Aibu to make a formal complaint to the nursery?

[slapmyassandcallmejudy]

So earlier this week my Dd (21m) had a fall at nursery, all fine I'm aware they fall, no big deal. However, the next day when she woke she couldn't walk or bare weight on her leg so off to a&e we went. I spoke to the manager of the nursery to double check what had happened to see if it would shed any light on why she was in so much pain, the nursery girls told me one story and the manager told me another. Things just weren't ringing true, I expressed my concern and decided that I would keep and eye on things.

Picked her up from nursery earlier, as I walked past the window I could see her hanging off the edge of a table (laying on it head/upper body/ arms hanging off! Walked in and one of the nursery girls shot up from just chilling sat down behind a partition wall, no other staff in there.

I get that by the end of the day they must be exhausted but it shouldn't be too much to ask that my child is at least supervised and not left to her own devices surely?! Other children were left aswell.. then another worker popped her head in the door, the door knocked a child over and nothing was done, not even a quick check or "oops up you get, are you ok?" Etc....

Feeling uneasy about the nursery now and actually now I think about it whenever I collect her all the staff are just sat in corners chatting amongst themselves.

It's not just me is it? Something seems off...

It sounds awful.

There was one member of staff in a room of how many 2-ish-year-olds?

I would look for another nursery for your daughter. I hope her leg is okay.

I would arrange a meeting to establish what happened with your dds leg. And if the children are being left without the correct ratio of staff then raise that too - though are you sure there wasn’t one changing a nappy for eg in an adjoining room?

If mine have an accident, it's logged in a book which both I and the witnessing staff member have to sign. Did you not have that when you collected her?
One time, my lo had a bumped head. The staff member recorded it etc but explained she hadn't witnessed the actual bump just that my lo and another one had been playing with a doctors case, my lo cried out and the other one ran away. Implying that the other one had whacked her so she could have it. They spoke to both chn and that seems to have been the case, treatment given to my lo, stern word given to other child. Job done.

Anyone can miss something, (except perhaps the perfect people on MN who don't ever stop watching their child), but I would expect more supervision than you described. And I would expect the adults to have the same story as it should have been logged. So even if the manager didn't witness it, they would have been able to check.

I'd be concerned, definitely. A meeting would bet a good idea and I'd want to check ratios too.

Move her. Sounds awful.

I'd be making a complaint to Ofsted.
The place is full of Safe Guarding red flags.

I would move her.

I would ask to see their accident log and what was recorded in there. This doesn’t sound right-my experience is that every minor knock and scrape is recorded and I sign that I’ve been informed.

You can't keep leaving your child here!!! That's appalling!

I would ask for a meeting with nursery head and staff member who advised you of injury.

A log book of injuries on site should be signed and filled by staff and signed by parents after any injury requiring comfort or FA.

I know our rules in Scotland are slightly diffent in England but that's just basic incident logging at a childcare facility.

I've signed that book maybe 4 times since January, worst one was daughter was Ill and 4hrs later in casualty due to 39 temp and suspected Appendicitis.

Hope the wee one is ok but you defo need to raise a complaint

Pleased to see I'm not over reacting.

I completely understand that things get missed, they can't watch every single child for every single second of the day. But tonight when I collected her there were only 3 or 4 children left to be collected so it's not like she could have missed it, in fact she was the only child in that part of the room. It would have taken her some time to first decide to climb the table, then walk to it to then climb it, lay down and decide to start hanging off of it. None of which was noticed and when I walked in she jumped up as though she'd realised it was me and possibly knew I wouldn't be happy, especially since I've already expressed concern about the accident earlier in the week and told them the inconsistencies have raised doubt and lowered my trust in them. They were quick to confirm today that there had been no accidents for my daughter.

Like I said, I understand they're probably knackered by the end of the day and allow them some free play and that's understandable but with a small amount of children, my daughter should not have been left to climb the table!! I'm going to call on Monday and ask for a meeting I think

I have worked in many nurseries and in my opinion I would be looking for a new nursery for your DD, I would also be raising a complaint with the nursery manager in the meantime. I hope your DD is ok.

It's the attitude, though. At my nursery they're working until the very last minute, reassuring the children that parents are coming, getting ready for the handover, toileting so they're ready to go etc. There is none of this 'we're knackered let's have a chat' business! They're constantly picking the children up, hugging them asking if they're ok. If there are any problems with asthma/rashes/temperatures they notice before I do and are all over it because they deeply care. My child slept three minutes more than I'd asked for and they Followed It Up. If a child was knocked over by a door opening they would be horrified! That's the only kind of nursery I would feel was acceptable, to be honest. But if they're like this when you do see them, what are they like the rest of the time? And how could one parent change that culture.

Bloody hell that sounds awful. At DS's nursery (and this was for 3-4 years old who presumably need less supervision than toddlers). When staff were working they were working and were always actively engaged in supervising and engaging with the kids. No child was left alone. I felt that the staff had been trained well and were given breaks etc. so they didn't feel the need to rest while working. I would move nursery in your situation.

I work in a nursery and this this smacks of a general not give a shit attitude. I’d be so so upset.

The attitude to knocking a child with the door would bother me as much as anything else tbh, it shows a fundamental lack of respect for them as people, little human beings.

This doesn't surprise me about nurseries tbh they're like a cattle market.

Notify Ofsted and put a written complaint into the nursery manager. Outline the accident discrepancies and lack of safeguarding around supervision.

Take your dd out and look at childminders instead.

I'd much rather my child was in a home environment of my chosen with a sensible adult in charge who is a parent themselves rather than in a room full of other kids and one stroppy disinterested teen on NMW.

Give OFSTED a ring for adivce on this. i am sure they would be very concerned

Move her.
You are getting a gut feeling about the attitude of the staff. That speaks volumes.
Whilst I agree that the incident and lack of consistency about what happened is concerning, I think you just know when you walk into somewhere and the staff have a certain attitude that there is a bit of a negative culture.
They don’t sound very caring towards the children at all.

I remember being at DC's nursery, and watched one member of staff call over another member of staff to come in the room while they grabbed something from next door so the ratios wouldn't go too low. That's my cheap and cheerful nursery.

The private school nursery close by locked up and left a child in there asleep as a parent was late picking up and somehow they had a) missed the child when shutting up and b) the child had been wrongly signed out.

Kind of shows that money doesn't buy quality, you need to look at attitude to safeguarding etc. I'd move her.

Failing at40, what a horrid response. The OP has a genuine worry, and instead of offering advice, you slate an entire profession with ridiculous stereotypes.

OP definitely ask for a meeting with the manager, express your concerns. I expect the staff member you saw will have a talking to by the manager. If no improvements are seen after that, look at another nursery. They are not all staffed by bored teenages, as Failing said. In the nursery i work at we have staff who very in age from 18 to 70, and experience ranging from 1year to 30+

Notify Ofsted and put a written complaint into the nursery manager. Outline the accident discrepancies and lack of safeguarding around supervision.

Take your dd out and look at childminders instead.

@Thetvson ^ I did give op advice
This was it. Just because you're defensive as you work in a nursery doesn't mean that makes all nursery's okay.

If her 18 month old toddler is prone to climbing then she needs closer supervision and she won't get that in a nursery. I don't see how that is slating a whole profession!!!

I spoke to the manager about it to express my concern and told her I'm close to removing her from the nursery. To be fair to her she was brilliant, said she's taken it as a formal complaint, has informed her own manager of what's happened, completely understood my concerns of the girls not being focused in the afternoons when I collect and said she agrees it's absolutely not good enough. She said she would speak to the girls in question and thanked me for informing her. I do like the nursery and despite what happened last week my little girl is very happy there and i think she would struggle with a nursery change so removing her is the last thing I want to do if it's not absolutely necessary. The past few times I've been to collect her they've been playing with the children and seemed more interactive so that's good. I'll be keeping a close eye on things, hopefully they'll have had their talking to and sort themselves out

Also, childminders are out of the question for me, it's not what I want

Report to the care inspectorate or offstead (depending where you are) and they will hopefully do an unannounced visit. You can do this anonymously.