Ekhbary News Agency
London — England is set to significantly enhance nursery safety with an extra 3,000 unannounced inspections each year starting this September. A key focus of these increased checks will be on "safe-sleep" practices for young children, a critical area highlighted by recent tragic events.
Tragic Toddler's Death Spurs Action
The government's commitment comes after the mother of 14-month-old Noah Sibanda spoke out about her son's death in 2022 at the Fairytales Nursery in Dudley. CCTV footage revealed Noah was tightly wrapped in a sleeping bag with a blanket over his head and left unsupervised for hours. His mother told the BBC that her son and other children were "not treated as human" but like "inanimate objects."
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Nursery Fined and Worker Jailed
The court heard how nursery worker Kimberley Cookson wrapped Noah tightly and left him face down on a soft cushion. Staff did not check on him for approximately two hours before he was found unresponsive and later pronounced dead. Cookson was jailed for manslaughter, and the nursery was fined £240,000 for corporate manslaughter. Its owner received a suspended sentence for a health and safety offence.
Concerns were raised that babies and toddlers were at serious risk, despite the nursery previously receiving a "good" rating from Ofsted. The nursery has since closed. The new measures aim to assure parents of the highest safeguarding standards across the early years sector, with sleep routines and checks being a key part of all future Ofsted inspections.
