Nursery is shut down for good after death of one-year-old boy ‘in suspicious circumstances’

Ofsted has shut a Dudley nursery permanently after the tragic death of a one-year-old boy at the site last year.

Fairytales Day Nursery had its licence suspended at the end of 2022 amid a police probe into the toddler’s death.

The tot collapsed at 3.20pm on December 9, and ambulance crews arrived after reports he had gone into cardiac arrest, but he sadly died at the scene.

The education watchdog took action when they suspected other children were potentially ‘at risk of harm’, by first suspending and now shutting the nursery for good – subject to an appeal.

Six women in total were arrested in connection with the baby’s death, which is being treated as suspicious. They remain on bail while enquiries continue.

Ofsted has shut Fairytales Day Nursery, in Dudley, permanently after the tragic death of a one-year-old boy at the site last year

The tot collapsed at 3.20pm on December 9, and ambulance crews arrived (pictured) after reports he had gone into cardiac arrest, but he sadly died at the scene

Ofsted inspectors previously told the Bourne Street provider that it needed to meet certain criteria to avoid closing permanently.

This included staff being able to ‘demonstrate’ how they would ensure ‘sleeping babies were frequently checked’ and ‘put down safely’.

An Ofsted report announcing the closure reads: ‘We have issued a notice of intention to cancel the provider’s registration because we believe them to be no longer suitable to be registered. The provider has the right to object to our intention.

‘On December 9, 2022, the provider notified us of a serious incident involving a child in their care. On December 14, we received concerns that the provider was not meeting some of the safeguarding and welfare requirements.

‘We suspended the provider’s registration because we believed children may be at risk of harm. Suspension allows time for the provider to take steps to reduce or eliminate the risk of harm to children.

‘On 15 December, we carried out a regulatory visit. We found that the provider failed to notify us of a change in manager – an offence.

‘In addition, we found the provider was not meeting some of the requirements. We served a welfare requirements notice requiring the provider to take action within the timescales set out.’

The education watchdog took action when they suspected other children were potentially ‘at risk of harm’

Fairytales needed to meet nine action steps to avoid closure. They were:

• Ensure at least half the staff who care for babies have received training that specifically addresses the care of babies
• Demonstrate how you will ensure sleeping babies are frequently checked to ensure they’re safe
• Review and implement sleeping arrangements to ensure children are placed down to sleep safely in line with latest government safety guidance
• Ensure all practitioners have appropriate qualifications, training, skills, knowledge and a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities with regards to sleeping children
• Demonstrate how you will ensure children’s individual needs are met and that sleep routines fit in with their individual requirement
• Take all reasonable steps to ensure children in your care are not exposed to risks, paying particular attention to risks in the baby room
• Ensure risk assessment is effective and identifies aspects of the environment that need to be checked on a regular basis, when and by whom those aspects will be checked, and how the risk will be removed or minimised
• Ensure you accurately implement your safeguarding procedures to safeguard children in the event of an allegation being made against a member of staff
• Ensure all staff understand your safeguarding policy and procedures so they can recognise and respond in a timely and appropriate way when inappropriate behaviour is displayed by other members of staff.