Nursery in Northamptonshire village temporarily closed by Ofsted due to ‘concerns over safeguarding procedures relating to children's safety and welfare’

Ducklings Nursery in Creaton has been temporarily closed after Ofsted suspended its registration on Thursday December 11.

The move comes following concerns about safeguarding procedures, Ofsted said.

According to Ofsted, inspectors carried out an unannounced visit to a local nursery on November 25 and found it was not meeting some of the required standards.The watchdog issued a list of actions for the nursery to complete by December 5. However, Ofsted said a follow-up visit on December 10 found these actions had not been completed, and additional breaches were identified.

A second set of required actions has now been issued, with a deadline of January 12. These include ensuring all staff are trained to spot safeguarding concerns, that designated safeguarding leads are “confident in their roles”, reducing or removing risks, and keeping confidential records secure and accessible.

The nursery, in an email to parents sent this week, stated that no children had been harmed and that steps had been taken to address the concerns over policies and procedures raised.

An Ofsted spokeswoman said: “On December 11, we suspended the provider's registration because we believe children may be at risk of harm. Suspension allows time for the provider to take steps to reduce or eliminate the risk of harm to children. The provider has a right to appeal against a suspension. The provider may not provide childcare for which registration is required while the suspension is in place and may commit an offence if they do so. The provider is still registered with Ofsted.”

In an email to parents, which the Chronicle & Echo has seen, the trustees of the nursery wrote: “On December 11, Ofsted issued a temporary suspension of our registration. This suspension is in place for six weeks while we address concerns raised about safeguarding procedures.

“Ofsted has identified areas in our safeguarding policies and procedures that require strengthening which is what has resulted in the suspension.

“We want to reassure you: No child has been harmed; We are taking immediate action to address all concerns; A new Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) has been appointed to ensure impartially and oversight; Staff are completing refresher safeguarding training, and policies are being updated; We are working closely with Ofsted and the LADO to resolve matters as quickly as possible.

“We understand the disruption this causes and appreciate your patience. We will keep you updated regularly and notify you immediately when we are legally able to reopen,” the email added.

The nursery was contacted for comment earlier today but has not responded at the time of going to press.