Nursery called social services after toddler’s black eye

[Mentalhealthcrisishelpplease]

I’m in bits and terrified here. Today my son was at nursery and my DM collected him. When she got home in the light, she noticed my DS, 20 months, had a black eye. She called me and asked if I had seen it before nursery and I said no. She called the nursery and asked what had happened, and one of the girls was very rambled in saying that my son had fallen from the slide and hit the side of his eye on the wood, and that they had applied a cold compress, and then he was wobbly.

2 minutes later the manager called me in a hurry, nervously apologising and saying how angry she was with her staff for not calling me or updating our ParentZone app. In our contract it states that we as the parents are always notified if something happens like this.

It raised concerns with me, and I said I was sorry but I was going to pull DS from nursery due to negligence.

She accepted this and cancelled December’s sessions, however 15 minutes later I received a call from her saying she had contacted child’s services, because I had ‘too abruptly’ removed my son from nursery which made them suspicious.

So now, I’m going to have a call from social services and a toddler with an ever-developing black eye.

Someone please tell me it’s going to be okay :(

Sounds retaliatory and malicious.

Explaining it to social services should be simple and contact Ofsted.

@portandchocolate

I think the nursery probably had to refer themselves to sc as the child was injured in their care and they haven't followed their own procedures. There's a name for this process but can't recall it.

Why they've said it's because of you is beyond me

The term is lado where if concerns regarding a paid person looking after a child / teacher etc has harmed a child or not followed safeguarding etc.

@Thatsplentyjack

I think you overreacted.

Given the nursery's subsequent reaction, do you really think the OP overreacted ?

@Absc
That's the one! Thank you

The Nursery should have a copy of the accident and they should ask the parent/carer to read and sign this when you collect your child. Also a head injury form should be filled out where the staff observe the child over a certain period of time. I would report them to ofsted, they have failed in their duty of care and are very wrong to deal with it this way. I am very concerned about the way the Nursery have dealt with this. The manager knows they have not dealt with this correctly.

@Russell19

You need to have a copy of the accident report and the first aid given

You also need to report to ofsted and the LA

This.

Email the nursery in the morning outlining exactly what you and your mother were told. Ask them to attach a copy of the accident report to their reply and to explain their reasons for the SS referral. Photograph your sons eye.

Sit back and relax whilst awaiting contact from SS.

Okay well if they contact you you can make it clear he sustained an injury due to their negligence. Safeguarding applies to them too.

Get ahead of it and report them for negligence.

My worry would be that the nursery are going to lie and say he arrived with a black eye, that you pulled him out when they said to you about it and that's why they have reported you to SS. I really hope they aren't that bad but as they've reported you for taking him out for a perfectly good reason I wouldn't put it past them. They might only care about covering their backs.

Good idea as previous poster said about getting yourself a copy of the accident report

Have you got medical advice for him for the being wobbly statement?

Wow, if I had any qualms about reporting them to Ofsted, I wouldn't have any after their malicious report.

I’d be fuming- so they neglect him and call ss on you?! I’d call ofsted, write on every local group/ social media possible

@Mentalhealthcrisishelpplease just checking in to see if you are okay, as you have posted in recent days about being on MH crisis. Are you and your child okay?

*in MH crisis

@Tal45

My worry would be that the nursery are going to lie and say he arrived with a black eye, that you pulled him out when they said to you about it and that's why they have reported you to SS. I really hope they aren't that bad but as they've reported you for taking him out for a perfectly good reason I wouldn't put it past them. They might only care about covering their backs.

This is my worry too.

TAL45- I referenced similar to this above. Not that they will lie but will say that they can’t be sure where he sustained the black eye- could have been with them, but mother’s response has sent alarm bells.
I really think a lot of people are over thinking this- we don’t actually know what happened- only OPs side of events. It is up to social services to investigate. They aren’t stupid and will presumably ask to see all records etc of incident at nursery and also listen to why the nursery manager has felt obliged to call them. Better safe than sorry.

@Itsalmostanaccessory

That's a malicious report. I would be raising merry hell about this.

Your toddler was injured whilst in their care and you chose to remove him because they didnt even inform you. That's your choice to make. Immediately after removing him, they report you to social services? No. Not on. That's malicious.

Contact Ofsted. Contact your MP. I would be dragging that nursery through the mud.

Total over reaction🙄.. and shite advice Nursery will be referring following their policy based on local authority thresholdS of need..... it will very likely go to no further action.... but that’s for a social worker to decide when the referral is triaged. Nursery are unable to make a referral without informing OP ( they don’t need her consent) which is why they will have contacted OP ( not to warn her) OP I’m sure it will all be fine ....if you are worried about your little one , get him checked over medically

Make sure parentzone app is updated with the details.
SS will probably phone you to clarify what happened and close the case. Don’t worry.
To me you’ve done right removing your ds from there given how they have handled this whole thing. Very odd.

Sudden removal CAN be a cause for concern- especially in light of the discussions around injuries. It isn’t up to the nursery to investigate but just pass any information that is worrying them to social services who piece the jigsaw together.

The fact shes informed child services because you've said he's not going back is shocking!

It isn’t shocking- it is normal process if there is a concern about child welfare

It will be fine.

You explain to SS that you withdrew your DS from their nursery because he was injured to the point of bruising and you weren't made aware until you contacted them.

In the meantime you find a new childminder or nursery.

I once almost withdrew my baby DS from a child minding service because he came home with a bruise on his head after falling down steps in her garden (her garden wasn't covered by her certificate because of the steps), I let that one go but took him out when I arrived to pick him up and she had left him asleep in the back of her car for 45mins while she dealt with her own childrens meals. SS would have been told exactly why if she had done something as malicious as reporting!!!!

@MissM2912

It isn’t shocking- it is normal process if there is a concern about child welfare

Don't be so ridiculous. It's quite obvious from her OP the reasons she has withdrawn her child from their care. There are also many many other reasons for withdrawing a child from a particular nursery.

I am not being ridiculous- sudden removal CAN be a cause for concern. And as I also said- we are only hearing OPs version of events. I am not saying they are not true but if the nursery say they have a cause for for concern it is up to social services to investigate- not a pile of people on the internet.