This story about the Plymouth nursery is worrying

[crumpet]

I hope it's not as serious as it sounds
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/8090790.stm

blimey.when i watched news earlier they said they werent yet aware of her role at the nursery.it makes me feel sick,its horrible.

This is terrible

crb checks are pathetic. They only check for crimes you've been caught for. DH has them done for work. Personally I think an extra level should be introduced, where your PC is checked at home - home searched for extra PCs.

Sure, not foolproof, but better than crb.

whooosh yes she was a childmodelling poster. Had a fictitious modelling website/agency and everything where mn'ers sent pictures of their children.

Had meetups with mumsnetters and their children. so no-one had any idea that she wasn't genuine, until someone from a genuine modelling agency contacted mn and outed her on the basis she had claimed her child had done lots of modelling through them and it turned out not to be true. Some posters backed off after that, and although she was banned from mn afaik some posters did keep contact and continued to meet her/send pictures of their children to her for her website.

It was only several months later that the police became involved iirc. I'd never read the childmodelling threads before then, but I did then out of pure curiosity. Had no idea it was that serious until an artacle about it appeared in the times.

Highlander - it would not be possible to check the PC and search the homes of everyone who works with children, and it would (quite rightly) put an awful lot of people off if they thought they had to have a home search first. It would be a massive invasion of privacy.

I really hope that the police have acted quickly in this case.

I tend to avoid these knds of threads but I really feel for the parents whose children were at the nursery and the co workers, how much is that going to shake up your trust in people.

agree that looking at people's computers etc is a violation. And it presumes guilt where there most likely is none.

they've charged her now.

You can get a basic CRB which looks at convictions and also an enhanced one.

Just thinking - it's true that unless you've been caught the checks are a bit worthless but having had the checks, surely organisations that work with children should have safeguards in place in everyday practice anyway.

It seems that the concerns are about the youngest children, the pre verbal ones no dobut. On some levels it would be easy to smuggle in a mobile and take photos of the kids but then again it shouldn't be. The nursery should have staff to child ratios and if these were in place that should help reduce the risk to children surely?

Fair enough they have to take them to the toilet and change nappies etc but they don't do this in isolation?

Anyway no use speculating I suppose until more is known but it is sickening.

thats true fiftot. My ds's nursery has so many staff and such an open plan building that no one is ever tucked away. even the toilets are quite 'open', no door on the actual bathroom area. And there are glass partions between the baby room and main room.

A nursery near us has a web cam soley for parent's use so the staff are under constant scrutiny.

but it's a fine line though isn't it? We surely have to operate on the basis that people are generally trustworthy, honest people who wouldn't dream of harming our children. And in reality, if you wanted to ensure that no adult could ever be alone with a child, you would have to have a greater ratio of adults than children, which is simply not possible or even financial viable.

A 39-year-old woman from Plymouth has been charged with seven offences, including distributing indecent images of children and sexual assault.

Nursery worker Vanessa George was arrested at her home in the Efford area on Monday night.

Police are continuing to speak to staff and parents of children at the nursery unit where she worked.

She is in police custody and is due to appear before Plymouth Magistrates Court on Thursday, officers said

They had a system when I was young where very small children were looked after by their mum until they could talk.

Sounds quaint now I expect.

Yes well if they paid me I would look after my own DD and not work. Unfortunately I can't afford to.

What I thought was really sad was that she actually has children herself. I hope to God she didn't abuse any child in her care OR her own children.

Truly awful. I bet there were many parents lying awake last night that have trusted that nursery.

onager - that seems a bit of an inflammatory statement, esp on such a thread. Many parents are not fortunate enough to be able to stop working when they have children and many do have to rely on childcare. The parents should not have to feel bad or guilty about that.

Fprtunately this is a very rare occasion and the majority of child care providers are genuine and good.

press conference on bbc atm. And they've just said that some of the images are believed to have been taken inside the nursery.

Just watched the press conference too. Totally shocking.

oh no, this has sent a chill down my spine.

i really wish some people didn't feel that had to send there children to nurserys until the children are at least able to talk.

seems such a huge gamble to me

although the rational part of my mind know that children are more likely to be abused by someone they know

how awful for the children and parents.

sounds like the police have done a pretty good job dealing with it quickly

Hulababy, there was speculation on how you could make it safe and that unfortunately is the way.

Do you think I blame people for having to work all hours? Things are set up now so there is no choice, but there used to be enough money for one parent to stay at home at least for the first few years and now there isn't. I think people should question that more.

I remember Tony Blair telling everyone how wonder it was that both parents could be 'free' to go to work and how he'd scrape up some people from somewhere to look after the kids so they could have that priviledge. I didn't like the sound of it then and don't now.

but it's not only children who can't talk that are abused. By that thinking children should never leave their mother's side, and that is simply irational.

I do wonder though what, if any, laws wrt nurseries will change as a result of this. Because the fact of the matter is that children have at best been photographed, at worst been abused, without the knowledge of anyone else in that nursery.

wannabe, but at least if they can talk you have a hope they could tell you.

you can ask them about their day and what he/she has been doing.