# Mothercare Creche, Loughrea — inspection reports and findings > Mothercare Creche (Loughrea, Co. Galway): what Tusla inspections found — 2 published inspection(s), non-compliances and the provider's corrective actions. ## Mothercare Creche Full Day · 0 - 6 Years · Loughrea, Galway · Tusla ID **TU2016GY012** · 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 7 May 2026 — Inspection Report Full report (PDF, Tusla) **Immediate action notice.** Acknowledgments The inspector wishes to acknowledge the cooperation of the registered provider, person in charge, staff and children who were present on the day of the inspection. Statutory Notices Notice Date Served Detail Immediate Action Notice IAN Code:0481 06/05/2026 The temperature of the hot water being used by the children in the wash hand basin of the changing/sanitary area for the children aged 1-2 years and 2-3 years, was recorded over 50°C. Status Action was taken by the registered provider immediately following issuance of the Notice at 13:10 on 06/05/2026. At 16:25 on 06/05/2026 the actions taken by the registered provider, on advice from a contractor, were reviewed by the inspector **Immediate action notice.** Non-Compliance Information (8) (1) The service was found to be operating outside of its registration status and the following details were recorded. (a) Unauthorised addition of a care room known as the Pre-school care room on the first floor. (b) Unauthorised change in the number of children attending the service from 47 to 62. While it was acknowledged that the registered provider had submitted a number of Change in Circumstance forms to Tusla from May to June 2025, they had commenced the proposed changes before returning the outstanding information requested and before a Fit for Purpose inspection could be carried out. Operating outside registration status could potentially compromise the safety and wellbeing of the children attending the service. Corrective & Preventive Action submitted by the Registered Provider Corrective and Preventive Action The following statements were received from the registered provider; and found to address the IAN. The registered provider submitted a written response detailing the corrective and preventive measures taken. These were accepted by the inspector. Improvement Notice IN Code:0462 06/05/2026 Nine children were present in a care room known as the Pre-school room on the first floor of the service where there was no finalised fire certificate as the conditions previously listed by the Chief Fire Officer on 03/10/2025 were not met. Status The registered provider submitted corrective and preventive actions along with evidence of same on 14/07/2026 which were accepted and addressed the statutory notice. Part II - Registration and Register ##### Regulation 16 — Record in relation to pre-school service - (h) On day 1, a staff member in the Montessori care room had not accurately recorded the arrival time of a child into the service. The child was signed at 07:52 and the inspector observed the child arriving at 09:25. This may pose risk in the event of an emergency - The following statement was received from the registered provider; (h) A staff meeting was held and the importance of signing the children at the correct time was discussed. Management will check to ensure that the children and staff are accurately signed in at the time they arrived and signed out when they leave ##### Regulation 23 — Safeguarding health, safety and welfare of child - General Safety: See Statutory Notice section in relation to Immediate Action Notice IAN0481 served. 1. On day 1 of inspection, in the main care room, children aged between 1 and 2 years of age were observed crawling under 7 highchairs posing a safety risk if the highchairs tipped or fell onto the children. In conversation, staff working with this age group stated that the highchairs were present in the area throughout the day. 2. On day 2 electrical flexes, from a lava lamp and fairy lights, in the rest/quiet area of the Montessori care room were accessible to the children, posing a safety risk. 3. On day 2, equipment in the outdoor play area including the ring of a basketball stand, roof of a high seat back car, back of a seat of a tricycle had cracked and missing plastic pieces, posing a safety risk to the children. Fire Safety: The following posed a safety risk to the adults and children. 4. Illuminated fire exit signage was not installed on the first floor posing a safety risk to the children and adults in the event of an emergency. 5. There were no fire doors fitted to the entrances of three rooms in operation on the first floor, posing a risk to the children and adults in the event of an emergency. Safe Sleep: 6. On day 1 there were no records of 10-minute physical sleep checks available for the children in the 2-3 age group sleeping/resting in the main care room, posing a safety risk to the children. In conversation, staff present in the care room stated that they thought having an adult present in the care room negated the requirement for physical sleep checks to be carried out. 7. At variance to best practice two children under 2 years of age, observed asleep in the main care room, were placed on stackable beds, posing a safety risk to the children. In conversation, staff in the care room were unaware that stackable beds are not considered suitable sleep equipment for children under 2 years of age. 8. On day 2, five mats in use for children aged over two years sleeping/resting in the main care room were fitted with covers which were doubled over and were too large for the mats, posing a risk of entanglement to the children sleeping and resting. 9. Mats and stackable beds in use in the main care room were not placed at least 50 centimetres apart posing a safety risk to the children. Infection Control: 10. Three mattresses in the designated sleep room were not fitted with waterproof covers posing a risk that they would not remain dry and clean while the children slept. 11. Not all perishable food belonging to children in the Montessori care room was stored in the fridge to prevent the food from spoiling. During morning snack time at 10:45 on day 2 the inspector observed staff distribute snacks from the children’s bags which included meat filled sandwiches. 12. Two pedal operated bins in the main care room were broken and the bin in the Pre-school sanitary area was not pedal operated, posing a risk of cross infection from the number of children lifting the lids with their hands. Action submitted by the Registered Provider - General Safety: 1. The 7 highchairs in the main care room have been removed and are now stored out of reach of the children. The highchairs will be brought into the care room for mealtimes only and removed immediately when the children are finished their food. New age and stage appropriate chairs have been purchased for the younger children. 2. The fairy lights have been removed and the lava lamp flex has been made inaccessible to the children. 3. The basketball stand, car and tricycle have been removed from the outdoor play area. Fire Safety: 4. The ongoing electrical and civil works have been completed. Illuminated fire exit signage has now been installed throughout the building. 5. All fire doors and windows have now been fitted and a letter of confirmation of same has been attached from the engineer confirming same. Safe Sleep: 6. Physical 10-minute sleep checks are now being carried out and documented by staff on children aged over 2 years of age sleeping and resting in the main care room. 7. Children under 2 years of age now have access to cots in the designated sleep room, ensuring the safety of the children while sleeping/resting on a daily basis. Additional suitable sleep equipment has been placed on order. 8. All sleep equipment is now supplied with the correct bed linen fitted to the size of the mat, bed or cot in use. Staff will ensure that each piece of sleep equipment is supplied with appropriately sized sheets and bedding. 9. Staff have been informed of the need to ensure that all sleep equipment is placed at least 50 centimetres apart in order to prevent the spread of infection. Infection Control: 10. Three new waterproof mattresses have been purchased along with suitable sleep equipment for children under 2 years of age. 11. Two new large fridges have been purchased to ensure that perishable food is stored correctly. 12. Four new foot pedal bins have been installed to prevent the spread of infection and cross contamination ##### Regulation 29 — Premises - (b) See Statutory Notice section in relation to Improvement Notice: IN0462 served. (d) The registered provider did not ensure that the premises were maintained and repaired as required: 1. Exposed pipes were visible and accessible in the following areas- • Children’s sanitary/changing area on the ground floor at the fire exit door. • In the doorless cupboard in the children’s sanitary area. • An upright heating pipe on the floor of the Pre-school care room on the first floor at the external fire exit door. In discussion, the registered provider stated that the current electrical and civil works are ongoing, when the children are not in the building, to finalise the conditions for completion of the fire certificate. 2. Electrical wiring was visibly hanging down from ceilings throughout the building where the illuminated fire exit signs were being fitted including- • Pre-school care room on the first floor. • Children’s sanitary/changing area. • Kitchen on the ground floor at the fire exit doors. 3. Rough edges of plaster board were visible on the frame of the fire door which led to the external fire staircase in place at the rear of the building off the Pre-school care room. 4. There was a doorless storage cupboard in the ground floor children’s sanitary/changing room with four pieces of cut off plasterboard, stacked inside the doorless cupboard. 5. Exposed hardened foam, from tiles positioned on the lower wall to the right of the fire exit door, in the children’s sanitary area on the ground floor was visible and sticking out from the wall. 6. A panel of wood, located under the wash hand basin in the children’s sanitary/changing room on the ground floor, had gaps on both sides. In conversation, the registered provider stated that a vanity unit had been ordered but had not yet been fitted - (d) (1) All previous exposed pipes in the following areas have been covered and are no longer accessible by the Children: • Children’s sanitary/changing area on the ground floor at the fire exit door. • In the doorless cupboard in the children’s sanitary area which has new shelving. • The heating pipe in the Pre-school care room on the first floor at the external fire exit door. (2) All illuminate fire exit signs have been fitted in the following areas: • Pre-school care room on the first floors: • Children’s sanitary/changing area. • Kitchen on the ground floor at the fire exit doors. (3) All edges around the fire doors have been plastered including the fire exit door in the Pre-school care room. (4) The plasterboards were removed from the doorless cupboard and new shelving installed in the sanitary/nappy changing room. (5) All exposed hardened foam has been removed from the area. The area has now been completely tiled ceiling to floor. (6) A new vanity unit has been installed in the sink area of the sanitary/changing room on the ground floor ##### Regulation 30 — Minimum space requirements - (1) There was inadequate clear floor space available for the work, play and movement of the children registered in the main care room. The care room measured 47.09 square metres where 56.2 square metres were required for the numbers and ages of the children currently registered in the main care room; • There were 10 children aged 1-2 years registered as full day care requiring 2.8 square metres per child. • There were 12 children registered aged from 2-3 years attending on a full day care basis requiring 2.35 square metres per child - The following statement was received from the registered provider; 1. A change of circumstances form was submitted to the registration department and permission granted for an increase of numbers and change of use of the sleep room to a care room to accommodate the excess children in the main care room ##### Regulation not named in the report text - (1) The service was found to be operating outside of its registration status and the following details were recorded. (a) Unauthorised addition of a care room known as the Pre-school care room on the first floor. (b) Unauthorised change in the number of children attending the service from 47 to 62. While it was acknowledged that the registered provider had submitted a number of Change in Circumstance forms to Tusla from May to June 2025, they had commenced the proposed changes before returning the outstanding information requested and before a Fit for Purpose inspection could be carried out. Operating outside registration status could potentially compromise the safety and wellbeing of the children attending the service - The following statements were received from the registered provider; and found to address the IAN. The registered provider submitted a written response detailing the corrective and preventive measures taken. These were accepted by the inspector. Improvement Notice IN Code:0462 06/05/2026 Nine children were present in a care room known as the Pre-school room on the first floor of the service where there was no finalised fire certificate as the conditions previously listed by the Chief Fire Officer on 03/10/2025 were not met. Status The registered provider submitted corrective and preventive actions along with evidence of same on 14/07/2026 which were accepted and addressed the statutory notice Found compliant: Regulation 9, 11, 19, 25, 26, 28. #### Inspection of 11 October 2023 — Inspection Report Full report (PDF, Tusla) ##### Regulation 22 — Food and drink - 1. Powdered infant formula for one child in the main playroom, was not prepared in accordance with the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) best practice guidance, which advises that powdered infant formula should be made up at home. Staff advised that they made up bottles on site, as per parents preference - On the 7th of November 2023, the registered provider advised of the following; Corrective and Preventive Action 1. We have now informed all new and existing parents that bottles must be premade at home in accordance with the (FSAI) ##### Regulation 23 — Safeguarding health, safety, and welfare of child - General Safety: 1. On the day of inspection, the door into the kitchen, the storage area, the staff toilets, and the designated staff area had no system of security and or were left open and thereby accessible to the children. 2. There were three storage press doors in the 2 - 3 years section, of the main playroom with the hinges loose and thereby could pose a potential safety concern. 3. The inspectors observed and documentary evidence indicated that the staff did not record the physical checking of sleeping children every 10 minutes. On the day of inspection, records for each sleeping child were recorded only once per day, rather than every 10 minutes while the child was sleeping. Action submitted by the Registered Provider General Safety: - 1. Kitchen, staff toilets, storage areas, staff cloakroom, all now have inaccessible keys on the hooks beside each door. We have held a staff meeting to ensure the importance of locking the doors when not in use. 2. The storage press doors are now secure , we have replaced the broken hinges with new hinges. We plan to remove these press doors to provide for open storage. 3. When made aware that we need to record every sleeping child every 10 minutes, we rectified our documentation practice Found compliant: Regulation 9, 11, 15, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28. ### Other services in Galway - [Mothercare Creche](/creche/mothercare-creche-loughrea-2.md) Loughrea - [Mountbellew Community Childcare Group](/creche/mountbellew-community-childcare-group-mountbellew.md) Mountbellew - [Muddy Puddles Preschool](/creche/muddy-puddles-preschool-athenry.md) Athenry - [Naionra Chait](/creche/naionra-chait-bearna.md) Bearna - [Naíonra Mhic Amhlaigh](/creche/naionra-mhic-amhlaigh-cnon-na-cathrach.md) Cnon Na Cathrach - [Scoil Croi Iosa Presentation Early Year Services](/creche/scoil-croi-iosa-presentation-early-year-services-newcastle.md) Newcastle - [Treasure Island Creche: 1](/creche/treasure-island-creche-1-merlin-park.md) Merlin Park - [Enfant Educare](/creche/enfant-educare-ardrahan-2.md) Ardrahan - [Amberley Montessori Preschool](/creche/amberley-montessori-preschool-galway.md) Galway - [Little Acorns Community Playschool](/creche/little-acorns-community-playschool-headford.md) Headford [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/mothercare-creche-loughrea/ Fonte: Tusla Early Years Inspectorate Recolha: 2026-09-11