Nursery went home and left dd!

[lookingfortheanswer]

Posting here for traffic, I don't have an aibu.

Went to pick up dd from nursery this afternoon and found the whole place locked up and nobody there. After frantically calling, banging on doors, checking nobody else had picked her up we managed to contact the neighbouring school. The staff who were still there were amazing, helped us to get into the building where we found dd on the toilet, on her own, lights off and doors closed, staff gone home. It took us half an hour to get in so she was there at least that long. She was obviously very upset but is now home and fine and drinking lemonade as a treat while I try to stop shaking.

Obviously this is a huge safeguarding issue and there is no way she is going back. The head of the neighbouring school has been in touch and is organising a meeting for the morning.

Any advice on where to go from here, who to complain to? Should we get legal advice? I am so so angry!

eighty no op was not late and even if she was there are procedures to follow.

That is terrible, definitely agree it's a police matter/LEA/Ofsted matter. Hope she's happily in bed and not too affected in her ordeal, i suspect you and your DH will need a large glass of wine tonight once she's in bed and will take longer to get over it than your DD.

Oh your poor dd. I expect she is less traumatised than you though which is a blessing.

You need to take this to the top. An apology is just not going to cut it. The was a major safety issue here. I don't want to upset you but what if there had been a fire? Heads need to roll for this.

I hope you get it sorted x x

I am normally a very calm collected person. If this were me I would be fucking raging. I would be getting hold of the nursery owner now. Probably the Daily Mail too! I would probably take a police escort to keep me calm tomorrow at the meeting.
You poor thing. Have some wine and it's so good to hear she is ok. Try not to run through all the what ifs.

I absolutely believe you. My DD is often the very last to be collected from Kiga on a Friday, I get there about 430. They shut up directly after me. One of the first times, they had locked the front door and left a mobile phone number up on a postit note- good job I had my phone or I'd have had to circle the building shouting in the windows. Another time, they locked the door but didn't put the phone number up on postit, luckily I had the same phone and the number was still in my history. They finally put a ruddy doorbell on so you could get their attention that way!

My DD moves through 3 groups over the course of the day. I know all the normal teachers and the Tantes, but- if there was a cover teacher and if my DD decided to go hide in the playhouse/ loo and the staff don't do much of a check once they think the last kids are out. Very believable.

Good luck holding them accountable for this.

Holy fucking Christ, that is one of the most shocking things I have ever read.

What if there had been a fire or something, doesn't bear thinking about.

I honestly think you should go to the papers.

Luckily at 2 she probably won't remember it, I'm so glad she is okay OP

So sorry OP.

Fwiw, two year olds at my Nursery go on their own to the loo - the loos are between two rooms so nowhere to wander off.

A similar thing happened at the nursery my DS attended - needless to say, before his time and I didn't find out about it till after he left!!! A child fell asleep in a corner - dressing up box or a tent or similar - staff though he'd been picked up and went home. So it does happen.

I'm not one for starting a witch hunt, but if this happened at my child's nursery I would very much want to know about it. I would actually consider going to the press in this instance, for that reason.

OP is this a sure start nursery? The set up sounds exactly like my DS' nursery.

Ofsted, Ofsted, Ofsted.

A huge safeguarding failure like this should trigger an immediate inspection of the nursery and an automatic rating of 'inadequate'. The nursery will then have regular inspections and will have to pass these satisfactorily in order to stay open.

Why would OP go to the papers?

Until proved otherwise, school/Ofsted are likely to take this very seriously and the papers wouldn't help.

How worrying for you. Glad she is safe and appears to not be traumatised,bless her. Take it easy tonight hb ecause of the shock then go in all guns blazing tomorrow. Good luck!

I have managed a preschool in the past and I'd just like to make these points:

The nursery should never lock up without checking and rechecking everywhere

The register should be meticulously completed. This is standard and rather obvious safeguarding

The nursery should have a procedure for uncollected children such that no child is left with less than two staff and that no child is ever 'taken home' with staff and that social services are contacted in the event that a guardian cannot be contacted.

OP what a horrendous experience for you. Your dd sounds like a bit of a trooper if she's coping so well so far. Poor thing might have a few hard nights after this though.

Please please phone 101 to report this. Even if it is not a police issue it is important that you report and log this.

Ye soon need to phone Ofsted. They need to close the nursery immediately while they investigate.

Jesus. I cannot accurately formulate into words the anger I would feel. Poor you OP

By god, something similar happened to a friend of mine. All staff and kids went out for a trip and left her dd on the toilet, which she had been unable to climb off by herself. Her dd was very traumatised and refused to toilet train for a long time.
That is terrible op. you poor dd!

Has no one from the nursery been contacted about this yet?

Wow, I would be livid! And probably quite hysterical too.

OP I hope your dd is ok now, definitely a time for some tonight. I agree with those suggesting calling the police, it is a crime - neglect or abandonment of a child or something.

They may have been contacted by the head of the school.

Last September my DD, aged just 1, was 'lost' while in childcare. They didn't notice until I came to collect her. They still don't know how long she was missing.

After a full investigation it became apparent that yes, there are all manner of policies, safeguarding procedures blah blah blah in place. But staff can get lazy and complacent, and instead of head counts and registers certain staff can make assumptions because it's easier and quicker.

So yes, this scenario is entirely possible.

How can carers think children have just gone home, if they haven't been signed out?

Isn't signing in and signing out an absolute basic requirement?

Jesus!! I almost cried reading this, your poor, poor DD.

I seriously hope there are reprecussions for the nurserys failure. Contact OFSTED, local authority and quite honestly the police!

How utterly terrifying for you all.

I can believe it too as similar happened to us but not as scary. The children went out to play in the nursery garden, DS was playing in the wendy house and didn't realise everyone else had gone back in, and no-one realised that he was still out there.

He followed a parent out to the car park that had come to collect their child. I dread to think what would have happened to him on a main A road if the parent hadn't noticed him.

To everyone questioning the op, remember it wasn't so long ago a nursery/school let a man take "his grandaughter" out for an appointment can't remember what for but it wasn't the right child! also a very young child just walked out and ended up at home a fair walk away. If these scenarios had been posted on here I am sure a few troll hunters would be on the thread. These things are unbelievable by their shocking nature.

Op I hope your dd is ok now and you get some answers tomorrow.

Oh my god, I would be LIVID. Not what I needed to read the week before putting my 2 DS in nursery for the first time (aged 2.7yo and 5mo)!