Inspection of 16 May 2025 — Inspection Report
Regulation 9 — Management and recruitment
- (3) The review of start dates showed one adult had commenced employment in the service prior to a reference being considered by the service. References should be verified prior to staff having contact with children in order to establish their suitability for the role. (4) Twenty-one of the 30 staff who worked directly with children attending the service did not hold the required qualification for an early years’ service of at least a major award in Early Childhood Care and Education at Level 5 or above on the National Framework of Qualifications or a qualification deemed eligible by the Department of Children, Disability and Equality. It is acknowledged that staff held qualifications in disciplines such as psychology, speech and language and education however these qualifications do not meet the requirements
Provider's corrective action:
- (3) The reference was validated following what had been a delay in the translation of the reference. To prevent further occurrence, the service has implemented a pre-employment checklist, an internal audit system to review files, and additional training to management and administrative staff on timely reference verification. (4) Verifications of four qualifications deemed eligible by the Department of Children, Disability and Equality were submitted. The service operates under the Department of Education Home Tuition Grant Scheme which require staff to hold a qualification at a minimum of a Level 8 in a field such as teaching, psychology, speech and language therapy or social care in order to deliver an autism specific intervention model. The service commit to explore a resolution that acknowledged both the requirements of the Department of Education and Tusla regulatory requirements. They are in contact with the Department of Children, Disability and Equality to explore the possibility of an exemption for the requirement under regulation 9(4)
Found compliant: Regulation 11, 16, 19, 23, 25, 26, 32.