Woman arrested after Ofsted close Black Country nursery due to ‘risk of harm’
Wonderland Day Nursery, in Holyhead Road, Wednesbury, had its registration suspended on October 13.
A woman was arrested after Ofsted closed a Black Country nursery saying it “believed children may be at risk of harm”.
Wonderland Day Nursery, in Holyhead Road, Wednesbury, had its registration suspended on October 13, according to a report by Ofsted.
The report, which was published on October 28, said a welfare requirements notice was served as “the provider was not meeting some of the requirements” and the nursery was told it needed to put a number of actions in place by today (November 10).
Now police have confirmed a woman was arrested in connection with the incident.
West Midlands Police said a 38-year-old woman was arrested following a report of a care worker allegedly ill-treating or wilfully neglecting an individual, at a business in Wednesbury, on October 6.
They were interviewed and dealt with by way of conditional caution.
A West Midlands Police spokesman said: “A 38-year-old woman was arrested from an address in Willenhall, on 15 October, after we received a report of a care worker ill-treating or wilfully neglecting an individual, at a business in Wednesbury, on 6 October.
“We liaised with other partner agencies and following a thorough investigation by specialist officers a woman was interviewed and dealt with by way of conditional caution.”
Actions the nursery has been told to take by Ofsted include ensuring staff understand whistleblowing and safeguarding procedures, making sure all new staff receive appropriate induction support and putting effective arrangements in place for the supervision of staff.
Monitoring attendance effectively and maintaining accurate and organised records were also included in the action plan.
Ofsted said it will monitor the provider's response to ensure the actions are successfully completed.
The report said Ofsted had suspended the provider's registration on October 13 because it “believed children may be at risk of harm”.
Following the incident, the nursery’s managing director Mala Patel sent a letter to parents saying they understood the news “came as a shock and caused considerable concern and disruption for our families”.
They said the suspension followed an “isolated incident” involving a member of staff and a child, adding that the staff member had been “suspended immediately” and was no longer employed at the nursery.
It said the nursery was now working, with support from the local authority, to complete the actions set out by Ofsted.
The letter continued: “Our policies and procedures are being reviewed, and staff training is being refreshed, with ongoing checks to ensure that knowledge is understood and consistently put into practice.
“The safety and wellbeing of every child remain our highest priority. We recognise that rebuilding confidence requires clear communication and consistent action, and we are committed to both.”