Parents of children at suspended nursery voice concerns
Parents of children at a nursery suddenly shut down after a staff member was arrested for sexual assault say they have been left wondering whether their child could have been a victim
By Sarah Ward
Parents of children who attended a nursery where a staff member has been arrested for sexual assault say the matter is being badly handled by the authorities and the childcare setting.
Ofsted shut down the Child First nursery in Moulton on May 9 following the arrest of a member of staff for sexual assault. It remains closed and there is no current date for a re-opening. The staff member has not been charged and the police inquiry is ongoing.
A number of families have contacted NN Journal to express their concerns about how the matter is being handled by the authorities and also their fears about whether or not their child has been a victim.
The nursery on Moulton Way North is one of the largest in the county and according to Ofsted had 188 children on roll. It has four large rooms for children in separate age groups - aged from less than one to four, as well as a wooded area for outdoor play.
Three families we have spoken to say neither Northants Police nor the local authority - which has a responsibility to safeguard children - have been in contact with them to ask questions or gather evidence. They have not been told the name of the staff member, as is the case when someone has been arrested and not as yet charged with an offence.
They have also not been told whether the offence is against a child, but one parent said they had contacted the police with information and spoken to a child abuse investigator and Northants Police have confirmed to us that they are investigating ‘alleged offences’ at the nursery.
NN Journal is not naming any of the parents, as this could identify a child.
One mother, whose daughter attended the nursery, said:
“I appreciate there is an investigation and they have to protect people’s confidentiality, but what I can’t understand is how they can tell us that our children haven’t been involved.
“Because if they have been in contact with said person, which is quite likely as staff move about, then they have been at risk.”
She has been in touch with Northants Police to provide information which she thinks could be relevant to the investigation. She, like many others has also told the nursery that if it re-opens her child will not be returning as she does not feel she will be safe and that the nursery has failed the children.
A mother whose two children attended the setting, said it was initially thought the nursery would close for a couple of days.
She said:
“We are now seven weeks into the suspension.
“Not one person nor authority will confirm if my children were safe at that nursery.
“There is a growing level of anger and distrust of what's going on, and anxiety levels are through the roof.
“I think it's criminal to leave 188 kids' parents wondering if their young children have been assaulted at nursery for seven weeks with no answers.”
The families also have concerns about how the nursery is handling the matter. After closing as usual at 5.30pm Friday, May 9, the nursery then contacted parents to say it would remain closed until further notice and they would have to find alternative childcare arrangements. No reason was given. On the following Tuesday they received an email to say a staff member had been arrested for sexual assault.
A third mother told us that until this incident she had always been pleased with the nursery and its staff, but has been angered by how the matter is being handled.
She said:
“I think there have been a lot of failings. I know they can only be so transparent with us, but I do feel this could have been handled better.
“I know the nursery is going through it as much as we are, but what has really upset me is they have always signed off the emails ‘we’re here if you have any questions or want to talk to us’ but I just feel there is not really any heartfelt meaning behind it.
“We are really gutted. I have always been very trusting and my child is very confident, but this is absolutely huge. It has knocked her, affected me and affected us as a family. The not knowing. There has been a lack of support. Not just for the children but for the families as well.”
The parents have also not received any assistance in how to question their child, which is what many have wanted to do, and in the absence of any suggestions from the nursery have been giving different reasons as to why the nursery has closed. One mother told their child it was because the nursery has had a flood.
The nursery manager and deputy manager, who had been contacting parents, have now left the setting. Parents were told this in an email and no reason has been given for their departure. There is no suggestion they are involved in the criminal investigation.
The parents say the sudden closure has also had an effect on their children. Many did not have the opportunity to say goodbye to friends and staff members who they had built up close bonds with.
One mum said:
“My daughter is missing the social interaction. She misses the other children she used to play with. It is a very sad situation for all of us.”
We contacted Child First, who said:
“We would like to reiterate our apologies to parents affected by the closure of Child First in Moulton.
“We recognise it is an extremely difficult time for everyone concerned and we are waiting for Ofsted to give us the go ahead to reopen.
“We have been communicating, at least, weekly with our parents – including providing information about activities for their children – and we are committed to supporting them in every way possible.
“However, due to the sensitive nature of the investigation and to protect the integrity of the legal process, we are restricted in what we can share publicly at this time.
“The safety and welfare of the children in our care has always been — and remains — our highest priority.
“We are reviewing our communication procedures and will continue to work with safeguarding partners to ensure we are meeting both our legal obligations and our responsibilities to parents.”
We contacted West Northants Council, which has a safeguarding duty and the council said:
“This is an ongoing situation, which we are unable to comment on at this time. However, we would like to provide assurance that we are in ongoing dialogue with families and the relevant authorities to provide support where necessary. We have also ensured that all parents and their children have access to provision during the closure.”
When asked how they had provided assurance to parents, they said:
“We have written to parents, via the setting, to provide details on how they can contact us for support and guidance.”
We asked if the nursery itself was under a safeguarding investigation by the council and the media officer said there was no further comment at this time.
“The Local Area Designated Officer (LADO) are aware of the situation and are working with partner agencies to ensure that children are safeguarded. As this is an ongoing Police investigation, we are unable to comment any further.
A Northamptonshire Police spokeswoman said:
“Our investigation into alleged offences at the Child First nursery in Moulton, Northampton, continues at pace, and we are currently seeking advice from the CPS.
“We understand the worry amongst parents involved and we would encourage anyone with any concerns to contact us.
“As this is a live investigation, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.”
Ofsted said it is not an investigatory body, but is assisting police with inquiries. The nursery was suspended from operating under the Childcare Act 2006 which enables the body to suspend a provider’s registration if it ‘reasonably believes that the continued provision of childcare may expose a child to a risk of harm.’