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AIBU?

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Original poster

Nursery went home and left dd!

999 replies

lookingfortheanswer · 28/04/2014 18:36

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!

OP posts:
Wantsunshine · 28/04/2014 20:30

Why would you not got to Ofsted Melli. It's their job to investigate. Obviously you would find out what the situation was immediately while they are heading over. This is an unforgivable situation by the nursery.

Mintyy · 28/04/2014 20:30

There are definitely more questions than answers on this thread.

Why would a nursery be all shut up and no one there at 5.30pm if it is officially open until 6pm? That just sounds incredible to me for starters.

constantstress · 28/04/2014 20:30

Oh my god. How awful op. I hope you are ok.

Bloodyteenagers · 28/04/2014 20:31

It doesn't matter what the reason was. The point is, this should never, ever had happened. So if the nursery has the big bad people from ofsted loom on them, so bloody what.
If they are this lax at carrying out a basic procedure, where else are they also screwing up?

Pimpf · 28/04/2014 20:31

Hope you get some answers tomorrow

Goldmandra · 28/04/2014 20:32

Why would a nursery be all shut up and no one there at 5.30pm if it is officially open until 6pm?

You think they should stay on the premises even of all the children have left?

Mintyy · 28/04/2014 20:32

If the nursery had done that to my child I would have the big bad people from the police knocking on the door of the nursery manager this very evening, believe me.

LookingThroughTheFog · 28/04/2014 20:33

I personally would want to find out how happened before I went to Ofsted

If I were another parent at the nursery, and I found out that there had been a safeguarding issue of this level, and another parent had taken it upon themselves to decide whether there was an issue or not, I would be absolutely furious.

A two year old child was left locked in a dark building on her own, for half an hour.

MrsCakesPremonition · 28/04/2014 20:33

Why would a nursery stay open once all the children have left, and the staff have tidied/set up for the next day?

Only in this case, one child hadn't left.

Bloodyteenagers · 28/04/2014 20:33

I would be very doubtful the op will get any answers at all tomorrow, other than it shall be fully investigated at this point. Any answers would be taken with a pinch of salt, and would to me, scream cover up.

CrystalSkulls · 28/04/2014 20:33

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Goldmandra · 28/04/2014 20:34

A two year old child was left locked in a dark building on her own, for half an hour.

Exactly. You don't need to know more than that to know that Ofsted must investigate.

SleepNBooties · 28/04/2014 20:34

How many of the people finding that hard to believe have actually used a nursery rather than a preschool? Or used a nursery until late in the day rather than always picking up an hour or more before closing time?

I have and they really do do all that stuff like gathering all the last kids together in one room regardless of their usual room and staff, and closing early if everyone has gone home.

Procedures are useless of people get a bit slack and don't follow them properly.

Gurnie · 28/04/2014 20:35

I would definitely be speaking to the nursery manager or have someone doing so on my behalf right now. This is really, really serious.

Normalisavariantofcrazy · 28/04/2014 20:36

Tbh I am very Hmm that the op's first instinct wasn't to dial 999

ICanSeeTheSun · 28/04/2014 20:37

I personally would want to find out how happened before I went to Ofsted

I would want someone else finding out how this happened, if it was my children there is no way I would be able to stay calm.

I wouldn't be paying the nursery fees either.

NearTheWindymill · 28/04/2014 20:39

OP, how I handled this would depend on whether I was happy generally with the nursery. If I was I think I'd make an appointment with the owner/principal first thing tomorrow and request an action plan about how this would be prevented in future, an investigationa and confirmation that formal action was being taken. I wasn't and if I had concerns generally and didn't feel happy about leaving my child there I'd send this.

To: Directors of Education and Social Services, Local Authority

Dear

I am afraid to advise you that I need help to secure a place for my two year old daughter at an outstanding nursery convenient to my home. The reasons for this is that when I arrived to collect my daughter this evening x xxxxxx xxxx nursery was locked and closed. I sought help from the head teacher of xxxx xchool and the caretaker of both establishments opened the building. My daughter was found alone in the lavatory, in the dark. All staff had left the building.

I hope you will be able to help me as a matter of urgency and I look forward to hearing from you before close of business today.

Yours sincerely

OP

Google your local authority and find out the names from their website.

I'd keep it cool, calm and collected and use this unfortunate set of events to your advantage. Don't go in shouting and yelling and all guns blazing. Be dignified and remember that revenge is a dish best served cold. Get what you need for your daughter and let the people in charge take the action that needs taking. You have one over on them; that doesn't happen often so be charming and work it.

Lambzig · 28/04/2014 20:39

OP, that is horrendous. Thinking about the blind panic you must have been in trying to find her has made me cry (I lost DD4 in a shopping centre last week for about a minute but the fear was crippling, so a bit over sensitive to this at the moment).

I can't imagine what they can say to you, but I hope you report to ofsted and I hope DD and you are ok tonight.

magpiegin · 28/04/2014 20:39

It is not the OP's place to investigate, that is Ofsted's job and they will decide what needs to happen. If it were me I would be tempted to call 101 tonight too.

I really hope they give you some answers OP, this is really shocking.

CrystalSkulls · 28/04/2014 20:41

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

AlpacaYourThings · 28/04/2014 20:41

Oh, OP. THat must have been horrific.

RaptorInaPorkPieHat · 28/04/2014 20:41

I'm glad your DD is OK OP.

Hopefully she is young enough that she wont really remember.

This kind of thing DOES happen. I know because I have a similar story from my childhood, except they'd all gone off on a picnic and (presumably) not counted properly, the staff and the other kids returned 2 hours later, I was 4 and they didn't even tell my mum (I did). This was in the days before Ofsted and my mum told me years later that if she'd realised how much it had affected me she would've kicked up a much bigger fuss. As I said, I was older and I remember it, I suffered with claustrophobia for the rest of my childhood to the extent that I couldn't even have my bedroom door shut.

Good Luck tomorrow. Give'em hell.

Goldmandra · 28/04/2014 20:42

remember that revenge is a dish best served cold

This is absolutely nothing to do with revenge. It is about making sure children are kept safe.

AmysTiara · 28/04/2014 20:43

Yes ds2 went to nursery and the staff would leave as soon as the last child had gone. I don't find that part incredible at all.

The rest of it is awful Shock I hope you and your child are ok OP.

SlumdogMummy · 28/04/2014 20:44

You need to ring the police.

www.cotswoldjournal.co.uk/news/10438690.Ex_nursery_boss_in_dock_as_child_left_in_vehicle/

This was a case which happened last year. The owner of the nursery was charged with ‘assault, illtreat, neglect or abandoning a child or young person to cause unnecessary suffering or injury’ and the nursery was closed immediately.

It is very serious and should not have happened. RING THE POLICE NOW!

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