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AIBU?

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See all MNHQ comments on this thread

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:
FunnyFoot · 29/04/2014 08:02

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

MrsDeanAmbrose · 29/04/2014 08:03

I've seen incidents like this as a social worker so I can well believe it could happen.

Here, the LADO would be calling a strategy meeting, inviting police, education, Ofsted etc, and this would decide what police investigation was needed, what info to be gathered etc, and the way forward. Our LADO is very good and keeps parents fully informed, and in the meantime I imagine parents would want to be looking for alternative childcare and should expect a lot of help from the LEA due to the circumstances

Alicebannedit · 29/04/2014 08:03

OP I'm so glad you have such a caring, level headed and supportive partner. I hope today works out well for all of you Thanks.

TheDoctrineOfSnatch · 29/04/2014 08:04

Ismell, people have linked to newspaper stories and told their own stories. This is rare but it happens.

MNHQ only delete reported posts; if you didn't like the posts you mention, report them.

And you are still breaking guidelines, BTW.

Darmok · 29/04/2014 08:07

I have worked in a nursery.
I believe this could happen, I know how many mistakes were made daily.

We also had an arrangement with the nearby primary, that if we ever had to evacuate the building, fire/flood etc, we could walk the children to the school and phone parents from there.

It was the logical place to look next.

Actually I kind of wish the OP had had to break the door down. Then the police would have been involved yesterday.

BeyondTheVirtualActivist · 29/04/2014 08:08

If op does come back to update, the way things are going she'll be coming back to a full thread!

Trapper · 29/04/2014 08:13

It is understandable that people are sceptical and find this thread hard to believe, the odds of all other children being collected early, plus staff not checking, plus child not making any (noticeable) noise whilst the building was being locked up all seems rather far fetched. However, it is most certainly possible, and given the large number of nurseries in the UK, it is not improbable.
It is tempting to shout 'troll', as it is easier to believe that someone is having a sick joke, rather than believing this actually happened. However, I believe we should be assuming this is true and doing what mumsnet does best - offering support, advice and a healthy dose of dry wit.
Sorry this happened to you OP. I hope you get an apology, and procedures are out in place to prevent this happening again. As well as reporting to OFSTED I would consider the healthcare safety executive too as they should be treati this as a near miss.

Trapper · 29/04/2014 08:13

It is understandable that people are sceptical and find this thread hard to believe, the odds of all other children being collected early, plus staff not checking, plus child not making any (noticeable) noise whilst the building was being locked up all seems rather far fetched. However, it is most certainly possible, and given the large number of nurseries in the UK, it is not improbable.
It is tempting to shout 'troll', as it is easier to believe that someone is having a sick joke, rather than believing this actually happened. However, I believe we should be assuming this is true and doing what mumsnet does best - offering support, advice and a healthy dose of dry wit.
Sorry this happened to you OP. I hope you get an apology, and procedures are out in place to prevent this happening again. As well as reporting to OFSTED I would consider the healthcare safety executive too as they should be treati this as a near miss.

LegoSuperstar · 29/04/2014 08:17

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

FunnyFoot · 29/04/2014 08:20

candy

If you want to have a dig at me at least type your own insult instead of copy and pasting someone else's.

I do not think I am important. Where have I said that?

You spout about troll hunters blah blah blah but the troll defenders get right on my tits.
I am clearly not the only one who thinks this is on the Hmm side and if name calling me makes you feel better then fine carry on as they are just words on a screen after all. If MNHQ disagree with my conduct then they will delete my posts because at the end of the day they have the final say.

FunnyFoot · 29/04/2014 08:22

Sorry Lego but I will defend myself against those who are calling me names.
I do not see why I should sit quietly when they are calling me a twat.

KaFayOLay · 29/04/2014 08:26

Hope you get some answers today OP, I can only imagine how fraught you must have been.

LegoSuperstar · 29/04/2014 08:26

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

TheGenialHarryGrout · 29/04/2014 08:27

Ironic that you are quite happy to be thoroughly unpleasant and spiteful throughout your own posts, but get all whiny and sad when the same happens to you. I saw your comments on the other thread and you were downright unpleasant, thinking you were witty with all your little gang around you egging you on.
I wonder in the cold light of day if you could entertain the merest possibility that you may have actually got it wrong, and the op is reporting facts as they stand. Because there's a person at the other end of your mean spirited vitriol. Like many others have said, if you don't believe it, report it. Like I've done with your posts, for example.

Groovee · 29/04/2014 08:27

Hoping you got a good nights sleep OP and get some answers today.

TheGenialHarryGrout · 29/04/2014 08:28

To funny foot, obviously

londonrach · 29/04/2014 08:28

Shocked! I wouldn't trust them again. You need answers and this needs reporting.

londonrach · 29/04/2014 08:29

Hope dd ok today op

brdgrl · 29/04/2014 08:32

if there has ever been occasion to ban a poster, surely this is one.

scouseontheinside · 29/04/2014 08:32

My God. OP, I am gobsmacked on your behalf.

How the bloody hell is that possible? (Not disbelieving you here, just simple agog that this could happen)

Unbelievable negligence on their part. Police to get their advice. Then attend the meeting with OFSTED rep there. Call a lawyer first thing in the morning. You deserve some answers.

Sigyn · 29/04/2014 08:34

Yes I agree with not shouting troll.

This is an extreme but not unbelievable incident. TBH, for me the small oddities-eg not phoning the police immediately-are what makes it more believable in some ways. You do not think clearly under these circumstances. My assumption would have been that there was a broken doorbell, that they'd all gone upstairs, etc, so once I'd established that the kids weren't at the school for some reason, yes I'd get the caretaker to open up so I could check.

To be honest, I wouldn't know what to do and I doubt most of us would. I'm not even sure if the police WOULD break in. I don't know what they'd do but their priority would be to find the child and that would mean talking to the school, contacting the manager, etc-all of which might actually have taken more time. Getting the caretaker was probably the most efficient option.

DownstairsMixUp · 29/04/2014 08:35

I believe the OP. I hate it when people come on to say "Oh my sister works in the best nursery in the country and this would NEVER happen" so like you know one person who works in that industry it could NEVER happen. Hope it goes well for OP today. I'd be livid!

Goldmandra · 29/04/2014 08:35

If you've worked in an early years setting you will be only too aware that this could happen.

There are procedures in place in all settings precisely because this is possible and practitioners see them working on a daily basis. Just a simple thing like counting the children when you move from one room to another sometimes highlights that you're one short and someone's been in the toilet for a while.

When the procedures are written effectively and followed correctly, they prevent events like this from occurring and nobody, apart from the practitioner concerned, even knows about it. In this case, either the procedures were ineffective or they were not followed correctly and a child ended up being put at risk of significant harm.

If this situation were so unlikely to occur that we must assume it didn't, the risk assessments wouldn't pick up the possibility and the procedures wouldn't be written. The mere fact that settings have procedures to prevent it is an indicator that there is a real risk of it occurring.

Any OP on any thread could be a troll. I'd rather be taken in by 100 trolls than call troll on a genuine poster who had been through such an upsetting experience and needed information and advice about how to proceed to protect her own child and others.

Funnyfoot, you've made your point loud and clear. I really think you should pull your head in now.

FunnyFoot · 29/04/2014 08:40

Look I am not egged on by anyone. I have my own mind. I have my own opinions.

If you wish to get me banned so be it. I accept that this is your opinion of me.

Aeroflotgirl · 29/04/2014 08:44

Funnyfoot yes it can happen, not all nurseries are stringent in their proceedures, some nurseries are are very lax, if you have in affective staff who are nt teir for the right reasons can happen.

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