Inspection of 12 March 2026 — Inspection Report
Immediate action notice. decisions about compliance with regulatory requirements. Where the registered provider fails to meet the statutory requirements an escalation process may be commenced.
Regulation 9 — Management and recruitment
- (2) Vetting procedures were not carried out appropriately to ensure one staff member was suitable and competent to work with children in the service. (a)&(b) Two validated written references were not available either from a past employer or from a reputable source. (d)As there was no curriculum vitae available on file it could not be determined if this staff member had resided outside the jurisdiction for a period of more than 6 consecutive months as an adult. (4) There was no documentation on file to demonstrate that this staff member had a major award in Early Childhood Care and Education at Level 5 and above on the National Framework of Qualifications or a qualification deemed by the Minister to be equivalent
Provider's corrective action:
- (2)(a)(b)(d)&(4) The staff member file was located and forwarded to the inspectorate on day of the inspection. A staff check list has now been created to ensure all files are available for inspection
Regulation 11 — Staffing levels
- (1) The registered provider did not ensure that an adequate number of adults were working directly with the children attending the service. (3) On arrival to the service the inspector recorded that from 09:40am until 10am there was 1 staff member present with 13 children ranging in age from 2 years 3 months to 4 years 11 months attending the service on a sessional basis. The ratio for sessional service only is 1 staff member to 11 children and therefore a 2nd adult was required
Provider's corrective action:
- (1)&(3) Due to weather conditions two staff were late. One staff member has left the service. A new staff member has now been employed. The registered provider will ensure that in the future the ratio of adults to children will be maintained in the service at all times. A Staff Absentee Policy is now in place for the service
Regulation 15 — Record of pre-school child
- (1)(c)(g)&(h)Admission forms for a number of children had not been updated since the last inspection on 5/11/2025 with the following information: • The date on which the child ceased to attend the service. • The name and telephone number of the child’s registered medical practitioner. • Record of immunisations received by the child. As part of the corrective and preventive action plan submitted the registered provider stated that the admission form template would be updated and that all required information would be gathered for the children, evidence of an updated template was submitted. The actions stated by the registered provider were insufficient to ensure that this non-compliance did not re-occur
Provider's corrective action:
- (1)(c)(g)&(h)All application forms have been updated and have been sent to the parents of the children attending to complete. The registered provider will ensure that application forms are completed when children are enrolling in the service
Regulation 16 — Record in relation to pre-school service
- 1(i) On arrival to the service there was no staff roster available to determine what hours and days staff members were working
Provider's corrective action:
- A staff roster is now in place for the service. The registered provider will ensure that the staff roster is maintained on a daily basis
Regulation 19 — Health, welfare and development of child
- 1. There was no care plan in place for a child who had additional needs and who was receiving supports from outside agencies. Care plans are needed to assess the progress of the chil d and to identify learning needs when working in partnership with outside agencies. 2. There were no observations conducted on 5 children to assess the progress of the children and to identify if additional supports were required. It was observed on the day of inspection that one of these children also required additional attention and supervision. These non -compliances were found on the last inspection on the 05/11/2025 . As part of the corrective and preventive action plan submitted, the registered provider gave assurances that care plans would be available to support children with additional needs and that observations would be conducted for each child on a regular basis. Evidence was not available to demonstrate that these actions were being implemented at this recent inspection and it was determined that the actions outlined by the registered provider were insufficient to prevent them from re-occurring
Provider's corrective action:
- 1&2 A care plan is now in place and all observations up to date. Key workers are now assigned to children and a schedule in place for observations
Regulation 23 — Safeguarding health, safety and welfare of child
- General Safety: 1.The door to the staff toilet was open with cleaning products within reach of children. Children had access to this area when using the sanitary facilities. It is acknowledged that when it was brought to the attention of a staff member the cleaning products were removed. The following non-compliances were found at the previous inspection on 5/11/2025 and actions outlined by the registered provider in the
Provider's corrective action:
- Plan (CAPA) were insufficient to prevent the non- compliances from re-occurring. 2. Risk assessments were not conducted for the outdoor area. As the service is located in a village with adjoining gardens, a daily outdoor risk assessment would be required to ensure no hazardous items were thrown into the outdoor area. As part of the corrective and preventive action plan submitted following the last inspection on the 05/11/2025 the registered provider gave assurances that risk assessments would be carried out on a daily basis and had submitted a risk assessment template. It was evident that the corrective and preventive actions were not implemented. Infection Control: 3.The pedal bin for soiled nappies was broken as the lid had to be opened by hand which poses a risk of cross contamination. The corrective & preventive action plan submitted following the inspection on the 05/11/2025 indicated that a new bin was provided, however it was found that the bin was broken. It was evident that the assurances given by the registered provider were inadequate. Administration of Medication: 4.There was no prior consent from parents for the administration of emergency medication although this practice was stated in the Medication Policy. As part of the corrective and preventive action plan submitted following the last inspection on the 05/11/2025 the registered provider gave assurances that consent for emergency medication is now included on the children’s admission form however this consent was not obtained. It was evident that the corrective and preventive actions were not implemented. Fire Safety: 5.There was no fire drill conducted for the month of February 2026. Following the last inspection on the 05/11/2025 the registered provider submitted proof that fire drills were being completed on a monthly basis as a corrective and preventive action. However, it was evident that the action previously stated by the registered provider did not prevent the non-compliance from re-occurring. Corrective & Preventive Action submitted by the Registered Provider Corrective & Preventive Action General Safety: 1.Cleaning products are now stored up high and not accessible to children. 2. A daily risk assessment is now conducted in the outdoor area. The registered provider will ensure that all areas accessible to children are safe on a daily basis. Infection Control: 3.The bin has been replaced with a new pedal operated bin.The risk assessment for the sanitary area now includes the bin. The registered provider will ensure that the pedal operated bin for soiled nappies is functional and available on a daily basis. Administration of Medication: 4. Consent for emergency medication has now been obtained for all children attending the service. The admission form for the service has now been updated to include this information. The registered provider will ensure all admission forms are fully completed with all relevant information before children start in the service. Fire Safety: 5.Fire drills are now conducted on a monthly basis. One staff member has now been assigned this responsibility. The registered provider will monitor this practice and ensure that fire drills are conducted on a monthly basis
Regulation 29 — Premises
- 1.The surround of the nappy changing mat was torn with foam exposed which did not provide a smooth surface for cleaning
Provider's corrective action:
- The nappy changing unit has been replaced. The registered provider will include the maintenance of the nappy changing unit on the risk assessment of the sanitary area
Found compliant: Regulation 25, 26, 28.