 18 children present when the inspector arrived unannounced at 09:26. When asked the maximum number of children in attendance on any given day both the registered provider and staff member reported there are never more than 18 children in attendance. The inspector counted 20 children present which was subsequently confirmed by the registered provider and staff member. Although, there were no attendance records available for the two extra children, an enrolment record was available for one of the children. The start date documented on the record was 28 August 2024, indicating the service may have been operating above its registered numbers since this date - Going forward the registered provider and staff are fully aware that the maximum number of children that can attend is 18. The registered provider is fully aware going forward that any updates to the service need to be communicated to the agency. The role book was reviewed, and it was ensured only 18 children are listed. The policy on arriving and collecting has also been updated to include that the role book needs to be filled out in the ##### Regulation 28 — Insurance - The registered provider did not ensure that the pre-school service was adequately insured as outlined below. 1. The service had a certificate of insurance for 18 children dated from 28 March 2024 to 27 March 2025. Twenty children were present on the day of inspection exceeding the number covered by the insurance. 2. The registered provider was observed to take two children to the house adjacent to the service which is not part of the registered service and is not covered by the services insurance. A documented risk assessment was not available. An immediate action notice was issued to the registered provider on 27 March 2025 under regulation 23 due to the risk posed. A response was received from the registered provider on 28 March 2025 outlining actions that will be taken. The actions if implemented should mitigate the risk identified - The maximum number attending the service going forward will not exceed 18 as per the service insurance. The registered provider has reconfirmed the total number on the service role book is 18. Additionally, the registered provider will review with the insurance company if the service can have 20 children attending based on the size. The registered provider will start this review process and inform Tusla of any changes to the insurance policy before considering increasing any numbers #### Inspection of 17 April 2024 — Inspection Report Full report (PDF, Tusla) ##### Regulation 23 — Safeguarding health, safety and welfare of child - General Safety: 1. The Garda vetting disclosure available for one staff member was not dated within the previous three years in adherence to the Early Years Inspectorate Regulatory Notice ‘EYI -RN12.3 Renewal of Garda Vetting’. It is acknowledged that the registered provider provided documentary evidence that garda vetting had been applied for to meet the re registration requirement outlined in the Early Years Inspectorate Regulatory Notice ‘EYI - RN12.3 Renewal of Garda Vetting’ Action submitted by the Registered Provider - General Safety: 1. The Garda vetting has been issued, printed and a copy is kept in the service on the staff members file. There is now a note in the Staff folder containing the Garda vetting reminding that the vetting lasts for 3 years Found compliant: Regulation 9, 11, 16. ### Earlier inspections - 21 February 2024 — Inspection Report · PDF - 29 September 2023 — Inspection Report · PDF ### Other services in Kildare - [Minnows Childcare](/creche/minnows-childcare-maynooth.md) Maynooth - [Moyglare Hall Montessori](/creche/moyglare-hall-montessori-maynooth.md) Maynooth - [Naíonra Siamsa](/creche/naionra-siamsa-kilcock.md) Kilcock - [Nursery Rhymes](/creche/nursery-rhymes-naas.md) Naas - [Scoil Beag Playschool](/creche/scoil-beag-playschool-celbridge.md) Celbridge - [The Kindergarten @ Gymboree](/creche/the-kindergarten-gymboree-celbridge.md) Celbridge - [Bright Beginnings](/creche/bright-beginnings-kildare-town.md) Kildare Town - [Little Rascals Rathangan](/creche/little-rascals-rathangan-rathangan.md) Rathangan - [Leixlip Montessori School](/creche/leixlip-montessori-school-leixlip.md) Leixlip - [Happy Years Childcare](/creche/happy-years-childcare-celbridge.md) Celbridge [Alert me when a new report is published](/help.md) · [Dated report on this service — €19](/report.md) --- Página: https://creche-inspection-reports.pages.dev/creche/milltown-playschool-newbridge/ Fonte: Tusla Early Years Inspectorate Recolha: 2026-09-11