Inspection of 16 February 2026 — Inspection Report
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
Provider's corrective action:
- (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
Provider's corrective action:
- 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
Provider's corrective action:
- 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
Provider's corrective action:
- 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
Provider's corrective action:
- (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
Provider's corrective action:
- • 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.