OFSTED FINDS SAFEGUARDING FAILURES AT NURSERY WHERE CHILD HANDED TO WRONG...

Ofsted has found that safeguarding standards are not met at Kids Planet Crosby in Merseyside following an inspection on 15 June. The nursery referred itself to the education watchdog after a two-year-old girl was handed to the wrong grandfather on 10 June and driven away for at least 10 minutes before being returned. Ofsted's report, published on 3 August, identified weaknesses in staff deployment, supervision and collection procedures that place children at significant risk of harm.

The inspection found that children's welfare and wellbeing, and leadership and governance, require urgent improvement. Ofsted stated in its report that leaders have not ensured safeguarding procedures are implemented consistently, and that children do not consistently benefit from the robust systems needed to protect their safety. The watchdog also found that children's privacy was not consistently considered during toileting and intimate care, though the provider took immediate action to address this. Staff did not consistently supervise the collection process, a failure that directly led to the incident involving the child.

Jody Riley, the mother of the two-year-old involved in the incident, told local media she would not return her daughter to Kids Planet Crosby and would care for her full-time. Ofsted acknowledged that children develop warm and secure relationships with staff members, who understand individual care routines including sleeping, feeding and emotional needs. The watchdog stated, however, that these positive aspects do not outweigh the significant weaknesses in the promotion of children's welfare and wellbeing.