Children’s nurseries organisation calls for clear procedure to tackle issues
This follows an Irish Examiner investigation which found approximately 100 complaints had been logged over the course of a year by parents of children attending crèches around the country.
Yesterday Teresa Heeney, acting director of services with the NCNA, said: “Even in the best of services, difficulties and misunder-standings can arise and the NCNA encourages members to have a clear complaints procedure in place to ensure that complaints and issues can be resolved quickly and fairly.”
The NCNA represents more than 700 providers of full daycare.
Director of services with the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (ISPCC) Caroline O’Sullivan said one of their major concerns was whether staff working in the childcare sector were qualified to do so.
“Those providing the service need to be properly qualified and what it can come down to is whether the person minding your child is actually trained to do so, whether they should be in a room with eight or so toddlers.”
Ms O’Sullivan said parents selecting a crèche for their child should “call unannounced at busy times and don’t be afraid to ask questions about care programmes and child protection procedures”.
“If the service provider isn’t happy to give you the information that should be a cause for concern. Go with your gut instinct,” Ms O’Sullivan said. Parents should also seek information from the IPPA,the early childhood organisation and the NCNA, before selection.
Heino Schonfeld, the director of the Centre for Early Childhood Development and Education (CECDE), said the new Child Care Regulations 2006 “provide for very basic minimum standards”.
“But they don’t assure the quality of early years services, just like a restaurant may well comply with all regulations but still serve very poor quality food,” he said.
The 2006 regulations are effective since September 3, replacing the 1996 regulations and include provisions for Garda vetting of staff and a recommendation — but not a requirement — that at least 50% of staff running a pre-school service have a qualification.
Lack of qualified staff was a regular complaint from parents of children attending crèches.
Copies of the complaints were supplied free of charge by the HSE with the exception of counties Carlow, Kilkenny, Wexford, Waterford and South Tipperary, where the Health Service Executive (HSE) requested a fee of €838 and counties Galway, Mayo and Roscommon where the HSE West requested a fee of €984.65.
In Cork and Kerry complaints were supplied, but with little detail, under headings such as “structural”, “practice issue”, “staffing” and “child protection”.
Longford and Meath got a clean bill of health. No complaints were made during the period covered by the Irish Examiner’s Freedom of Information request, from October 1, 2005, to September 30, 2006.
The complaints relate to facilities catering for 10 children or more.
* Below is a selection of the worst complaints.
A COMPLAINT was made that a crèche had been moved from first floor to basement area and the kitchen was being used for Montessori children.
A complaint was lodged about lack of air-conditioning, lack of first aid knowledge, inadequate staff numbers and poor food. “Often the after-school children get food such as rice and tomato sauce,” the complainant said.
A parent complained that her toddler had got out of the toddler room and was running around the corridor. The mother was concerned that there was no stair gate and that if her child had reached the stairs on the corridor, he could have fallen down.
A six-year-old child broke his finger when the glass fire door he was holding open closed on his hand. The door’s slow release device had been removed. The mother said the facility “was so busy with parties and children being collected from summer camps it was impossible to hear his screams for help”. She heard him and ran back to find him trapped in the door jamb. The complaint went on to say another woman (not a staff member) heard his cries for help and ran to the main reception to get staff assistance.
“When the staff arrived, they had no idea what to do. I had to ask number of times for ice which arrived in a plastic bag — this would have stuck to the wound. When the mother requested a copy of the health and safety file to see if the incident had been logged, she was advised that an administration fee of €25 applied. She claims she was initially told by the manager that she was not entitled to this information. The mother said the crèche uses a sign-in/out sheet to log the children but nobody requested her signature when collecting her child from the crèche. Neither could she locate her child.
“He was no longer in the room I had signed him into and there was no member of staff to ask of his whereabouts.
“If the facility had to be evacuated how can they correctly check numbers and children using their facilities if the sheets are not correctly administered?” she said.
An investigation of the complaint by HSE inspectors found attendance records for children attending its full day care service were disorganised. “It was very difficult to ascertain exactly how many children are attending the service,” the inspectors said.
They added: “It was difficult to establish what system was in place to adequately monitor sleeping children. The childcare manager had difficulty sourcing the supervision record sheet... the records inspected were disorganised and it was obvious that the manager was not checking the records or monitoring the frequency of these safety checks.”
A mother complained that water from the sink in the toddler room was given to the children to drink even though the area around the tap “is dirty and contaminates the cups/glasses”.
A mother complained that on three separate occasions when she collected her son, his pants were soiled. “The faeces was there a long time as it was dry and crumbly and his bottom was sore,” the complaint said. The mother also claimed her son wasn’t given drinks in case he had a “toilet” accident and was very thirsty when he arrived home. The mother felt he was more neglected in the afternoon and that he was regularly hungry when he came home.
She also said she believed he was given Calpol to make him quiet. The child said a staff member had given him Calpol. His parents had not consented to this.
A mother claimed her older child was being bullied by the other children and when the mother approached staff with her concerns, they were dismissed. At one stage, the child was not eating her dinner but the parents were not informed of this by the staff.
One father complained that there was one staff member caring for 25 children for two hours on a certain day.
Another parent complained that paint work was underway in a crèche while the children were in it. The parent expressed concerns about the effect of the fumes.
A complaint was lodged that a crèche was overcrowded. The parent said children are cross and hyperactive when at home, hitting and biting others after attending the crèche.
A parent complained that a crèche was left in darkness following a blackout, with no access to emergency lighting.
A mother who visited a crèche (on a spot check) found that 14 children (babies and toddlers) were being looked after by one girl aged about 21.
A parent complained about poor security at the main door of the crèche, which is sometimes left open. The parent said the back door of the kitchen is left open and could allow anyone to come in unnoticed or a child to go out unnoticed. The parent also complained that the toilets are downstairs and the children who are upstairs go down unsupervised. There were also concerns about hygiene — the toilets are beside the kitchen.
In one facility, eight children were being kept in an attic room all day, according to a mother’s complaint.
A mother claimed children were running wild at the crèche and no programme was evident. She said her four-year-old had told her “stop talking you’re wrecking my head”.
A parent who went to view the above premises found it to be filthy, with children running around with runny noses and generally dirty.
One child was slapped by a staff member, according to a mother’s complained.
According to another complaint a child had been bitten several times in the crèche.
Another complaint focussed on the fact that the HSE had not been notified of the crèche’s existence, as required.
A parent complained about the quality of food and staff practice of preparing children for home, dressing them in coats for long periods before collection by parents. The parent also complained of inappropriate behaviour management of children.
A mother said her four-year-old daughter was in a Montessori class and was one of five children picked to go to the park on one of the warm sunny days. They were driven in the a crèche company car (normally used for shopping and emergencies). No permission was sought from parents for the trip and parents were not informed that the trip took place (The parent of another child told her.) The mother was not happy that her child was taken without permission.
Staff shortages and frequent turnover were a concern for one parent, as well as limited outdoor play facilities.
Another parent also complained of staff shortages and overcrowding, as well as the failure to record the injury of a child.
A mother complained that her 14-month-old daughter came home thirsty several times with a full beaker still in her bag and that staff ignored diet requirements outlined by parents. She said her child has been hysterical in the last few weeks when she goes to the crèche.
The mother also claimed one baby had been left to cry and when she questioned it, was told that the baby’s parents requested the child not be picked up. A HSE inspection found nine toddlers sitting at a table doing sponge and finger painting. Several of the toddlers were licking the paint and attempting to bite the sponges. “At this age range children are still at the oral stage of exploring with their mouths,” the inspector warned. “I would suggest that this activity is deferred until a time that the children are more developmentally ready for painting.” The inspector said the bottle warmer in the baby room was very dirty, with a build up of lead on the base and fungus- ike discolouration inside.
A small table fell on a child’s foot, leaving it swollen and bruised. The mother queried the lack of supervision in the room at the time of the incident. She was not informed about the accident until she went to the a crèche and picked up her child. She did not see the written report of the incident. Inspectors visited the a crèche and were told by the manager at the time of the incident that there were three children and two members of staff in the room. The child pulled at a small table in the playroom and the edge of the table fell on her right foot. A small mark/ bruise appeared and an ice-pack and arnica cream were immediately applied. The manager did not phone the mother because she felt the incident had been dealt with satisfactorily and the child was fine. The mother was informed on picking her child up from the crèche and did not express any concerns. Inspectors were satisfied there was adequate supervision at the time the incident took place, the child was treated properly and the incident was clearly documented in the accident book.
A parent wrote to the Department of Justice with a complaint because the facility in question receives funding from the department. She had a three-and-a-half year old attending the private Montessori school. She said she was refused entry to the school because she tried to set up a parents’ association. She said the owners of the school wanted her to sign a contract saying she wouldn’t. After her child was refused entry he thought it was his fault and believed he had done something wrong, the mother claimed. She said he had wet the bed for the first five nights afterwards. She also claimed that upstairs did not have planning permission, but it was used for looking after the children every afternoon for video and TV, to give staff the chance to wash the floor.
A mother complained that her child was left in a wet nappy and with the same formula bottle all day. The child also had a fall. HSE inspectors arranged a meeting between parents and owner. Care of the child subsequently improved.
Another mother lodged a similar complaint. Her child was left in her nappy for five hours and got nappy rash. Also, a chest of drawers fell on the child and left a mark on her nose. Inspectors recommended a meeting between management and family members and ultimately, parents were content with the outcome.
A child caught her finger in the hinge of a door. She was brought to the local GP and parents contacted. The child brought to her own GP the next morning because she was in pain and referred to Crumlin Children’s Hospital. The parent was not satisfied with how the issue was dealt with and the child was removed from the crèche.
A parent complained that the electricity was cut off and children were handed out a window — also, the staff were unable to exit the building.
One parent complained that there was no hand washing after nappy changing, that toys and carpets were unclean and general hygiene was poor. The parent said the manager appears to care for babies and as well as the managerial duties.
Bruising was noted on a two-year- old’s thighs on taking him home. Bruising was slow to go down and the parent was not happy with the response from the proprietor. The parent subsequently got a call from the crèche to say the child was limping when he got up from his nap. The mother was advised to have the child checked by her GP, and the child was removed from the crèche.
A parent complained that children were left unsupervised. A staff member was dismissed for inappropriate behaviour. The owner/director said it was “not serious enough to worry about”.
A child allegedly received a contact burn to the hand. The parent was not initially informed, as it appears the burn was not noticed. First aid given was not appropriate and the child was not brought to the medical centre next door.
A parent complained about inadequate child/adult ratios.
Another parent complained that because the playgroup in question was located upstairs, she had concerns about the number of children and adults using the stairs at one time and management of the stair recess. She said she was concerned for her child’s safety. Management said children were used to the stairs but that parents ignored the system of up one side and down the other.
A complaint was lodged that a child was bitten by another child in the crèche. The parent was telephoned more than half an hour after the incident. The parent requested the name of the child who bit her child, but the crèche would not reveal this. The child was taken to the GP and to Crumlin Children’s Hospital. The mother claimed the child required a blood test and that the facility was a threat to the health and safety and welfare of children.
A mother complained her child was soaking wet when collected and had a very sore bottom as staff refused to change the child.
A parent complained the manager and assistant bullied the children and shouted and roared at them. She said neither had childcare qualifications and made favourites of some children. Inspectors found a happy atmosphere when they called.
A mother found her child wandering around the playground in a T-shirt with no supervision. Staff could not tell her how long he had been out there. She said his nappy had not been changed as often as it should be, leading to a sore bottom. She claimed he has constant falls and bites. The mother told the crèche she would be making a complaint and demanding an independent investigation.
A PARENT complained that toilets were not clean and staff/child ratios were inadequate.
A parent complained there was no continuity of management — the parents were given short notice when the manager was leaving and the fill-in manager who looked after some of their other premises dropped in daily. The parent felt the fill-in manager wouldn’t know the children that well. The premises is now under new management.
A parent complained there were 20 children and one staff member in one room.
Another parent complained about staff numbers and space. Also the manager left and the parent felt the girl left in charge was too young and not properly qualified.
Because of building work, 12 children have were moved into a corridor beside the kitchen in one facility. The parent complained that the kitchen door was not always closed and the car park can be accessed from the kitchen.
A mother said her son had had impetigo (a contagious bacterial skin infection characterised by blisters or sores which cause itch) five times in the space of a couple of months. She said she informed the owner the first time and was told to remove the child until he was better. She kept her son at home while infected but has since noticed four or five other children in the pre-school section with symptoms.
A parent complained there were 12 children in a Montessori class, parents were told there was a maximum of 10.
A PARENT rang Louth County Child Care to say that the childcare provider was catering for more than six children on her own. The complaint was investigated. There were six children present. There were six children’s names in the roll book, but three of the children present were not those in the roll book. On questioning, the owner said those were the names of children present in the morning. According to the commencement date on the registration forms, these children had been attending the care facility for weeks, yet there is no record according to the roll book of them ever being in the service. There were registration forms for nine children.
At a second visit by inspectors, there were two children present. The outcome of the inspection was a decision to review the service on a regular basis.
A parent claimed that when she went to drop off her nine-month-old daughter at the crèche she was told that as she had made a complaint to the health board, her child was not longer accepted. The mother said the crèche owner told her that because she had made a complaint, the service would be shut down and it would be her fault when other children had nowhere to go. The parent said all she had done was ring the local childcare committee to see if the crèche was registered and how many children it could cater for.
A parent complained the adult/ child ratio was not adhered to, that there was one 14-year-old and one adult. She also said the premises was cold. Two babies were asleep in buggies and the children were told to be quiet. She said no care programme was being followed. The HSE upheld the complaint. Inspectors also found the premises was dirty, with cobwebs and mildew in the hall, bottles and drinks open on top of the fridge, and cleaning schedules not up-to-date. The crèche was instructed to blitz clean the premises, to throw out broken toys and furniture and to maintain an up-to-date cleaning schedule. The staff were advised not to leave children sleeping in buggies, and to keep written records of staff and children’s times in and out of the premises and to maintain adult/child ratios.
A mother who collected her child from the crèche said she was “horrified with what I saw”. Only one staff member was minding 10 children; there was months of accumulated rubbish piled up in the children’s play area and a dead rat at the bottom of the steps in the children’s play area. “Overall, the impression was one of a very worrying absence of interest, supervision and attention,” she said. HSE inspectors upheld the complaint in relation to the rubbish and the dead rat. At the next inspection however, although the dead rat had been removed, there was approximately 30 bags of household waste still present.
A CHILD was expelled from a crèche. Parent complained she had only been given one week’s notice “despite the fact that the parents handbook clearly stipulates that two weeks notice shall be given in all dimissal cases”. According to the crèche, the child’s behaviour was disruptive and he was difficult to manage within the class environment. According to the mother, the crèche told her that her child’s behaviour was costly in terms of human resources which the mother said translated as “eating into business profits” as it meant a teacher would be required to specifically and individually supervise the child.
According to the mother, having to arrange alternative childminding at such short notice “could impact adversely on my job, which serves a double purpose of being our livelihood’s main income source and crucially so renders the basis of my family’s legal permission for continued residence within Ireland”.
Preschool service inspectors had also received two anonymous phonecalls in relation to the same crèche alleging that there was an inadequate supply of books, toys, games and materials for the children, an allegation which was substantiated by inspectors.
A mother complained that the owner of the crèche her child attended was missing most of the time, that she came in in the morning when parents were dropping off children, but then left. The mother said a 19-year-old girl with no qualifications was left running the crèche.
She said a child had fallen from a high chair the previous week and broken a tooth and that the same child was bitten the next day by another child.
HSE inspectors found that in the morning, the staff member with full responsibility for opening the crèche, meeting with parents at the door and taking in preschool and school-going children, was caring alone for 17 children, including five primary and 12 preschool. Between 8.30am and 9.20am, the primary school children were left unsupervised in a separate room. The 12 preschool children, aged one to three, were all held in the room off the kitchen while the staff member tried to supervise the children, attend to their care needs and provide their breakfast.
Neither the roll book for the toddler room nor any of the children’s individual records were available on the premises and the staff member had to phone someone to bring them in. The staff roster had names of people no longer working in the service.
Examination of the crèche medical records indicated that legally required written records were not being properly maintained in the administration of medicines. There were no fire drill records or records of the type of fire fighting equipment. The dining room floor, tables, benches and high chairs were in a dirty and grubby state at the time of inspection. A staff member was observed cleaning a high chair table with baby wipes, designed for cleaning children’s skin. They are not suitable for use on a food contact surface, they do not have any anti-bacterial properties and must not be used for this purpose.
There were a number of children in nappies in the toddler room, nappy changing facilities were not provided for these children.
A changing mat was found to be torn, with foam exposed thereby presenting a difficulty when cleaning it and increasing the risk of cross-infection.
A staff member was observed making toast in the kitchen for the children’s breakfast. On inspection of the kitchen area it was noted that toast was prepared on the sink drainer, a plate of mince which had been left to defrost overnight was stored beside the bread which was being used for the children’s breakfast.
Inspectors said: “The level of hygiene and cleanliness at the time of inspection was totally unacceptable. In order to protect the health, safety and welfare of children attending your service, the premises must be maintained in a clean and hygienic condition at all times.”
Children in the breakfast room were served toast for breakfast by a staff member. The toast was served directly on to table tops and not on plates. The tables were dirty and they were not cleaned prior to food being served. The walls in the kitchen were stained, dirty and required thorough cleaning. The shelving of the small fridge was stained and dirty. Unlabelled bottles, beakers and cough bottles were stored in this fridge. Three dirty plastic bibs were hanging up on a shelving unit in the kitchen, they were not cleaned between breakfast and the children’s morning snack.
Many items were strewn around the nappy changing area presenting a trip hazard and blocking access to fire extinguishers. Inspectors warned: “This could present a very serious fire safety risk if staff were unable to access fire fighting equipment in the event of an emergency.” Two chairs and a large soft cushioned toy were also stored in the hallway creating an obstruction.
In a previous report, inspectors had warned that the cupboard over the nappy changing unit could present a safety risk if a child sat up suddenly during the nappy changing process. The matter was not addressed.
There was one large beanbag, a green blanket and three cushions provided for resting toddlers. The bean bag was damaged at the seams and inspectors warned a young child might gain access to the contents of the bean bag. The bean bag, blanket and cushions were stained and dirty.
“It was felt that the children’s care needs were not being fully met on the day of inspection,” the inspectors said.
The preschool children were left unsupervised by the staff member on several occasion as she left the area in which they were being cared for to make toast. A child was observed standing on the dining room bench and taking a bottle off the window sill and drinking from same. A little later another child was also seen drinking from this bottle.
At the time of inspection, there were 12 pre-school children in the dining area, four children in highchairs and the remaining eight were allowed to run along the bench and underneath the tables unsupervised.
A child aged 16 months was observed in a high chair with her head resting on a table top. She appeared to be quite tired. This child had been in the service since 7.30am and inspectors felt that she should have been provided with the opportunity to sleep in the sleep room. However, as there was only one staff member on duty, supervision of two rooms would have presented a problem.
One little boy whose tracksuit bottoms were very wet was led from the toddler room to the dining area for lunch without being changed. Soothers were not marked with children’s names. An unlabelled baby’s bottle was left sitting on top of the reception desk.
In relation to the claim of a child breaking a tooth after falling from a high chair, the inspectors were told by a staff member that the child had a piece of Lego in his mouth and had fallen over. He bit on the Lego and chipped his tooth. “The child in question, aged 20 months (approx) should not have small pieces of Lego in his mouth as this presents a choking hazard,” inspectors said.
In relation to the claim that a staff member opens the crèche in the morning early and cares alone for babies and toddlers, this complaint was substantiated.
The inspectors said their findings were of a serious nature “and for that reason that matter will be brought to the attention of our line managers for their deliberations and for whatever action may be deemed necessary by them in order to protect the health, safety and welfare of the preschool children attending your service. In this regard, the HSE many find it necessary to consider instituting legal action against you”.
A complaint was made by a parent that when she arrived at the preschool with her son, the toddler room door was not locked and there was no staff member present. There were up to nine children in the room. She complained. Inspectors visited the pre-school on foot of the complaint and found an adequate number of staff on the premises on day of inspection. The owner had also taken steps to improve security and advised staff of the need for improved vigilance.
A mother complained that her child had suffered injuries while attending the preschool. Her husband received a phone call from the crèche stating that her child had a slight fall and had been taken to hospital. The parents were informed at the hospital by the crèche staff that the child had fallen off the nappy changing unit on to the tiled floor. This happened when the new staff member turned around to fill in the log book. The child had bruises in the forehead, nose, lips (cut) and face (marked). He was X-rayed and no fracture identified. He vomited after the fall. The hospital discharged him requesting the parents to closely observe him for 24 hours.
The mother also complained on one occasion, that her child was not given his afternoon bottle and that on another occasion, she alleged his nappy was only changed twice between 8.30am and 6pm.
In May 2006, she was met on arrival by the manger who said her child got a few scratches on his face caused by an older child. The mother said his face was covered in scrapes as were the back of the ears and neck. The scrapes had drawn blood. There were three lumps and bruising on the back of the head. The mother broke down and cried and the manager said “what can one do? You can’t stop children from interacting with one another”. The parents decided to withdraw the child from the crèche.
A mother complained about the child/staff ratios, and that on one occasion one staff member was looking after 13 children, aged three and under. She removed her child from the crèche because she believed her concerns were not being addressed.
An inspection found that for half an hour in the morning, one staff member cared alone for up to seven children, three of whom were aged 0-1. The child/adult ratio for children in the 0-1 age category is 3:1.
A PARENT was asked to remove her child from the service, the stated reason being that her four year old daughter had allegedly knocked the childcare worker to the floor and hit and kicked her after the carer had taken something from her. The carer then refused to work in the facility anymore until the child was removed. The mother said she had spoken to her child about the incident but the two stories did not tally.
According to the staff member, she had asked the child if she wanted to help with making a jigsaw and that in reply, the child began to shout at her and ran to the toilet where she closed the door and proceeded to kick it from the other side. When the child refused to open the door, the staff member pushed it open and led the child by the hand to a seat. “At this point the child picked up some wooden rollers which were drying behind the rads and began to throw them across the room to where the other children were sitting,” she said. The staff member walked over to her and asked the child to give her the rollers but she continued to throw them.
At this point, the staff member took the rollers from her “bending down to eye-level and telling her this behaviour was unacceptable”. “She then lunged at me scraping the side of my face and tried to pull my hair,” the staff member said. When the staff member stood up to move away from the child, she claims that the little girl followed her, pulling at her trousers.
“She then clenched her hand, punched me twice in the back, attempted to kick me and called me a “f**king bitch”. The staff member put the child in a time-out chair, “where she continued to shout abuse“, until another member of staff came to relieve her.
A child sustained a cut to his head and required two stitches. The mother said she hadn’t been given a description of how it happened. She alleged that staff were negligent in the care of her child. She also alleged that she had been asked by the service operator to attend at the crèche because her son was sick. She said she would come to the crèche at their request and find he was not sick.
HSE inspectors visited the crèche and saw that an accident report had been written up in relation to the head injury accident as soon as the child had been brought to the GP by his mother. The shelves which caused the injury had since been removed and a carpenter contacted to put safety edges in same. Regarding being summonsed to the crèche when her child was “sick“, the crèche said their policy is that if a child has two dirty nappies, the parent is called in case the child has an infection.
The crèche apologised to the mother and she accepted same.
According to another complaint a three-year-old child was locked in a small room off the preschool. The child was upset when the parent arrived, earlier than usual. The child was locked in a room in a downstairs part of the house with little light. The child was told she was put in there for being bold. Her parent contacted the Social Welfare Department and also the gardaí.
A mother complained that as she arrived at the crèche to collect her child, she could see the two-year-old running from the front door of the premises towards the gate.
According to the parent, the gate had been removed and placed against the wall. The mother left her car in the middle of the street and dashed to catch her son before he reached the gate. She felt he could easily have made it out onto the road. She noticed that the gate had been repaired previously using duct tape.
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