The HSE strives to improve the Inspection experience for service providers.  The development of the National Assessment Guide for Regulation 5:

• Ensures the HSE take an explicit and consistent approach inspecting Regulation 5.
• Assists the HSEin evaluating support for child development in early childhood care and educational settings.
• Enhances practitioners understanding of the whole child perspective element in the explanatory guide to the revised 2006 Pre School Regulations which was first detailed in the National ChildCare Strategy.

The date for the implementation of the new National Assessment Guide for Regulation 5 is September 01^st 2011.

Note: the HSE are not changing the scope of the Inspection when Inspecting Regulation 5 but improving and becoming more transparent on how the HSE inspect and document the finding of the health, welfare and development of the child – Regulation 5.

The Guidance Note has been updated and will give more insight into how the information will be documented to the service provider in the Outcome Report.

There will be information evenings and other methods of contact held in each region to inform providers in the coming months.

Please note that the Assessment Guide for Regulation 5 (Health, Welfare & Development of the Child) are replacing pages 18 – 37 of the Inspection Form.

The full Inspection Tool is required to be amended to incorporate the new Pre-School Standards over the next year and at that time Regulation 5 Assessment Guide will be incorporated.