Child Injured at Nursery...thoughts please!

[cheeseroller]

My lo had a nasty accident at nursery during which the top of his finger was chopped off in a toilet door. Thankfully, and against the odds, it has been reattached and he seems to be recovering well but we now have to deal with the nursery.

We have been contacted once by a key worker but have heard NOTHING from the nursery management. No phone call, no email, no meeting and it has now been nearly 2 weeks... I understand accidents happen and I don't blame the staff, but part of me thinks it shouldn't have been possible and I need to know he is safe. I just don't feel that now, especially given their lack of follow up with us.

Feedback from other parents about it seems to be that the nursery are downplaying it and don't want it discussed. I just don't know what to do next... I am so scared about him going back to nursery but he has always been really happy there, but I think they have handled this sooooo badly.

Has anyone been in a similar situation? Am I overreacting? What should I do next? Any advice would be great :-)

The cynical part of me wonders if they have been advised by lawyers to say as little to you about the incident as possible. If they were to phone you, or even worse write to you, and say the were sorry, the this would be them admitting liability I think, and then you would have a straightforward case to sue them.

Perhaps first step is to try to arrange a formal meeting with manager and key workers/key staff to understand fully how it happened, and what they will be doing in the future to ensure it won't happen.

I presume they will have had to fill in Ofsted report so perhaps you could ask to see that?

Pursue this as much as you want, OP - it's not just for your child, but to prevent another poor child having to go through the same thing.

So sorry you and your LO have had t go through this trauma.

Thanks...I wondered that too about the lawyers...definitely don't want anyone else to get hurt...

Contact your local HSE to make sure they are aware. I think they will have had to report the incident and you can ask them to carry out an inspection to make sure things have been put in place to prevent a recurrence.

I dread to think how this happened...

There is an MNer who has posted at quite some length about her child being injured at nursery. It was a bit different because he was bitten and scratched badly by another child while they we left alone sleeping.

I think she has pursued it much further. Hopefully she will see this thread and come and advise.

I would check with the nursery it has been reported to the correct people

Although accidents happen in a nursery a child shouldn't be able to trap their finger because all the doors should be designed so that can't happen.

Dh lost top of his finger in a faulty fire door accident at school yrs ago paid for his first stereo.

Was it a faulty door/ in the hinge or slamming?

I would be discussing with the head and key worker to see what has been put in place. Accidents do happen sometimes with dreadful consequences to me it would depend on what they have put in place.

Like you I would be very disappointed they have not been in touch seems very uncaring but is probably due to some poor advice they have been given .

Sorry to hear about your lo, wishing a speedy recovery

Thanks everyone... Meeting now arranged with nursery so i just have to compose myself... The accident happened when a toilet cubicle was slammed shut on his hand... I know accidents happen but I really think it could have been prevented... 3 year olds slam doors, so if it is foreseeable and preventable cheaply, then it SHOULD not have happened, and I want to make sure it doesn't happen to anyone again....next time the fingers might not survive which is unthinkable...

I never know what people mean by 'nursery' - do you mean a private creche or pre-school? I would be furious if that happened to my son, although I do understand that accidents happen. In my experience, accidents are far less likely at a private creche as the staff:child ratio is much higher - my ds never had any issues at creche, which he went to from age 18 months - 3 1/2. Pre-school (called nursery where I am) has been a different matter, with bruises and scratches and even a cut lip on one occasion. The ratio of staff:children is much worse, I think there is one teacher and two teaching assistants for nearly 30 children (aged 4). At pre-school, provided they have followed procedure by filling in an accident form, which you should ask to see, this may well have been an unfortunate but nasty accident. At creche I would be a little more concerned, as younger than 4 they should be better supervised in my opinion. If you need more advice you could ring your health visitor, they may be able to advise. I would definitely make known that you have been disappointed by not being contacted by the management - I think they should certainly have been in touch with you. People have mentioned that they may have had legal advice and that is quite possible - but ringing to ask how your child is and explain that they have completed an incident form and have taken the matter seriously is not the same as them admitting they were at fault, and there is no good reason why they haven't done this. Hope you get a satisfactory response.