# Mullingar Montessori & After School Care Ltd, Mullingar — inspection reports and findings > Mullingar Montessori & After School Care Ltd (Mullingar, Co. Westmeath): what Tusla inspections found — 3 published inspection(s), non-compliances and the provider's corrective actions. ## Mullingar Montessori & After School Care Ltd Part Time · 2 - 6 Years · Mullingar, Westmeath · Tusla ID **TU2015WH029** · 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 16 February 2026 — Inspection Report Full report (PDF, Tusla) ##### Regulation 11 — Staffing levels - (2) The minimum ratio of adults to children was not adhered to during the day as evidenced by the following observations: 1. At 10:25am ten children aged 2 -3 years and one child aged 3 -6 years in Room 1 were observed to supervised by one adult as the other adult was changing nappies. Two adults were required to maintain the minimum adult child ratio. 2. At 14:27 hours, five children aged 2-3 years were observed sitting alone unsupervised in Room 1 as the adult caring for them was in the sanitary area carrying out a nappy change. Two adults were required to ensure that the ratio was maintained during this time. This was a n area of non-compliance following an inspection conducted on 7 July 2025 . The corrective action submitted by the registered provider following the inspection failed to prevent recurrence of this non-compliance - (2) A staff member has been allocated to the full time position of staff relief employee when changing nappies in Rooms 1 and 2 ##### Regulation 19 — Health, welfare and development of child - 1. The registered provider did not ensure that suitable care practices based on the number and age and developmental stage of the children in Room 1 were met as evidenced by the following observations: • A child aged 2-3 years in Room 1, who was crying was not comforted until the inspector requested that the child was nursed. • The children were observed to be seated at tables for long period s with a tabletop activity which was a colouring template sheet and crayons which some children engaged with, but other children did not; there was no alternative choice offered to these children. 2. The physical and material environment of Room 1 required to be reviewed as it was poorly presented and resourced; it was not prepare d to provide the children with developmentally appropriate and challenging experiences for them on their arrival into the room, for example: • There were limited materials available to the children to independently access and while containers with materials were on low shelving, they were not easy to access and the re was no pictorial signage on the containers to assist the children’s choice. • A resource unit was turned into the wall thereby preventing the children accessing the equipment and materials on the shelves. • The home corner had minimal accessory materials to support imaginative play which limited the play experience for the children. • There was no sensorial play opportunity for the children as a tuff tray was stored on its side behind an empty tray used for sensorial materials. • An art easel was available but not set up for art activity. Consequently, all activities were adult led and minimal children’s choice was observed. 3. In Room 1, eleven children aged 2-3 years and one child aged 3-6 years and attending on a part time basis were not provided with lunch before they went home. This was an area of non -compliance following an inspection conducted on 7 July 2025. The corrective action submitted by the registered provider following the inspection failed to prevent recurrence of this non-compliance 4. In Room 1 at 14:26 hours the following care practice was observed: • A child who was asleep on a low bed was woken up by the staff member caring for them as the room was required to be vacated at this time to accommodate twelve school aged children who were waiting in the outdoor area to enter the room. 5. There was no alternate space/room available in the service to accommodate any child who had woken up early from sleep as observed by the following: • in Room 1 at 14:26 hours, five children aged 2-3 years wearing outdoor clothing were seated in the dark at a table reading books. • In Room 2 at 14:23 hours, three children aged 2-3 years were observed sitting at a table with books in the room which was darkened for sleep purposes as fourteen other children were still asleep in the room. 6. The outdoor building referred as ‘The Barn’ was poorly presented and insufficiently resourced with materials and equipment to meet the play needs of twelve children aged 2 -3 years . There were three child sized armchairs, a bean bag type soft chair, six stacked plastic chairs, a table with three small cars and soft mats stacked beside the wall. 7. There was no alternate accommodation provided for the twelve children attending on a part time basis in Room 1 from 12:20 hours as the room required to be vacated to accommodate eleven full day care children who were moved from Room 2 into Room 1 to eat their lunch and then sleep. The twelve children who vacated the room were observed to remain in the outdoor area until they were collected up to 13:15 hours - Corrective and Preventive Action 1. Staff have been re-trained on how to be observant and attentive to children’s emotional wellbeing during the day. During our regular classroom routine, children are offered a variety of activities such as water play, playdough, and free play with different toys, ensuring children have choice and opportunities to engage in activities of interest. The daily routine has been reviewed to ensure children are not required to remain seated for extended periods and that they have opportunities for choice, movement and engagement in a variety of play experiences. A range of activities and learning experiences are now prepared in advance of children’s arrival to ensure that children can freely access developmentally appropriate materials throughout the day. 2. The layout and presentation of Room 1 have been reviewed and improved to ensure that the room is welcoming, organised and adequately resourced to support children aged 2 –3 years. Toy boxes have been clearly labelled so that children can see and access them freely. Management will continue to monitor practice through regular room observations and staff support to ensure that high standards of care, interaction and learning opportunities are consistently maintained. 3. The daily routine has been reviewed and adjusted to ensure all children present in the service during lunchtime, including those attending on a part -time basis, receive additional lunch before home time. Staff have been reminded of the importance of checki ng attendance and collection times to ensure that children who are due to be collected around lunchtime are offered lunch before departure. 4. Low beds/mattresses are available in all rooms for children requiring sleep. Staff have completed training in relation to safe sleep practice and required sleep records. Staff were re -trained to recognise tiredness and how to respond to appropriately. Staff have been re -trained on how to be observant and attentive to children’s emotional wellbeing during the day. 5. The routine for Room s 1 and 2 has been adjusted. Room 1 is fully available to the children in Room 1 until 1.15pm. Children only sleep in Room 2 now therefore there are no interruptions to the daily routine to the children in room 1. Room 2 is designated as the only sleep room for t he children in room 2. Children who wake early in Room 2 are supported to transition calmly to either an outdoor play area or to Room 1 after 1.15pm when it is free. 6. The Barn has been reorganised to ensure it is welcoming, safe and suitable for the number and age of children using the space. Age -appropriate resources and play materials, including construction toys, role play materials, sensory resources, books and gross motor equipment to support a variety of play experiences with various sensory play equipment on the walls. Furniture and equipment have been rearranged to ensure accessibility and appropriate use of the available space, allowing children to move freely and safely. Staff have been reminded to ensure the environment is prepared and resourced before children enter the area, ensuring meaningful play opportunities are always available. The barn play area has been re -arranged to include low shelves with easily accessible toys and sensory materials, which are available for children to use at all times. Management will carry out regular checks of the environment and resources to ensure the space remains well-presented, appropriately equipped and suitable for the children using it. The service is committed to developing this area on an ongoing basis for staff and children. 7. The routine for Room s 1 and 2 has been adjusted. Room 1 is fully available to the children in Room 1 until 1.15pm. Children only sleep in Room 2 now therefore there are no interruptions to the daily routine to the children in room 1. Room 2 is designated as the only sleep room for t he children in room 2. Children who wake early in Room 2 are supported to transition calmly to either an outdoor play area or to Room 1 after 1.15pm when it is free ##### Regulation 22 — Food and drink - 1. Children attending on a full day care basis were not provided with a meal in the afternoon in addition to the snack of buttered brown sliced bread and a selection of fruit. This does not align to the Nutrition Standards for Early Learning and Care Services which states that “Children in Full Day Care – that is, for more than 5 hours – have at least two meals and two snacks offered to them, one of which is a hot meal.” 2. It is acknowledged that a three-week menu was in place, however, it did not record a menu for evening tea or the time it was served, for example it stated breakfast was served between 08:00 - 08:15am and dinner between 12:00 -15:00 hours and that a snack was available at various times throughout the day as outlined above - 1. We have updated our daily afternoon snack for children attending Full Day Care. 2. See attached updated 3 week menu which includes the 4pm afternoon snack for Full day care children ##### Regulation 23 — Safeguarding health, safety and welfare of child - General Safety: 1. In Room 1 , the entrance door from the outdoors was not secured throughout the morning. The door handle was loose and did not latch correctly . This created a potential risk of the unsupervised exit of a child from this room. 2. In Room 1, six children aged 2-3 years were unable to place their feet on the ground for stability as the chairs they were sitting on were too high for the children. This created a risk of injury to a child if they were to become unbalanced and fall off a chair. 3. In the lobby area of Room 5, a fire extinguisher was observed on the floor as the fixings and bracket had come away from the wall. This created a risk of injury to a child if the extinguisher fell against them. Infection Control: 4. Four nappy changes were observed on the day of inspection in two of the nappy change areas; the following practices were observed w hich were not in line with the nappy change policy of the service and were an infection control risk to children and staff in the service: • Both staff members did not re-wash their hands prior to commencing each new nappy change. • Both staff members kept the soiled gloves and apron in place when securing the fresh nappy and adjusting each child’s clothing; the soiled items should have been removed before replacing the fresh nappy/clothing. • One staff member was unfamiliar with correctly wearing and tying the plastic apron in place , as a result, the apron was not covering their clothing sufficiently to create a barrier; the inspector advised the staff member how to wear the apron correctly. 5. The toilet roll holder had detached from the wall in one of the cubicles in the sanitary area of Room 4 and the toilet roll was observed on top of the toilet cistern, this was an infection control risk. 6. The foot pedal was not functioning on the waste bin in Room 4 therefore, the lid had to be handled to open it, this was an infection control risk. Safe Sleep: 7. At 14:20 hours, it was observed that the sleep needs for two children were not met in Room 3 as evidenced by the following observations: • At 14:20 hours, a child aged 3 years attending on a full day care basis was observed asleep in the rest area on the floor. The child was not placed in a sleep bed and sleep observations were not completed. The inspector requested that the child was provided with sleep facilities and sleep observations commence. • At 14:20 a second child aged 3 years attending the room, was lying on the floor and while dressed for outdoor play was observed displaying obvious signs of tiredness; this was not recognised by the staff member, and the child was moved to the outdoors with a group of other children. This practice did not align with the safe sleep policy which stated, “Children needing sleep during the session have access to a low -level bed or mat……If children fall asleep within our setting ………. we will record a written check every 10 minutes.” This was an area of non -compliance following an inspection conducted on 7 July 2025. The corrective action submitted by the registered provider following the inspection failed to prevent recurrence of this non-compliance. Fire Safety: 8. There was one fire evacuation route for the service to the car park located at the front of the service . There were no alternative fire evacuation routes available in the event of a fire at the front of the service. On the day of the inspection there w ere 83 children aged 2 -6 years (pre-school care) present in the morning; 62 children aged 2-6 years and 65 children aged 4 - 12 years (School aged care) in the afternoon. 20 adult staff were also present. The service is registered to accommodate a maximum of 1 18 children aged 2 -6 years attending on a full day care / part-time care basis. Action submitted by the Registered Provider - General Safety: 1. The door with the raised issues has been repaired. In room 1, an air conditioner has been installed to help control the temperature in the room. 2. New tables were purchased with telescopic adjustment that the height of the table can be adjusted for different age children. New chairs were also purchased. There are now different chairs for afterschool care children and children between the ages of 2-3 year olds. 3. The fire extinguisher was re-attached to the bracket and put back on the wall. We developed a maintenance log that we fix as quick as possible. Infection Control: 4. Following the inspection, the registered provider carried out an immediate review of the nappy changing procedures, and the following corrective actions have been implemented: • All staff have been reminded of the service’s nappy changing policy and infection control procedures, with particular emphasis on proper hand hygiene and the correct use and removal of personal protective equipment (PPE). • Training video was created with the appropriate nappy changing procedure, all relevant staff have watched the video and been retrained. • Staff have been instructed that hands must be washed before and after each individual nappy change, in line with best practice infection control guidelines. • Staff have been reminded that soiled gloves and aprons must be removed and disposed of appropriately before securing a clean nappy and adjusting the child’s clothing, and that hand hygiene must be completed before proceeding. • Practical refresher guidance and demonstrations on correct nappy changing procedures and the correct use of PPE, including the proper wearing and tying of aprons, have been provided to all staff. • Visual step-by-step nappy changing procedures have been displayed in all nappy changing areas to support staff in consistently following best practice. • Management will carry out regular monitoring and spot checks of nappy changing practices to ensure infection control procedures are consistently followed. 5. The toilet roll holder was attached back to the wall. 6. A new foot pedal has replaced the other unit. Safe Sleep: 7. Following the inspection, the service reviewed its sleep and rest procedures, and the following corrective actions have been implemented: • Staff have been reminded of the service’s Sleep and Rest Policy, including the requirement that children who fall asleep are placed in an appropriate sleep bed and that sleep observations must be carried out and recorded at regular intervals. • Staff have been reminded of the importance of recognising children’s cues of tiredness and responding appropriately to support their rest needs. • Re-training of all staff was completed on the above area. Fire Safety: 8. A secondary emergency fire evacuation point has been implemented in the outdoor area in the Creche. We have introduced a gate onto a safe laneway which is in a position that every child is moving away from a fire, if there was a fire. It is in a location which is quickly accessible for both children and staff ##### Regulation 29 — Premises - (c) 1. The environmental temperature in Rooms 1 and 2 was not maintained between 18°- 22° Celsius as evidenced by the following observations: Room 1 • At 10:41 am the environmental temperature was recorded at 13.9° Celsius. The staff member in the room was asked to have the heating switched on as the two radiators in the room were cold to touch. It was also observed that the door to the outdoor area was not securing properly and was open. The temperature was monitored and increased to 17.8° Celsius at 11:46 am. • At 12:20 hours the room temperature was recorded at 15.6° Celsius; the door to the outdoor area was observed to be open. Room 2 • At 11:26 am the environmental temperature was recorded at 15.1° Celsius. The windows were requested to be closed by the inspector and the air conditioning unit switched on to heat the room. At 11:45 am the environmental temperature was recorded at 19.9° Celsius - (c) 1. Two air conditioning units have been fitted in Room s 1 and 2 to maintain the correct environmental temperatures ##### Regulation 30 — Minimum space requirements - 1. Overcrowding was observed in Rooms 1, 2 and 3 on the day of inspection as evidenced by the following observations: • Room 1 -The clear floor space for the work, play and movement of children is 26.3 m². A maximum of eleven children aged 2-3 year can be accommodated. On the day of inspection eleven children aged 2-3 years and one child aged 3-4 years were present. • Room 2 – The clear floor space for the work, play and movement of children is 51.2 m². A maximum of twenty-two children aged 2-3 years can be accommodated. On the day of inspection twenty-three children aged 2-3 years were present. Staff members stated that the maximum numbers of children accommodated in Room 2 was twenty-four. • Room 3 - The clear floor space for the work, play and movement of children is 50.6 m². A maximum of twenty-two children aged 3-6 years can be accommodated. On the day of inspection twenty-four children aged 3-6 years were present. Staff members stated that the maximum numbers of children accommodated in Room 3 was twenty-four. 2. The service did not have sufficient indoor accommodation to provide for pre-school children attending Room 1 between 12:20 hours-13:15 hours and at 14:26 hours as observed by the following: • Twelve children aged 2-3 years vacated the room at 12:2 0 hours to create space for eleven children aged 2-3 years from Room 2, these children therefore, had no allocated room eat their second snack/meal. • At 14:26 hours six children were being prepared to vacate the room to create space for twelve school age children who were waiting in the outdoor play area to enter. The pre -school children were moved to the outdoor play area as Room 2, to which they were allocated, was not prepared to receive the children at that time as it was in the process of transitioning from a sleep room and some children were still sleeping. It is acknowledged Room 2 was available to accommodate the children when the room had reverted from sleep provision to a care room. 3. The service does not have sufficient indoor accommodation for the registered numbers of preschool children and school age children. The service is registered to accommodate a combined total of 202 children, 118 pre- school children and 82 school age children. There were six care rooms available, four of which were designated pre-school care and two care rooms for school age care children. On the day of the inspection there were 62 children aged 2-6 years and 65 children aged 4- 12 years (School aged care) present in the afternoon - • The manager will verify on a daily basis throughout the day that not greater than 11 children are in Room - • The manager will verify on a daily basis throughout the day that not greater than 22 children are in Room - • The manager will verify on a daily basis throughout the day that not greater than 22 children are in Room - 2. This routine has now been changed that Room 1 children stay in their room & room 2 children stay in their own room. The afterschool care children do not use this room until later in the afternoon. 3. The pre-school and afterschool Care services were registered separately which was completed a number of years ago when re-registration every 3 years was introduced. 118 pre-school children and 84 afterschool care children were registered. There is never 202 children at the school at any one time on any day. The afterschool care children are accommodated by a combination of both indoor & outdoor facilities with different parts of their daily routine taking place both indoors and outdoors. Rooms 2, 3, 4 are our full day care children & stay in these rooms all day. They have access to the same facilities in their rooms all day & have access to their own designated outdoor play areas. The pre -school children do not interact and do not share any of the same facilities either inside or outside with the afterschool children Found compliant: Regulation 9, 15. #### Inspection of 7 July 2025 — Inspection Report Full report (PDF, Tusla) **Immediate action notice.** 1. A written immediate action notice under ##### Regulation 9 — Management and recruitment - (a)(b) One written verified reference was not available for one staff member employed whose record was reviewed. (c) A Garda Vetting disclosure was not available for one adult working in the service. A written immediate action notice under Regulation 9 – Garda Vetting was issued to the person in charge (in the absence of the registered provider) onsite by the Early Years Inspector on 7 July 2025 in respect of Garda Vetting disclosure. (d) Police vetting was unavailable for one staff member employed who had lived in a state other than the State for a period of longer than 6 consecutive months. (3) The procedures specified under regulation 9(2) had not been completed prior to persons being appointed, assigned or allowed access to or contact with a child attending the pre-school service - (a)(b) A reference was sourced & checked. (c) Garda Vetting is now on file for the adult. (d) The police vetting has been applied for from the jurisdiction. (3) All new starter employee & student information has been updated to clearly reflect requirements prior to employment /placement commenced in the service ##### Regulation 15 — Record of pre-school child - (f) It is acknowledged that written health care plans were in place, however, the written health care plans for eleven preschool children attending the service did not contain all the information required to ensure the safe management of the child in the event they became unwell or required emergency administration of medication. This is evidenced by the following observations: • Prepopulated templates were used for management of anaphylaxis reaction , however, there was no dosage recorded for the antihistamine medication to be administered in the event of a mild reaction occurring. • There was no written evidence that the registered provider had reviewed the health care plans with the parents including signatures from the parents , registered provider and where necessary oversight of the health care plan by the child’s medical/ healthcare practitioner. This practice did not align with the medication management policy which stated that “Where medical conditions exist for a child, we will develop individual medical care plans which will include the management in the event of an emergency relating to the condition. This will be provided to you to complete in advance of your child start with the service. This will be developed in conjunction with the parents and the child’s medical advisers.” • There was no date on a care plan for a child who required medication for a health condition. This practice did not align with the medication mana gement policy which stated that “ A full medical and medicine history must be provided for each child.” • Two further health care plans for children with other health conditions did not have any evidence of oversight by the registered provider. • There was no written health care plan available for six children attending with medication in a container labelled with their names. • The medication for one of the above children had expired. • There was no evidence that reviews of each child’s health care plan had been completed regularly to update any changes in mediation or management - (f) Every child who has / have a healthcare plan have had a new action plan provided to them to complete. We added in new data for completion to include dosage for each medication, a yearly review date to be completed before the start of each new term, clear areas for signatures & dates. We have implemented a new system of recording all children with medications to include a clear expiry date on the log and date of review. The medical actions plan will be signed off by the school supervisor as completed in full before the start of each term and checks will be done monthly alongside our first aid checks to ensure any expiring medication or reviews required are captured and actioned. The school supervisor will now be responsible for checking any new child starting with the service to ensure all medical action plans are completed correctly. A training session was given to our supervisor and the teacher on the medical actions plans, the requirements and the importance of their contents ##### Regulation 19 — Health, welfare and development of child - 1. A child aged 2 years 5 months, attending on a part-time basis was observed asleep in the rest area on the floor in Room 1 from 12:00 – 12:45 approximately until the child was collected from the premises. The child was not placed in a sleep bed and sleep observations were not completed. This practice did not align with the safe sleep policy which stated, “Children needing sleep during the session have access to a low-level bed or mat……If children fall asleep within our setting ……….we will record a written check every 10 minutes.” 2. The chi ldren were observed to eat their snack from their lunch boxes however some children , who were observed to place their food directly on the table, were not provided with plates. 3. The children in Room 1 were attending on a part time basis and were not provided with a second meal. 4. Meals and snacks were served over 3 hours apart as it was observed that lunch was served to the children in room 3 at 12:15 hours and the afternoon snack was served approximately 15:30 hours. 5. The nappy changing and sanitary facilities used by Room 1 did not respect the privacy and dignity of the children as there was a clear glass viewing panel between Room 1 and the sanitary area. The door to the sanitary area could not be closed as the nappy change unit partially blocked the entrance - 1. Where sleep time is required the appropriate sleep environment and sleep checks will be provided. 2. Plates have been purchased for the children in the service for the morning snack times. The teachers have been informed that plates are to be provided to the children during their snack times. 3. An early morning Snack has been added at 8.15am for the children. A hot breakfast will be offered to all children attending the service at 8.15am We have adjusted the timings of our meals daily – first morning snack will be offered at 8.15am, the second morning Snack will be offered at 10.30am, the third meal is offered at 12.15pm and afternoon snack is offered at 3.15pm 4. This revised meal time schedule means there is no longer than 3 hours between each meal. The school supervisor will maintain oversight. 5. The changing space was rearranged, and the teachers have been informed about the importance of the privacy of the children. The school supervisor will maintain oversight ##### Regulation 21 — Equipment and materials - 1. The four tables used by the children in Room 3 for tabletop activities and meals were too high for the twenty - two chairs available. The tables were observed to be at the height of children’s chest / shoulders when they were seated - 1. The tables that were too high have been replaced with tables that are appropriate to the children’s height. All tables have checked to ensure they are the appropriate height for all children in each room ##### Regulation 22 — Food and drink - 1. The main meal of ‘Cheesy pasta’ or an alternative of ‘plain pasta’ served for lunch on the day of the inspection was not nutritionally adequate as there was no meat and vegetables provided. This did not align to the Healthy Eating policy which stated “Well-balanced and nutritious meals are provided for the children. A variety of foods is selected from each of the four main food groups every day” 2. The three weekly menu reflected lunch menu only and there was no detail of the morning, afternoon snacks and the teas provided daily to the children attending on a full day care basis on a daily basis - 1 & 2 The daily menu has been reviewed to ensure it includes a varied diet in line with our policy. The cheesy pasta dinner now includes ham & a selection of vegetables ##### Regulation 23 — Safeguarding health, safety and welfare of child - General Safety: 1. The main entrance gate of the premises that accessed the outdoor play areas was not secured to prevent the potential direct entry into the service by unauthorised persons. A written immediate action notice under Regulation 23 – Safeguarding Health, Safety and Welfare of child was issued to the registered providers by the Early Years Inspector on 7 July 2025. 2. The entrance doors to the two buildings that accommodate the six care rooms remained open throughout the day of the inspection. The internal doors to the care rooms were secured by an electromagnetic lock with the switch to disable the electromagnetic lock located high on the wall beside the door. A potential risk of unauthorised entry to a care room existed. 3. The entrance door to Room 3 was secured by an electromagnetic locking system . This door was not secured throughout the day of the inspection as the magnetic locking system was not working. A potential risk of unsupervised exit of a child or unauthorised entry to a care room existed. 4. A child was observed to wear an amber bead necklace which posed the potential risk of choking. The necklace was removed when it was brought to the attention of the staff member. This practice did not adhere to the updated requirements of the Early Years Inspectorate Regulatory notice – Amber Bead Teething Jewellery. 5. A large roll of paper towel used to cover the wall mounted nappy change unit placed on top of a basket containing a roll of single use disposable aprons was placed on the windowsill above a toilet. This could cause potential injury to a child using the toilet if it fell down. 6. There were no visibility strips on the large window in Room 1. This posed a potential risk of injury to a preschool child if they failed to recognise the glass. 7. A fire safe restrictive opening device was not fitted to the window that opened outwards in Room 1. 8. The tall storage units in Room 3 were not anchored to the wall. They could potentially tip over causing potential injury. Infection Control: 9. Nappy changing practice s required to be reviewed for infection control purposes and best practice as the gloves and apron were not removed at the point that the soiled nappy and wipes were disposed of and prior to touching the new nappy and children’s clothing. 10. The sanitary areas in Rooms 1, 2, 3 and 4 were used for storage of equipment, materials and personal belongings which was not appropriate for infection control purposes. 11. An uncovered nappy change mat was observed to be placed on a radiator in Room 2 sanitary area. This was not acceptable for infection control purposes. 12. Cloth towels were provided for adults to use for hand drying in the service in Rooms 1, 2 and 3. This was not acceptable for infection control purposes and increased a risk of cross infection. It was observed in Room 2 that a child used the towel and placed it on the hook, an adult then used it later. This did not align with the Infection Control policy which stated that the “Facilities for handwashing: we provide the following…… Paper hand towels and liquid soap.” This was a non-compliance following inspection conducted on 28 November 2019. The corrective action submitted by the registered provider following the inspection failed to prevent recurrence of this non-compliance. 13. Paper towels were not available in Rooms 1, 2, 3 and 4 and the attached sanitary areas. 14. A foot pedal operated nappy bin was not available in the sanitary area adjacent to Room 1. 15. The children’s soothers that remained in the premises were not washed and air dried after being used for sleep. This did not align with the Infection Control policy which stated that the “soothers are……... sterilised regularly.” 16. The children’s bed linen was not stored individually for infection control purposes . Instead, the sheet was rolled in the blanket. These blankets were then placed on top of each other in a closed cupboard. 17. The safe sleep policy states “Parents must provide a large cellular blanket labelled with the child’s name. This will be sent home to be laundered monthly. This is not adequate for infection control purposes.” Administration of Medication: 18. All emergency medications were placed in an open storage unit placed in the hallway between Rooms 3 and 4 and not in each child’s care room for immediate access . This created a risk to a child because it was not immediately available in an emergency. 19. This medication and associated paperwork were stored in an assortment of containers . It was observed that some were stored in freezer bag s, medication was stored in containers which were too small for the boxes / bottle of medicine. This created a potential risk that some equipment could be misplaced, or medicine could fall out and break all of which impacts on the welfare of the children. Safe Sleep: 20. The environmental temperature in Room 2 when used for sleep purposes was 25.5ᵒ Celsius. Open windows, one air conditioning unit and a fan were being used to cool the environment . Further corrective measures included opening the doors to allow air to flow though. The temperature reduced to 22.6 ᵒ Celsius at 14:32 hours. Fourteen children were sleeping on a combination of low-level beds and floor mats. Action submitted by the Registered Provider - General Safety: 1. A second lock was added to the inside of our gate preventing people arriving from opening the gate. In addition, a door bell with a camera was introduced at the entrance gate. All visitors have to request access to the school. The camera is connected to the supervisor school phone who has visibility on the entrance. Parents were informed on the new process of ringing the doorbell on arrival and all staff now are aware that access to the school must only be given by a staff member. 2. Teachers were informed of the importance of keeping inner doors closed at all times. A sign has been added as a reminder to all teachers. The school supervisor has been extra vigilant to ensure the doors outside are closed and inner doors are working correctly. 3. The inside doors were reviewed and where some sticking was found the door frames were shaved down now allowing the lock mechanisms to kick in correctly. Teachers were informed to make management aware of any issues with their inner doors. The school supervisor has been extra vigilant to ensure the doors outside are closed and inner doors are working correctly. 4. The teachers have all been reminded to be extra vigilant for any jewellery worn by children that does not align to the school policy. The school supervisor will be extra vigilant for this moving forward. The jewellery policy was resent to all parents. 5. The changing rooms were rearranged and wall mounted paper towel dispensers were introduced to all rooms in the school. The windowsill has been cleared of all items removing risk. 6. A full privacy screen was purchased for the window in room 1. This allows the children to see out , but nobody can now see in. The screen is tinted slightly highlighting its presence to the children. Images have been added to further increase visibility for children. 7. A fire safe restrictive opening device has been fitted to the window in room 1 . All windows have been checked to ensure compliance. 8. All storage units in the school have now been anchored to the walls. Infection Control: 9. The nappy changing guidelines have now been reviewed to align with the most up to date guidance. The policy has been printed at our nappy changing areas & staff have been retrained in the procedures. 10. All sanitary areas in Room 1, 2, 3 & 4 have been cleared of all items and are no longer used for storage of any items. 11. This nappy changing mat has been removed from Room 2 and the teachers will be using the correct nappy changing unit in place in line with policy. 12. All cloth towels have been removed from the classroom and paper towel dispensers have been introduced to every room. 13. Paper towel dispensers are now available in every room. 14. New nappy bins have been purchased for the school in line with sanitary requirements. 15. Soothers are now sent home with the children daily and returned the next day for sleep time use. The policy has been updated to reflect this. 16. Each blanket is now stored in its own individual bag and sealed between uses 17. We have updated our policy to reflect the children’s blankets being laundered weekly. This has been communicated to parents, and it was actioned immediately. Administration of Medication: 18. All medication boxes with medical action plan and medication have been added to each room where a child is present during the day. The teachers have been informed of the new locations in each of the rooms. 19. The policies have been updated to Inform that the medication box is provided by the service . A medical action plan is required to be completed with parents. Safe Sleep: 20. An air conditioning unit has been purchased and introduced to Room 2 where the toddler children sleep allowing the teachers to control the temperature in the room ##### Regulation 24 — Checking in and out and record of attendance - (3) (a),(b) The registered provider did not ensure that any person entering the service was approved as a record in writing was not maintained. (4) Not applicable, as no record in writing was maintained in the service - (3)(a),(b) A visitor book has been introduced at the school entrance ##### Regulation 29 — Premises - (c) 1. The environmental temperature in Room 3 was not maintained between 18ᵒ - 22ᵒ Celsius. The temperature was 24ᵒ Celsius at 14:25 hours. A fan was brought into the room and switched on. A wall mounted radiator was switched to cool setting in an attempt to reduce the environmental temperature. The temperature was rechecked at 14:37 hours and was noted to be 24.1ᵒ Celsius. (d) The service was not maintained and repaired as evidenced by the following observations: 2. The paintwork on the walls, windowsills, skirting bords in Rooms 1, 2 and 3 and the adjoining sanitary areas was observed to be worn, chipped, peeling and very stained. Holes were observed on the walls in the care rooms and sanitary areas which revealed the cement layer and required to be repaired. 3. The pipework under the sinks in all the sanitary areas attached to Rooms 1, 2, 3 and 4 were exposed. This required to be closed off and any holes repaired. 4. There were no splash backs at the back of the sinks in the sanitary areas and the care rooms . The paintwork around the sinks was unclean and heavily stained, chipped and peeling. Exposed cement work was noted under the soap dispenser in the sanitary area adjoining Room 3. 5. The area around a switch on the wall in sanitary area for Room 3 was observed not to be finished to a smooth surface and there was a build-up of debris around it. 6. The sealant around the sink in Room 1 was observed to have come away from the wall creating a gap. 7. In the sanitary area for Room 1, two holes in the wall used to bring pipework to the sink in the outdoor area had not been sealed, skimmed and painted. 8. A build-up of dust was noted on the air dryer in the sanitary area adjoining Room 1 due to the dustpan placed on a hook above it. 9. There was no toilet seat on the child’s toilet in the sanitary area used by Room 1. A trainer seat was placed on top of the toilet. 10. The plastic laminate covering on the work surface of the sink unit in Room 3 was worn and lifting off on the left- hand side exposing the inner compressed wood . The edge on the right-hand side had an area of inner high- density chipboard exposed as the protective metal cover was too short. 11. The edges of the shelving in Room 3 were unfinished and exposed the inner high-density chipboard - (c) 1. New fans have been purchased for every room allowing much better ventilation and temperature control. (d) 2. The school has been repainted outside and inside including skirting boards and window sills, holes in all rooms have been refilled, repaired and repainted. A maintenance calendar has been introduced quarterly to ensure any items that require upkeep are maintained. 3. All pipework has now been boxed off in rooms 1 2 3 and 4. 4. Splash back have now been introduced behind the sinks in sanitary areas in the care rooms. 5. The paintwork and holes have been completed in all rooms including Room 3. The area around the switch in Room 3 has been cleaned, replastered and repainted. 6. The sealant around the sink in room 1 has been repaired. 7. The area around the pipework in Room 1 has been sealed plastered & painted. 8. The hook for the dustpan has been removed and a new location found for the dustpan. 9. A toilet seat was added to the toilet in Room 1. 10. The plastic laminate covering on the work surface of the sink unit in Room 3 has been mended. Regular maintenance calendar has been introduced quarterly to ensure any items that require upkeep are maintained. 11. The edges on the shelving in Room 3 have been finished and mended Found compliant: Regulation 11, 25, 26, 27, 28. #### Inspection of 5 October 2023 — Inspection Report Full report (PDF, Tusla) ##### Regulation 9 — Management and recruitment - Police vetting was not available in respect of two staff members who had lived outside the state for a period of longer than six consecutive months - Two staff members did not hold a major award at level 5 in Early Childhood Care and Education on the National Framework of Qualifications or a qualification deemed to be equivalent - The two employees that were identified as requiring international police vetting applied on the day of the inspection to the countries highlighted. One vetting for one staff member has been received and forwarded. The outstanding police vetting's for two employees are currently at application stage with the two employees currently engaged in the application processes. During the recruitment process, at the interview stage, heightened attention will be given to applicants who the service is intending to hire to ensure they have provided the service with all the necessary vetting requirements from countries identified on the curriculum vitae. (Completed international police vetting and International police vetting applications included) - On the day of the inspection when the question was raised as to the two staff members qualifications they were automatically moved to auxiliary positions while we undertook an investigation into their qualifications. When it was concluded that their qualifications were not fully compliant the two staff members concluded their employment to undertake studies to complete their studies and obtain qualifications. The two positions have since been filled with returning employees to the service with required full qualifications. During the recruitment process, at the interview stage, heightened attention will be given to applicant's qualifications to ensure that the service is provided with the overall qualification certificate as opposed to certs for individual modules undertaken during their studies. Summary Comment The corrective action should meet the regulatory requirement. The registered provider will submit the evidence to the Early Years Inspector of the required police vetting’s upon receipt. The regulatory requirement will be met when the registered provider submits the evidence Found compliant: Regulation 11, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 23, 25, 26, 28, 32. ### Other services in Westmeath - [Na Fea Montessori Pre-School & Homework Club](/creche/na-fea-montessori-pre-school-homework-club-athlone.md) Athlone - [Na Fea Montessori Preschool & Homework Club](/creche/na-fea-montessori-preschool-homework-club-athlone.md) Athlone - [Naionra Na Cre Duibhe](/creche/naionra-na-cre-duibhe-athlone.md) Athlone - [Sarsfield Pre -school](/creche/sarsfield-pre-school-athlone.md) Athlone - [Treasures Island Early Years Service](/creche/treasures-island-early-years-service-athlone.md) Athlone - [Clonbrusk Childcare Centre](/creche/clonbrusk-childcare-centre-athlone.md) Athlone - [Shannon Pre School](/creche/shannon-pre-school-athlone.md) Athlone - [Waddlers and Toddlers](/creche/waddlers-and-toddlers-rathowen.md) Rathowen - [Dunaree Childcare & Preschool LTD](/creche/dunaree-childcare-preschool-ltd-rochfortbridge.md) Rochfortbridge - [Tots Creche and Daycare](/creche/tots-creche-and-daycare-mullingar.md) Mullingar [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/mullingar-montessori-after-school-care-ltd-mullingar/ Fonte: Tusla Early Years Inspectorate Recolha: 2026-09-11