Inspection Tools and Templates

Inspection of Early Years Services

The inspection of Early Years Services in Ireland is governed by two key pieces of legislation –

• Child Care Act 1991, Section 58 as amended by Part 12 of the Child and Family Agency Act, 2013
• Child Care Act 1991 (Early Years Services) Regulations 2016 (S.1. 221 of 2016)

The Early Years Inspectorate is legally obliged to ensure that inspections are carried out regularly and with appropriate frequency in early years services in order to verify that the relevant requirements of the appropriate legislation are adhered to in full. Inspections are carried out by eight regional teams and are coordinated and managed nationally. Inspections cover four key areas; Governance, the Health Welfare & Development of Children, Safety and Premises & Facilities. At different times the focus and timings of inspection may change.

An example of a Template Inspection Tool and an Inspection Report can be found below:

Tusla Regulatory Inspection Tool and Report
	English	Irish

Corrective and Preventive Actions (CAPA)

The Corrective and Preventive Action process is an opportunity for the service to respond to the inspection report detailing the corrective actions and preventive Actions (CAPA) undertaken to address non-compliance identified in the draft Inspection Report. The corrective and preventive actions are the defined actions necessary for the registered provider to take in order to meet the regulatory requirements.  There are two components to the Corrective Actions and Preventive Actions (CAPA) Form.

Guidance Information on completing the CAPA form with a sample CAPA can be found below to assist in completion. You can also access a eLearning course on the eLearning section of our website.

CAPA form
CAPA Guidance

Factual Accuracy and Disputed Findings

This factual accuracy & Disputed Findings provide an opportunity to correct any factual inaccuracies and request a review of any disputed findings in the draft Inspection Report. You should record the details of any proposed Factual Accuracy corrections and any disputed findings you would like to be reviewed. Evidence must be included to support representation of factual accuracy or disputed findings. 

Factual Accuracy and Disputed Findings form