Tag: NurserySafety

Nursery Safe Sleep Inspections Expanded After Safety Concerns in England Government increases unannounced nursery checks England will see a major rise in unannounced nursery inspections from September, with about 3,000 additional visits each year. The Department for Education says this move aims to strengthen child safety in early years settings. Inspectors will now include safe sleep practices as a core part of every review. This means they will look closely at how young children are placed to rest, how they are monitored, and whether staff follow safe routines throughout nap time. Officials say the change is designed to give parents stronger confidence that safeguarding standards are being met across nurseries. Safe sleep rules now part of inspection ratings Ofsted will now assess sleep practices during all nursery inspections. These checks will look at whether children are put down safely, supervised properly, and regularly checked while resting. If inspectors find poor practice, it will affect the nursery’s overall rating. Regulators say this will push providers to follow safer routines and improve daily care standards. Case of child death raises concerns The changes follow serious concerns raised after the death of a toddler at a nursery in the West Midlands in 2022. A 14 month old boy, Noah, died after being tightly wrapped in bedding and left face down during rest time. CCTV shown in court revealed distressing moments where he struggled while left unsupervised. Staff failed to physically check on him for around two hours. He was later found unresponsive and died in hospital. A nursery worker was later jailed for manslaughter. The nursery received a large corporate fine, and its owner was given a suspended sentence for a health and safety offence. Family response and wider concerns The child’s mother said the nursery treated children without proper care or attention. She described the environment as one where children were not handled with basic dignity or supervision. Court evidence also suggested other children were treated in a similar way during rest periods, raising wider concerns about safety standards in early years care. Stronger oversight aimed at prevention The government says the expanded inspections are meant to prevent similar failures in future. More frequent unannounced visits are expected to identify risks earlier and improve accountability in nurseries. Officials believe stronger oversight of sleep routines will help reduce preventable harm and improve trust in childcare services.
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Nursery Safe Sleep Inspections Expanded After Safety Concerns in England

Government increases unannounced nursery checks England will see a major rise in…

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