Inspection of 13 May 2026 — Inspection Report
Regulation 9 — Management and recruitment
- (4) One staff member did not have a completed childcare qualification. It’s acknowledged the manager provided email evidence to confirm the staff member was enrolled in a QQI level 5 qualification in Early Childhood Care and Education course
Provider's corrective action:
- (4) Confirmation of course completion was received from the college on 12/6/2026 confirming the staff member had completed her course successfully and received her Level 5 qualification. Staff without a DCEDIY qualification will no longer be placed in a room until they have received their final certificate or a temporary letter of eligibility from the DCEDIY to enable them to work while studying
Regulation 23 — Safeguarding health, safety and welfare of child
- General Safety: 1. In the outdoor play area, a nail was jutting out from a wooden fence and on the wooden bench seating provided posing a potential risk of injury to a child. Staff are to ensure that all damages noted in the daily risk assessments are brought to the attention of the manager on duty to relay the issues to the maintenance man to fix. 2. In the outdoor area the two-seater swing was observed to have a missing screw on one side of the wooden frame. The affected section had been secured with masking tape posing a potential injury risk to children should the frame come apart during use. Infection Control: 3. In the Toddler room the vinyl cover on the two soft mats in the rest area were torn and therefore could not be cleaned effectively for infection control purposes. 4. In the Sanitary area off the Toddler room the laminate surface beneath the changing mat was chipped and could not be cleaned effectively. 5. In the Montessori 2 room the vinyl cover on the couch was torn and could not be cleaned effectively. Action submitted by the Registered Provider
Provider's corrective action:
- General Safety: 1. In the outdoor play area both nails jutting out from the wooden fence and wooden bench was immediately removed. All benches have been risk assessed and replacements are planned where necessary. 2. The 2-seater swing has now been removed and a new swing has been ordered. The service remains committed to providing a safe, clean and well maintained environment for all children in our care. Procedures for regular safety risk inspections & maintenance checks continue to be implemented to prevent similar issues from occurring in the future. Infection Control: 3. The 2 vinyl mats that were torn have been removed from the Toddler room and new mats and pillows purchased to update the cosy corner for the child to sit and relax when needed. All room mats will continue to be included on daily room inspections by our staff and any torn or damaged items will be noted for repair or replacement to our Compliance Manager. 4. Sanitary areas are risk assessed daily and any repairs required will be reported immediately to the manager. Repairs are completed in a timely manner, those with the greatest safety risk being carried out first. We have asked all staff to look over the procedures we have in place for infection control. 5. The Staff will continue to check the environments daily for any damaged areas and rectify to ensure effective cleaning is enabled. The staff have been asked to notify the compliance manager immediately, if there are any repairs needed when carrying out the Cleaning and risk assessments
Regulation 29 — Premises
- (d) The outdoor area was not maintained and repaired as evidenced by; 1. The wooden fence panel separating the play areas was in a poor state of repair. Paint was chipped off multiple panels, splintered wood exposed and loose fence panels were inappropriately secured with masking tape, posing a potential hazard. 2. The wooden picnic table was not adequately maintained. The table surface had visible cracks in the wood and the bench seating showed signs of significant wear and deterioration. 3. The wooden panel marked as the fire assembly point was damaged at the base, and a visibly gap was present posing a safety risk
Provider's corrective action:
- (d) 1. An imme diate review of the outdoor garden was conducted. The damaged panels separating the play areas have been identified for replacement and any loose panels will be securely fixed and damaged areas replaced where necessary. All exposed and splintered wood will be repaired and repainted where needed. The outdoor area will continue to undergo daily risk assessments to identify any further damaged fencing, panels or wooden areas. 2. The wooden picnic table will be removed and replaced with a new one . Materials have been delivered and maintenance have scheduled plans for building a new table. To prevent this from happening again staff have been asked to notify the compliance manager if there are any repairs needed when carrying out risk assessments in the garden. Any repairs noted will be but in the handyman’s book for prompt attention. 3. The damaged fire assembly has been repaired and the gap at the base has been eliminated to eliminate the safety risk. The outdoor area will be inspected to ensure all hazards are removed. To prevent this from happening again any maintenance issues identified will be addressed promptly
Found compliant: Regulation 11, 19.