One-Year-Old Boy Dies at Dudley Nursery
Six women arrested after child dies at Dudley nursery
Investigation
A criminal investigation has been launched following a visit by Ofsted inspectors to Fairytales Day Nursery in Dudley. Six women were arrested over the "suspicious" death of a one-year-old boy at the nursery. Police confirmed that two of those arrested are being held on suspicion of corporate manslaughter. One woman has been held on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter.
Police, ambulance crews and the Midlands Air Ambulance were sent to Bourne Street after being called on December 9 to reports of a child suffering a cardiac arrest but were sadly unable to save him.
A post-mortem examination has taken place, but further tests will be needed to establish the cause of death, according to police.
The boy's family is being supported, the force adds.
Concerns
Ofsted said it had received concerns that it was not meeting some safeguarding and welfare requirements, and its registration was suspended amid fears by officials that "children may be at risk of harm".
A regulatory visit on December 15th revealed the nursery had failed to notify Ofsted of a change in manager, which is an offence, and was not meeting some other requirements.
The nursery was told to make several improvements, including training for staff caring for babies, as well as other actions around babies' sleeping routines, risk assessments and safeguarding procedures.
A spokesperson for Ofsted told BBC News that it would be inappropriate to comment on the circumstances surrounding the death while a police investigation was underway.
The nursery was rated "good" by Ofsted in 2019, and "outstanding" three years earlier. Its website details several awards it has won, including the SME News UK Enterprise Award for best childcare provider in the West Midlands in 2022, expert-recommended top three nurseries in Dudley in 2021 and Greater Birmingham Apprenticeship Awards Small Employer Of The Year 2022.
Suspension
The nursery has been placed under suspension whilst it is undergoing investigation. Ofsted has extended the suspension period for six weeks and will 'make a decision' about the nursery's future after assessing 'risk of harm to children'. In an email to parents and carers, early years regulatory inspector, Johanna Holt, said: "We recently informed you that we had suspended the registration of Fairytales Day Nursery. We explained that we suspended this provider's registration to allow time to investigate our belief that a child may be exposed to a risk of harm, and for any necessary steps to be taken to eliminate or reduce the risk of harm. Please be assured that the safety of children is of the utmost importance to us. We cannot provide any information to parents about the ongoing investigation. However, we continue to work closely with police who are the lead investigating agency, in order that we assess the ongoing suitability of the provider and any risk of harm to children."
"As the investigation is still continuing, we have decided to extend the suspension for a further period of six weeks - from January 27 to March 9, 2023. When we have completed our enquires, we will make a decision about the continuing registration of Fairytales and inform you of the outcome, along with publishing the details of any action we take on our website."