To report what this colleague did?

[StrawberryFields2025]

I have recently started as an apprentice at a nursery. Today a child was wondering into a different room where they wasn’t meant to be. Instead of my colleague picking him up carefully or gently redirecting him, she grabbed and picked him up by one arm and walked with him like that with him off the ground quite a bit by one arm. This made him cry. Other colleagues found it funny but I didn’t.

This is why I’m so nervous about my little one starting nursery, I can’t stand the thought of anyone hurting her or being mean to her ☹️ definitely raise it OP xx

What's that got to do with what she saw?

I wonder if you're doing an associated college course and if you could talk to a teacher there, if you felt more comfortable reporting it that way?

🙁 Poor baby. Please report. I don’t mean to have a go at your op but I really don’t understand people sitting on the fence about reporting in this circumstances. You know it wasn’t right, you know all reporting is anonymous, you know that even if they know it’s you who’s reported they can be as annoyed as they like but even they will know you’re not in the wrong. It’s such a non brainer? Your job is to protect the children, not the staff.

I would report it

Yes. Really upsetting treatment of a toddler.

Your nursery probably has many cameras in every room. You need to report and if possible try to check if there is a camera in the area she was. If you report with the approx time and date, the evidence will be there.

It's not only a terrible thing to do, but potentially dangerous. If the child had a relatively common genetic condition which affects collagen grabbing a child like that for some time could cause dislocations and extreme pain.

Please report asap and well done for being brave, considerate and kind. It would be great to hear how your report goes.

You will go far in the working world with the integrity you show.

Report this. Are the parents informed because they should be informed. How horrid and also the laughing. Can you find another job in a correctly functioning nursery.

What do you mean?

She’s correcting OP’s typo.
OP wrote wondering.

Yes, I would report.

This makes me feel sick. Please report and escalate it if they brush it off

3 the colleagues being ok with it

If you have a college mentor please tell them immediately.
You can also google your local councils safeguarding duty line and ask them what to do

She's probably very young and hasn't been trained yet, but she is trying to find out what to do, be nicer to her

This

If the manager tells her to brush it off she should still report it though

Your nursery should have a safeguarding and whistleblowing policy

Report it and also contact your college tutor at the same time. You might need support with this. I am guessing you are relatively young( but I know not all (apprentices are) you are right to ask what would that member of staff do when no one is looking! It shows by ppl laughing that their is a toxic culture there, this is how really bad things can happen if ppl just go along with what they know is wrong.
Don't be part of that ever, it won't end well for anyone. I think you know the right thing to do but needed reassurance. You can contact your tutor at anytime with any concerns. That's what they are there for.💛

Absolutely, my DD had what's called a pulled elbow, a very common thing which involves pushing bones back in ( I think), caused by holding onto a spinning pole at soft play. Doc said can easily happen before 5 and you should never pick them up by the arms

Please do the correct thing and report this.
That the other staff found this funny suggests a very poor culture and cause for concern
Well done for feeling as you do and recognising a wrong
it’s a very brave thing to raise this but you are doing the right thing thank you.

Maybe do some secret recording so no one can deny it

I've worked in childcare for 30 years and witnessed similar. It must be so hard for you being young and inexperienced. Ignore the nasty comments on here and know that you are absolutely doing the right thing when you report this....I say when not if because you know you must. Do you fully trust the manager? If other staff laughed and found this horrific incident funny I find it quite likely the manager may turn a blind eye to toxic culture. If there is any doubt in your mind about this you can contact Ofsted immediately (whistleblowing) and LADO just Google it for your area. I would personally not return to that setting unless you are sure the majority of other staff are professional. It is not the environment you want to learn from. Please dont ignore this. You will find an apprenticeship elsewhere (ask your tutor for support) and those poor children need protecting.

This is heartbreaking that tiny children are being treated this way by the people paid to look after them…please do report it Op it isn’t ok in the slightest.

Bloody hell some of you here. FFS. The pack mentality here sometimes. Have a look at yourselves 😡

Please report OP. That's horrible behaviour 😔

I worked in childcare for 15 years. Unfortunately these types of behaviour are more common than you think. Yes you should report it but this could impact negatively on you depending on how your manager handles it. If the worker finds out you reported them they may make your experience more difficult. The manager may react appropriately and deal with it or may dismiss it/make an excuse. And you could be seen as difficult for reporting it.

its the right thing to do but it could impact negatively on you.

She is probably the queen bee. It is difficult to speak out when you are new.
Sounds like a toxic place.
I'd discuss the situations with your manager, although sadly, this is the type of attitude that you find in care work. The others staff members following the toxicity.