Inspection of 22 April 2024 — Inspection Report
Regulation 9 — Management and recruitment
- (3) The registered provider did not take appropriate measures to ensure that all adults were suitable to work in an early years service prior to their commencement. It is acknowledged that three past employer references and a reference from a reputable source were available in respect of two staff members, however, there was no evidence available to demonstrate that these references had been validated by the registered provider prior to commencing in the service
Provider's corrective action:
- All files have been rechecked and are all up to date with everything including written and verified phone references for all staff members. References will be double checked on a regular basis
Regulation 16 — Record in relation to pre-school service
- (h) Two children from the Early Start Preschool room who attend another service from 12:00 to 14:20 were not recorded as having left the service during this time. Failure to accurately record attendance poses a risk to the safe evacuation of children in the event of a fire. (i) The staff roster on the day did not accurately reflect the number of adults working and present in the service. There was no documentary evidence of planning for sufficient cover to maintain the required staffing levels at all times. There were twelve staff members working directly with the children on the day of inspection and only seven of these were on the staff roster for the day. (j) A sample of eleven medication administration records were reviewed. Some of these records were incomplete. Four of these records were not signed by a second staff member and five records were not signed by a parent, contrary to the service’s administration of medicine policy. Failure to have medication administration witnessed and to ensure that parents have been informed of the administration of medication poses a risk to the children. This non-compliance was present on the last inspection on 24 April 2023. The corrective and preventive actions as stated by the registered provider failed to prevent recurrence of this non-compliance. (k) A sample of accident and incident records were reviewed and were not completed adequately. Seven records were not signed by a parent and two records had no staff signature. Failure to ensure that parents have been informed of an injury to their child may pose a risk to the continuity of care of the child
Provider's corrective action:
- (h) Spoke to the staff about their responsibility of keeping the children safe by signing the children in and out every time they leave the centre and how important it was -fire/fire drilIs etc. All staff were retrained to do this on online application. (i) The staff roster has been updated to the needs of the centre. We will continue to update the roster of any changes in the future. (j) Staff were retrained on all of this, we spoke about the importance of having a member of management present when giving medication, a member of the management and another staff member signing off on the forms, informing the parents and asking them to sign the forms to give permission for medication to be given to their children. Staff were retrained on this on online application. (k) All staff have been retrained on this and we spoke about the importance of staff taking responsibility to inform the parents of any accident or incident their children may have while in our care and forms must always be signed off by a staff member, parent, and a member of the childcare management team. Staff were retrained on this on online application
Regulation 19 — Health, welfare and development of child
- 1. At 12:00, during dinnertime in the Wobbler room, a child was observed to throw another child’s dinner on to the floor before the child had sat down at the table. An additional serving of dinner was not offered to this child who was attending the service on a full-time basis. This non-compliance was present on the last inspection on 24 April 2023. The corrective and preventive actions as stated by the registered provider did not prevent recurrence of this non-compliance. 2. Contrary to the service policy on supporting children with additional needs there was no documented individual education and care plan to support staff to meet the needs of a child in the ECCE Preschool room. Staff confirmed that this child required additional supports and that there was no documentation regarding this child’s individual personal needs and preferences
Provider's corrective action:
- 1. I spoke to staff about their responsibility to the children in their care. Any child who does not eat the food on our menu must still be offered what is on the menu every day, and if it gets knocked to the ground, they must be offered another one even if they think they will not eat it, they are still entitled to be offered the same as any other child. If they do not eat the food on the menu, we have a picky menu for the children to choose from. In toddler room we now have a sign on the press for extra food from the picky menu for children who might not eat from the menu. 2. A documented individual care plan has been written up for the child in our preschool room, it has been put on the wall in the room, so any staff member who enters the preschool room to look after the children they will know the child better and how to support them in their own learning and know what to do to support the child. All staff have been made aware of this and asked to be responsible, staff are asked to check if they are covering in another room for any care plan to know the needs of all the children they are caring for
Regulation 23 — Safeguarding health, safety and welfare of child
- General Safety: 1. Garda Vetting was available for two staff members. However, these vetting disclosures were not dated within the previous three years in adherence with the Early Years Inspectorate Regulatory Notice ‘EYI- RN12.3 Renewal of Garda Vetting’. Infection Control: Inspectors observed a number of practices which posed a risk of transmission of infection within the service: 2. Some nappy changing practices observed during the inspection in the service were inadequate for infection control purposes and at variance with the service’s nappy changing procedure as follows: - Staff were observed to redress children with the same used gloves following nappy changes. - Children’s hands were not washed following nappy changes. - A staff member did not wash their hands between nappy changes. - The nappy changing mat was not cleaned between nappy changes. 3. The pedal function on the pedal bins in the nappy changing areas in the Wobbler, Toddler and Early Start rooms were not working. Staff were observed lifting the lid of the bins to dispose of waste. This non- compliance was present on the last inspection on 24 April 2023. The corrective and preventive actions as stated by the registered provider did not prevent recurrence of this non-compliance. 4. There were no cushion covers on the cushions in the rest areas in the Toddler room. This non-compliance was present on the last inspection on 24 April 2023. The corrective and preventive actions as stated by the registered provider did not prevent recurrence of this non-compliance. 5. The blue paper towel for hand drying was not stored in dispensers in the nappy changing areas in the Wobbler, Toddler and Early Start rooms or in the Wobbler care room. Staff were observed handling the entire roll of paper to break pieces off for hand drying. 6. The laminate layer of the children’s sink unit in the ECCE Preschool room had broken away in places exposing an unfinished wooden surfacing that could not be effectively cleaned. 7. The steps up to the nappy changing table in the Early Start room were not appropriately cleaned and had a build-up of dust and debris. This non-compliance was present on the last inspection on 24 April 2023. The corrective and preventive actions as stated by the registered provider did not prevent recurrence of this non-compliance. 8. In the Wobbler room, sticky tape which had been placed around the mat beside the children’s sink was coming away and contained accumulations of dirt and debris which could not be effectively cleaned. Action submitted by the Registered Provider
Provider's corrective action:
- General Safety: 1. Garda clearance for both staff members had been applied for at the time of inspection and are both here and on file. Always renew all staffs garda vetting on time. Infection Control: 2. Staff were retrained on the nappy changing procedure, we spoke about the importance of always taking care of infection control. 3. New nappy changing bins were supplied to the wobbler, toddler, and early start preschool room We spoke about the importance of noticing these things health and safety issue and reporting it to management if bins etc. needs to be fixed or replaced. Bins will now be checked on the end of day routine to make sure they are in perfect working order. 4. On the day of inspection, the dryer was broken it was fixed that evening. We are changing over to soft rubber wipeable cushions. 5. Staff have been reminded not to have blue roll in the nappy changing area and to use the hand towels supplied from the dispenser already in the nappy changing area, a blue roll dispenser has been fitted in all childcare rooms. 6. A new unit has been fitted in the preschool room around the sink. All staff have been informed when completing daily risk assessment forms in each room that they must ensure to look for any broken faulty areas. They have all been reminded of the importance of informing management if any equipment/furniture needs replacing. Maintenance book is now in the managers office. All staff must come and enter any faults, repairs, replacements to the book and inform manager. 7. I spoke to staff in the room about the importance of this area being cleaned regular, the cleaning of the nappy changing area in all rooms including the stairs have been added to the end of day routine. Cleaning of the nappy changing area in all rooms including the stairs have been added to the end of day routine. 8. The mat has been replaced with a new mat. Because of water at the sink from the children washing their hands we will change the mat more often
Regulation 29 — Premises
- (c) A strong odour was present in the nappy changing area and in the Wobbler room. (d) An accumulation of dust and dirt was observed in the mechanical vent in the nappy changing area in the Wobbler room
Provider's corrective action:
- (c)(d) All vents have been cleaned. We have put the cleaning of the vents on the end of day routine
Found compliant: Regulation 11.