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!

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

Maybe someone signed on the wrong line, or a name was missed off the afternoon register if children have recently switched days, for example.

I can well imagine how something like this happens - it just requires a couple of staff to be a bit slapdash. If every other night when the last person checks the building there was no one left, then they probably weren't scouring every room - especially if they believed every child had gone home.

Hold up everyone, Iaminvisble has declared this would never happen where she worked, so it cant have happened here.....

My nephew managed to get out of the nursery gate and walk down two large fields alone to his GMs house!
When GM phoned the nursery to enquire if he was at the nursery they replied yes of course. She then proceeded to tell them that he was in fact stood at the side of her. They hadn't even noticed he'd gone!

That's extremely early for a day nursery to close, do they do this often?

the op wasnt late but even if she was that is totally irrelevant. If she hadnt turned up they should call ss not lock the poor little mite into the building.

yaddnbu!

This happened at a very posh nursery by me. The DS had fallen asleep, everyone had left, cleaner was just locking up when DM arrived. Was told DS had already been picked up and had been signed out, cue frantic calling of dh, her dm etc to see if anyone had collected him.

Nope.

Hysterical mother taken into the nursery, where her and cleaner started checking and they found him asleep in a corner.

Strangely, the dm removed him.

So yes, it does happen. (My DF was working there, although not on shift when it happened).

I think it's totally believable. especially if the mursery doesn't have a doorbell to attract attention. I would also have gone to the school to ask.if they knew what was happening.

If she had been there for half an hour and OP gets her usually about 5.15 they would have closed at about 4.45. So it's not a matter of OP being late but the nursery closing at a very very early time.

I agree TheScience. I've not worked in a nursery but I've seen that kind of thing happen in every workplace. Policies are initially followed to the letter but after a while you get complacent, nothing actually ever happens, so you assume nothing will. Swiss cheese theory too. This time the holes lined up.

In addition to Ofsted you need to ensure that the Local Safeguarding Children Board is informed as it is a massive safeguarding issue. Don't rely on the nursery to do so. The school staff should be able to give you a contact.

As said previously, write it all down tonight and include what you have been told are their normal procedures for signing in and out.

I know you must be shaken up and angry and will need to talk this story through many times over to get your head round it but keep focused on the fact that she is fine and doesn't have any concept of how serious this is. You need to keep it OK for her so that she can settle into a new setting easily.

Are you able to take time off work tomorrow to sort this out?

So did you call the police op? That would have been my immediate thought, after getting dd home and making sure she was happy and reassured. The next, most natural thing to do surely, would be to call the police.

And as for signing in/out - all it takes is for someone to make a small mistake. "Oh, did Janey go home already?" "Yes, think Alison said her mum arrived at 5, must have forgotten to sign out".

Or someone signs in the wrong box, or they're routine a bit careless about signing in/out.

I sometimes drop my nephew to nursery and often forget to sign him in, not sure if the staff do it once I'm gone or his space is just left blank...

"she had been there for half an hour and OP gets her usually about 5.15 they would have closed at about 4.45 "

OP said it took her half an hour to get in - I believe she arrived around 5.30pm and took till 6pm to get in.

although harold the nursery is not unreasonable to close if they actually HAVE all been picked up?

"The next, most natural thing to do surely, would be to call the police."

I'm not sure I would call the police, not that it would be wrong to do so, just wouldn't occur to me not to go the school/Ofsted route first.

.

My heart was in my mouth reading the op. Heads should roll, i know accidents happen but surely her key worker knew her pick up time and all areas should be checked before locking up. Oh god, i have lump in my throat think about your poor dd sitting on the toilet all alone

In this case someone at the nursery mistakenly signed the baby out:

It is understood that a member of staff at the nursery mistakenly signed a logbook to say that Ruby had been collected by her mother Claire.

www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/local-news/tot-left-in-nursery-for-two-hours-1006091

Gobbolino I said we had procedures in place, like the vast majority of nurseries, to ensure it wouldn't happen.

I am not the only one on here who has posted doubt, so I don't know why you are picking on me!

Oh My Goodness! OP I am go smacked that this has happened to you. Your poor DD, and poor you and your DP.

I agree that you should write everything down. The facts, with rough timings if you can. What time you arrived, who you called and in what order and as much as you can remember with the conversations you had with the staff from the school next door.

This is certainly a matter for Ofstead, do they have an out of hours number you can call this evening? Try calling them on any number this evening as this is a matter that can't wait.

I would also call the police 101 number. Log what has happened and they may also be able to advise you who else you need to contact.

Your Local Education Authority also need to know about this ASAP. And I would give the LADO a call. Yes the out of hours number is for children in immediate danger, however I would argue that all children in the 'care' care of the nursery tomorrow are in potential danger.

Call as many numbers as you can find for the authorities as this is an urgent matter. Out of hours people may ask you to call back in the morning, but they should log that you have called.

Huge hugs to you. If you can you and DP should try and write a statement each without conferring. And sign, time and date it.

I work in a secondary school and we have to write similar statements for any incidents that happen (usually student fights, but the statement principle is the same).

I would discourage going to the press about this until you have had initial meetings with the authorities. However I do feel that the story should be told (perhaps wait a few days though)

My thoughts are with you. I am sure that there will be a full scale investigation into this.

Have a glass of vino and chill this evening xXx

FWIW if my child also attended this nursery I would want to be aware of this asap and I would keep my child home. Is there any way you can spread the word to other parents? If they are making such a major failing as this, what other vital care are they possibly failing to provide?

How totally shocking! I am so sorry that this has happened but relieved to hear that your dd is okay and seems settled.

I can think of all sorts of reasons why the nursery's usual procedures weren't followed, a change in staff, a medical emergency which resulted in a rushed handover, all sorts of things. But none of them excuse failing to safeguard the OPs child. They fucked up and they need someone external to go through what happened to make sure that they really learn what went wrong and why.

The OP did the right thing contacting the school. The caretaker was immediately available and is a key holder. No waiting around for another key holder to travel to the site. And he would be able to lock up again afterwards. Plus she has reliable witnesses as to what occurred.