Inspection of 29 April 2025 — Inspection Report
Regulation 9 — Management and recruitment
- One reference was not accepted as it was not from a past employer or reputable source. (3) The registered provider had not taken the required steps as outlined in Regulation 9(2)(a)(b) and (c) to ensure that new staff were suitable and competent before allowing them access to children as follows: • One Garda vetting disclosure had not been sought prior to one adult commencing work in the service. • Two references had not been validated prior to one staff member commencing work in the service. • One reference was not accepted as it was not from a past employer or reputable source
Provider's corrective action:
- A new reference was obtained for this staff member. The reference was checked and validated, and it is in line with the staff members recent C.V. We will ensure that all the required documents are checked and validated prior to the staff member being offered employment in line with the recruitment policy
- A reference check was completed for this staff member’s references. This was an oversight on the recruitment department. We have addressed this since January 2025, and the recruitment department operates in alignment with our recruitment policy. A new reference was obtained for this staff member and it has been checked and verified in line with the recruitment policy
Regulation 19 — Health, welfare and development of child
- 1. A child’s wet clothes were not changed prior to them going to sleep despite a staff member changing their nappy and bib. Their bottoms and top were wet when placed to sleep. 2. One child’s shoes and socks and another’s shoes were removed in the garden prior to being brought to sleep. The children walked along a concrete footpath with no protection on their feet. This poses a risk of their feet being hurt
Provider's corrective action:
- 1. Training has been carried out with the manager and staff on the basic care for a child prior to them going to sleep. A new sleep checklist sheet has been put in place to prevent steps of basic care from being missed or skipped in the future. 2. Training has been carried out with the manager and staff on the basic care for a child. Children do not have their shoes or socks removed until they are indoors and ready for bed. Children should not walk in their feet in the communal areas of the service. The operations manager, area managers and service managers will carry out unannounced inspections in between our internal monthly Inspections to make sure this is not happening
Regulation 23 — Safeguarding health, safety and welfare of child
- Infection Control: 1. Five nappy changes were observed by the inspector. The staff member did not wash their hands between any of the changes this is at variance with the infection control policy of the service and poses a risk of cross contamination. 2. The children attending the wobble room did not wash their hands prior to eating their dinner. This is at variance with the service policy and poses a risk of cross contamination. 3. The nappy mat observed in use in the toddler room had obvious dirt and debris in the corners and crevices. The straps did not appear in a clean condition. This poses a risk of cross contamination. Administration of Medication: 4. A review of documentation and discussions with staff members evidenced that records of temperature reducing medications administered to children whilst in the service was not adequately maintained. Staff members were not recording who gave the medication, who witnessed the medication being administered, or parental signatures. This poses a risk of continuity of care. This practice was also at variance with the service policy. Action submitted by the Registered Provider
Provider's corrective action:
- Infection Control: 1. All staff have read the nappy changing policy and procedure and hand hygiene policy and have completed training on these policies and procedures. Hand washing visuals are located beside each nappy changing station. The operations manager, area managers and service managers will carry out unannounced inspections in between our internal monthly Inspections to make sure this is not happening. 2. All staff have read the Hand Hygiene Policy and have completed Infection control training. The operations manager, area managers and service managers will carry out unannounced inspections in between our internal monthly Inspections to make sure this is not happening. 3. Training has been carried out with the service manager and all staff on the basic cleaning procedure after each nappy change. The operations manager, area managers and service managers will carry out unannounced inspections in between our internal monthly Inspections to make sure this is not happening. Administration of Medication: 4. Adhering to all Policy and Procedures ensures the correct steps are taken when administering medication. All staff have read the policy and had training in administering medication. The operations manager, area managers and service managers will carry out unannounced inspections in between our internal monthly Inspections to make sure this is not happening
Found compliant: Regulation 11, 16, 26.