Creche Inspection Reports

Oakview Village Childcare

Full Day · 0 - 6 Years · Tralee, Kerry · Tusla ID TU2015KY103 · Registered since 1 January 2026

An inspection records what inspectors saw on one day; services respond with corrective actions — how to read this.

4published inspections
2non-compliances at latest report read
0immediate action notices
0registration conditions

Inspection of 30 April 2026 — Inspection Report

Full report (PDF, Tusla)

Regulation 23 — Safeguarding health, safety and welfare of child

  • General Safety: 1. There was a broken, disused play unit in the outdoor area serving the nursery posing a risk of injury to children. 2. The bases of some of the tree stumps in the outdoor areas had areas wearing away with loose timber splinters posing a risk of injury to children. 3. There were timber splinters exposed where a timber slat was removed on a planting area in the outdoor area posing a risk of injury to children. 4. In the Nursery, there were loose strings of fabric exposed, as observed when children pulled the cushion off the chair, posing a risk of injury to children. Infection Control: 5. The staff bathroom on the ground floor was not equipped with a foot operated pedal bin. This posed a risk of cross infection. 6. The foot operated pedal bin the staff bathroom on the first floor was broken. This posed a risk of cross infection. 7. Two of the white cots, one in each of the sleep rooms in the Nursery had scuffed areas impacting on the ability to clean the surfaces adequately posing a risk of the spread of infection. Action submitted by the Registered Provider
Provider's corrective action:
  • General Safety: 1. The broken and disused play unit was immediately removed and disposed. The outdoor area was inspected to ensure that no additional hazards were present. The staff were reminded that a formal outdoor equipment inspection procedure is in place. Any damaged or unsafe equipment identified should be removed immediately from use and reported to management for repair or disposal. A monthly reminder document was issued to the staff. 2. The bases of the tree stumps were sanded down and covered with a protective layer of artificial grass to reduce the risk of splintering and enhance the safety of the outdoor play environment. The monthly maintenance checks have been updated to include a thorough inspection of all tree stumps to identify any signs of damage, wear, or potential splintering hazards. 3. All the timber slats were removed and replaced with new timber slats. Prior to installation, each timber slat was thoroughly sanded down to ensure there were no splinters or rough surfaces present. There will be monthly maintenance checks of the area carried out. The monthly maintenance checklist has been updated to ensure the area is routinely monitored. 4. The loose strings of fabric were immediately removed and the hazard was eliminated. The chair and surrounding furnishings were inspected to ensure there were no additional exposed materials or risks present. The staff were informed of the issue and the action taken was recorded in the service health and safety records. All the soft furnishings, cushions and fabrics within the service will be included in a daily visual safety check and regular room inspections. Any damaged, frayed or worn materials will be removed from use immediately and repaired or disposed of. The staff will remain vigilant in identifying potential hazards when setting up the room and throughout the day to ensure the children’s environment remain safe and compliant. Infection Control: 5. A suitable foot-operated pedal bin was immediately put in place in the bathroom. 6. The broken foot operated bin was replaced with a functioning pedal bin. The staff have been reminded not to unclip the lids from the foot operated bins as this has been identified as a contributing factor to the bins becoming damaged and non-functional. A reminder has been included in the staff monthly newsletter outlining the importance of using the equipment appropriately to maintain infection control standards and to prevent unnecessary breakages. 7. Both cots have been replaced as it was not possible to repair the scuffed areas. The staff have been asked to check the cots regularly. The service is currently working to source plastic protective covering for the cots

Regulation 29 — Premises

  • (d) Outdoor play areas 1. There was a hole in the overhead Perspex roof. 2. The base of a section of the picket fencing in front of pipes was broken. 3. There was one horizontal slat of the picket fencing that was not secured
Provider's corrective action:
  • 1. The Perspex roof has been replaced to ensure the area is safe, secure and maintained to an appropriate standard. The roof is added to the monthly maintenance checks to ensure that any damage will be repaired immediately. 2. The picket fence was removed in full and replaced with a new fence. Each of the areas of the timber fencing and wooden structures have been added to the monthly maintenance checklist. 3. All the horizontal slats on the picket fence were inspected and secured with nails where required. There was a full safety check completed to ensure that all the slats were securely fixed and stable. All fencing and wooden structures are included in the monthly maintenance list

Found compliant: Regulation 9, 11, 19, 20, 25.

Inspection of 7 July 2025 — Inspection Report

Full report (PDF, Tusla)

Regulation 9 — Management and recruitment

  • (7) The service did not have records to demonstrate that support and supervision with staff took place on a regular basis. The service policy outlined that staff would receive regular support and supervision that would be documented. On review of records available only seven staff members had received support and supervision since January 2025. This poses a possible risk to children as staff members may not have the required information or ongoing training to carry out their role effectively
Provider's corrective action:
  • The service acknowledges a shortfall in the documentation of support and supervision meetings. While regular and periodic informal meetings between management and staff take place and prompt actions are taken when pressure points or issues arise, the recording of these interactions has not been adequate. The service has since reviewed and updated the Support and Supervision Policy to include defined timeframes for support meetings with both new and existing staff. The revised policy was developed collaboratively with managements, staff, the head office team and the consideration of feedback from the inspectors

Regulation 10 — Policies, procedures etc. of pre-school service

  • The policies listed below did not meet the necessary requirements: 1. The policy on managing behaviour did not specify that the procedures for the protection and welfare of the children are managed in line with the service’s safeguarding statement. 2. The recruitment policy did not set out the probationary periods of the posts held within the service of the requirements for students. 3. The risk management policy did not outline how risk assessments are completed in the service, how they are documented, who is involved in the risk assessment 4. The supervision of staff policy did not outline the duration and the specific frequency of the support and supervision
Provider's corrective action:
  • The service confirms that all necessary amendments have been made to the policies to ensure full compliance with regulatory requirements. 1. The behaviour management policy has been updated to specify all procedures relating to the protection and welfare of children are implemented in accordance with the service Safeguarding Statement. 2. The recruitment policy was revised to include the probationary periods applicable to all posts within the service and to set out the specific requirements for students. 3. The risk management policy was amended to outline the process for completing risk assessments, the method of documentation and the roles and responsibilities of those involved in the assessment process. 4. The staff supervision policy was updated to clearly define both the duration and the specific frequency of support and supervision sessions for staff. The service remains fully committed to an ongoing process of review and improvement through updating the policies as any gaps or areas for enhancement become evident through internal reflection, feedback from parents, feedback from staff, external agencies or evolving regulatory requirements. This collaborative and responsive approach ensures that the service policies remain robust, relevant and aligned with best practice to safeguard the welfare and protection of all the children in the care of the service. To ensure continued compliance and improvement, the service will incorporate the findings from the annual policy review into the safeguarding and operational practices. Any amended policies resulting from the review will be recorded on the policy modification log within the policy manual detailing the date, the nature of the change and the person responsible for making the change. The updated policies will be clearly communicated to all staff, students and parents/guardians through their notification process

Regulation 11 — Staffing levels

  • (8)(a) As evidenced on the staff rosters provided to the inspector two adults were not on the premise at all times. On June 18th, 2025, one adult was rostered to work at 7:30 am, the second adult rostered for 7:45 am and one adult rostered until 6:30 pm. On June 19th one adult was rostered for 7:30 am and the second adult rostered at 7:45 am
Provider's corrective action:
  • The service operates a software-based system for recording staff attendance. The service acknowledges that the documentation provided on the day of the inspection evidenced a non- compliance. The roster did not accurately reflect the actual staffing levels for the specified dates. The discrepancy was the result of an administrative oversight and did not represent a breach of the required staffing ratios. In order to mitigate the risk of recurrence, the service has introduced strengthened verification procedures. All the rosters are now reviewed by a second person in charge or a designated senior staff member to ensure that all gaps for non-compliances are closed. The staff have been advised to notify management if they observe a shortfall in the roster that may have gone unknown to management. Personnel responsible for roster preparation have undergone refresher training in the use of the attendance software to ensure the records remain accurate, consistent and fully representative of the actual staffing levels at all times

Regulation 23 — Safeguarding health, safety and welfare of child

  • General safety: 1. The temperature of the warm water at the wash hand basin in the nappy changing room in the nursery was recorded at 44.1 degrees Celsius posing a risk of scalding to children. 2. There were plastic packets of nappies and packets of baby wipes stored in open boxes within the low-level open shelving unit in the cabin playroom posing a risk of injury to children. 3. There was a timber gate located in the outdoor area serving the cabin not secured to restrict unauthorised access in posing a risk of injury to children. 4. There was a steel gate with wide vertical bars located between the two cabins where air to water units were stored posing a risk of injury to children. 5. Garda vetting disclosures had been obtained for thirty-six adults attached to the service. However, one vetting disclosure were not dated within the previous three years in adherence with the Early Years Inspectorate Regulatory Notice ‘EY-RN12.3 Renewal of Garda Vetting’. It was acknowledged that the renewal Garda vetting in respect of this adult was received electronically in the office of the early years inspectorate on 24.07.’25. Infection control: 6. The nappy changing practices observed on inspection were inconsistent and at variance with the nappy changing policy and posed a risk of cross contamination as follows; • The staff returned children to the playroom via the swing door whilst wearing the used gloves and plastic apron. • The plastic aprons were not changed for each individual nappy change. • The nappy changing mat and its surrounds was not sanitized down after each nappy change. 7. There was no means of ventilation in the nappy changing unit put in place in the sanitary accommodation serving the cabin care room posing a risk of cross infection. Action submitted by the Registered Provider
Provider's corrective action:
  • General safety: 1. The elevated water temperature of 44.1 degrees Celsius at the wash hand basin in the nappy changing room was identified by the service on the day prior to the inspection. Immediate action was taken to replace the faulty thermostat to mitigate the scalding risk. The final repair involving the mixer on the boiler was pending by the attendance of the plumber. The service confirms that the mixer had since been fully repaired, and the water temperature had been adjusted to a safe level. The service will continue to carry out regular water safety checks to avoid this reoccurrence. 2. These were removed immediately. The staff were reminded regarding the dangers of leaving plastic bags in children’s reach and advised to avoid this practice urgently. 3. The two locks on either side of the gate have been aligned and the area is now secure. The management were advised on the importance of following up with external personnel on repair works waiting. 4. The gate has been reinforced with fencing slats and thus the risk of injury removed. The gate has a shooting bolt at a high level that is not accessible. 5. The renewed vetting is now in place. Added to monthly checklist for vetting renewals to avoid recurrence of this issue. Infection control: 6. The staff have been reminded of the nappy changing procedure. 7. The nappy changing unit was moved to the disabled bathroom where ventilation is available through the window

Regulation 32 — Complaints

  • (2)(b) The notes retained on file did not indicate how a complaint was closed out and did not indicate the resolution reached with the complainant. Not following the services policy on the management of complaints may lead to a complaint not being fully addressed by the service. It is acknowledged that the registered provider partially followed their complaints policy
Provider's corrective action:
  • The complaints policy has been revised to reinforce the importance of thorough documentation throughout the complaints process. Additionally, a standardised complaints record template has been developed and implemented to capture all stages of complaint management from receipt of the complaint to resolution. This ensures transparency, accountability and adherence for regulatory requirements. In order to ensure that all complaints are recorded in line with the service complaints policy, the service has developed a comments and complaints policy

Found compliant: Regulation 19.

Inspection of 13 January 2025 — Change in Circumstance

Full report (PDF, Tusla)

No non-compliance recorded in this report.

Earlier inspections

Other services in Kerry

Alert me when a new report is published · Dated report on this service — €19