…By Jack Sylva for TDPel Media.
A young girl named Delilah, who is soon turning three, suffered an injury to her eye at her nursery, leaving her upset and injured.
Her father, Neil Dumoulin, received a call from the nursery, Little Green Rascals, informing him of the incident before he went to collect Delilah on May 15th.
A photograph taken by Mr. Dumoulin showed his daughter with a bloodied and bruised eye.
Delilah was taken to the hospital where her cut was cleaned and closed with glue.
Concerns and Complaints:
Mr. Dumoulin, residing in York where the nursery is located, filed a complaint with the nursery management, expressing his worry about the incident.
He mentioned that his daughter had previously experienced minor injuries while playing at the nursery, which were reported to him by the staff.
Although Delilah had been described as “clumsy” before, Mr. Dumoulin’s concern about the May 15th incident led him to withdraw his daughter from the nursery and report the matter to Ofsted, the regulatory body for nurseries in the UK.
Nursery’s Account and Investigation:
According to an accident report provided to Mr. Dumoulin, the nursery staff did not witness how Delilah injured her eye. However, she had informed a staff member that she hit it on a chair.
The report mentioned that a staff member turned around and found Delilah on the floor near a table with a cut above her eye.
Little Green Rascals initiated an investigation into the incident and assured Mr. Dumoulin that they would share their findings once the investigation is complete.
The nursery emphasized its commitment to prioritizing the safety of children, staff members, and visitors.
Reactions and Actions Taken:
The incident left the Dumoulin family deeply traumatized, with Delilah experiencing pain, tearfulness, and difficulty sleeping.
Little Green Rascals expressed sadness regarding the accident and continued to conduct a thorough investigation.
They maintained communication with regulatory bodies, including the Local Authority and Ofsted.
Martin Kelly, corporate director of children and education from the City of York Council, acknowledged the situation and stated that they were engaged with relevant bodies to provide guidance and ensure appropriate measures were taken.
Past Oversight and Assurance:
Little Green Rascals previously received an ‘outstanding’ rating from Ofsted in 2022.
However, regulatory visits were conducted in response to specific incidents.
On September 12, 2022, Ofsted visited the nursery after being notified that a child had managed to leave the premises earlier that month.
Following this visit, the nursery took action to enhance security measures, such as changing locks and adding additional fencing.
A subsequent regulatory visit on September 20 raised further concerns related to staff deployment and risk assessments.
The nursery responded to the action plan set by Ofsted on October 3, and Ofsted confirmed their satisfaction with the provider’s compliance.
Conclusion:
The injury sustained by Delilah at Little Green Rascals Nursery has prompted an investigation by the nursery and raised concerns among her family.
Little Green Rascals has pledged to share the findings of their investigation with the parents upon its completion.
The incident has also brought attention to previous regulatory visits and actions taken by Ofsted to address safety issues at the nursery.