Childcare facilities found breaching garda vetting rules

Creches and preschools are failing to comply with basic rules on garda vetting and references for staff, inspection reports show.

While the majority of facilities had their employees vetted at the time of inspection, records showed clearance was often not received until after they had taken up their jobs.

This is permitted in cases where there would otherwise be a manpower crisis but only on condition such staff are not left to care for children unsupervised.

In total, 18 of the 36 inspected facilities in Limerick city and county were directed to either obtain garda clearance for staff members, produce evidence that clearance had been obtained where such documentation was not kept on file or get or provide evidence of adequate references.

Not all the breaches were serious enough to warrant a non-compliant rating but 16 of the facilities did formally fail the inspection under at least one heading on the checklist.

Along with the vetting and references shortfalls, issues highlighted by inspectors included lack of toys and books, poor standards of cleanliness, lack of hot water and routine handwashing, and safety concerns over uncovered electrical sockets, trailing cables and poorly positioned equipment.

Concerns were raised about the management of mealtimes at some of the bigger creches with some staff failing to sit with children and encourage good eating habits and rushing children to finish their food.

The attitude and attention of staff was widely considered praiseworthy with the exception of Bruff Montessori School where it was stated: “The tone and actions of staff while directing activities within the setting was inappropriate and reflected a lack of understanding of age appropriate behaviour.”

At Kilcoman Community Creche, which attracted the most severe criticism, there was no garda clearance for three of the eight staff, the baby, toddler and montessori rooms were all under- equipped and the premises indoors and outdoors was unkempt, dusty and, in one area, smelly.

The creche was also criticised for using “time out” for challenging behaviour when it is no longer considered an appropriate response.

The reports were published in line with a promise by Children’s Minister Frances Fitzgerald in the wake of the controversy over RTÉ’s Prime Time exposé of abuses at a number of creches.

But those published this week only cover one county and just 36 of more than 200 creches, preschools, montessori and childminding facilities in the area.

The majority are already dated with more than half of the inspections taking place last year and seven carried out more than a year ago — one as far back as Jun 2011.

The format in which the reports are presented has also been criticised as they appear on the website of Pobal, which uses a cumbersome maps-based system unreadable by older computers without installation of extra software.