Inspection of 14 March 2024 — Inspection Report
Regulation 9 — Management and recruitment
- (2)(a) and (b) Two staff and 1 student did not have 1 of their written references validated. (d) Two adults who resided outside the Irish jurisdiction as an adult did not have acceptable evidence of a processed international police vetting available for inspection
Provider's corrective action:
- (2)(a) and (b) The registered provider has thoroughly reviewed all the staff files and made sure that all the references that were previously un-verified have been validated. (d) International police vetting was received from both adults. All new employees must provide international police vetting, and files will be regularly checked for accuracy
Regulation 16 — Record in relation to pre-school service
- (j) Some administration of medication forms reviewed in the Waddler Room and Playgroup 2 Room were incomplete for example, some had no second staff signature, parental signature to indicate they had been informed the medication had been given and a parental consent form not fully completed. This is also at variance with the Administration of Medication policy. (k)Some accident /incident forms which were reviewed in Playgroup 2 room and in the Waddler Room were not always fully completed for example some were not signed by the parents and 1 did not have a manager signature. In addition, on Day 1 of inspection a child who had fallen of their chair did not have and accident form completed for this incident. It is acknowledged that staff did confirm on Day 2 that the parent had been verbally informed
Provider's corrective action:
- (i) Each staff member was given the new medicine policy and informed of the procedure for filling out accident forms. (j) Staff were reminded of the importance of completing all accident forms, which will be monitored and checked regularly by the manager. The medicine policy has been reviewed, updated, and distributed to all staff members
Regulation 19 — Health, welfare and development of child
- The registered provider did not ensure that each child’s learning, development, and well-being was facilitated within the daily life of the service in relation to the following:
- 1. The environment in Playgroup Room 1 was chaotic at times during the afternoon session particularly during transition periods for example, one child was observed walking around the room, lying on the ground for periods of time, throwing food on the floor and on occasions throwing toys around the room. A staff member was observed at this stage to try and unsuccessfully lift the child up off the floor by their arms. During this time while this staff member was trying to deal with these incidents a 2nd staff member was trying to put out lunches and stop some of the children climbing on the tables and worktops at the same time. 2. A number of children in Playgroup Room, needed additional support from the staff members to facilitate their participation in the service. Individualised care plans, which were developed with the support of an external agency were in place for the children with identified goals and actions to support development. However, there was no evidence of recent planning by the staff in the care room to implement strategies and supports to achieve these goals e.g., when questioned one staff member was not familiar with the strategies detailed on the plans and a second staff member who was familiar with some of the strategies stated that they had not recently reviewed the care plans or completed any planning to implement supports even though some of the goals had been identified since February 2023. In addition, staff also reported that they had not been updated in relation to these care plans. 3. Some of the language used during the afternoon session in Playgroup 1 was not supportive in helping children who were stressed to self-regulate their behaviour for example one staff member was heard saying “Oh God what is ….. gonna get now”. A second staff member was observed standing at the toilet door saying “bye bye …your messing now” as the child lay on the toilet floor and “sure I told mam that… didn’t like that” after the child was observed to throw their lunch on the floor
Provider's corrective action:
- 1. A meeting was held with the staff on April 15, 2024. To provide additional support, a CE staff member was assigned to the room. The manager is currently assisting the staff in the room daily until a new full-time member of staff is recruited. An interview was conducted on April 17, 2024, to select a suitable candidate for a position in the room. 2. The goals were discussed, and measures were put in place to facilitate a child in this room with additional needs. 3. Discussion took place with staff who were advised about their use of language. A new policy will be implemented regarding the use of language when communicating with children. The current staff will closely monitor and support the children in this room. The registered provider is also seeking additional staff to support them. A meeting was held with an external agency on April 23, 2024 to gain their support. A visit is scheduled two weeks from now for the service to be advised on improvements and strategies for moving forward
Regulation 20 — Facilities for rest and play
- (1)(b) There were instances where sleep facilities were found to be inadequate as demonstrated by the following: 1. In the sleep room off the Waddler Room, 2 of the cot mattresses were stained and required cleaning. 2. The other 2 cot mattresses were ill-fitting, and footholds were present, which is a potential safety hazard
Provider's corrective action:
- 1. Cots were removed from the room. Three new cots with new mattresses were purchased, existing mattresses replaced on the other cots. 2. New protectors for all existing cots were purchased. All cots will be checked daily, and mattresses will be inspected for any issues. A log-sheet was created to ensure records are kept of cots and mattresses been inspected on a weekly basis
Regulation 21 — Equipment and materials
- The following pieces of furniture and play equipment were unsuitable: 1. Of the 6 wooden jigsaws on the shelf in the Playgroup Room 2, 3 had pieces missing. 2. Some of the books in Playgroup 2 were tattered and torn. 3. Some of the shelving units throughout the service were chipped and in a state of disrepair
Provider's corrective action:
- 1. All incomplete jigsaw puzzles have been removed and replaced with new ones. 2. New books and jigsaw puzzles have been purchased and arranged in various rooms. 3. New play kitchens have been ordered for both ECCE rooms, and new furniture is being sought for all rooms. This process will continue over the next few months to replace all existing units. Toys and items in the rooms will be checked on a regular basis and replaced where necessary
Regulation 23 — Safeguarding health, safety and welfare of child
- The Inspectorate is not assured that adequate steps have been taken to ensure the health, safety and welfare of the pre-school children attending the service based on the following observations made during the inspection: Safe Sleep: 1. In the Waddler and Toddler rooms some of the safe sleep records reviewed did not include the actual written details of each 10-minute physical observation instead a “ symbol was used rather than documenting the actual observation made. 2. In the Waddler Room at 3.09pm it was observed that the sleep room temperature written record had been prepopulated for the rest of the day with hourly temperatures recorded for 3.30pm and 4.30pm. General Safety: 3. Sharp unprotected corners were observed on some of the low-level shelving units in the care rooms. For example, on the white shelving units in Playgroup rooms 1 and 2 and Waddler rooms plus the worktop area in Playgroup 2 Room. 4. In Playgroup 2 the CD player was unsecured and a potential impact hazard
Provider's corrective action:
- Corrective & Preventive Actions Safe Sleep: 1. It was communicated to the staff that using symbols instead of completing written documentation is not acceptable. All staff were informed of this policy. 2. During the staff meeting, management reminded everyone that pre-populated temperatures are not allowed and will be monitored regularly. General Safety: 3. In Playgroups 1 and 2, all sharp corners and edges were covered with foam for safety. Foam protectors were also placed on the sink unit in both Playgroups. The registered provider checked all the rooms for sharp edges and covered them with foam for added protection. Units are being replaced in all rooms over the coming weeks. 4. The CD player was removed from the room immediately. On 24/4/23, a meeting was held with all staff to discuss areas that required attention. It was emphasized that all staff should ensure that records are kept correctly going forward. Summary Comment The registered provider submitted details of the corrective and preventative actions taken in the service to address the non-compliances. Based on this information the non-compliances under Regulation 23 have been addressed. Implementation of the corrective and preventative actions will require assessment at the next inspection
Found compliant: Regulation 11, 31.