A mum has spoken of the moment a nursery worker said her baby daughter was “absolutely fine” after a fall – when in fact she had suffered a broken leg.
Skye Tucker was hurt at Little Clouds Nursery in Altens after falling from a nappy-changing table while not properly supervised – just 90 minutes into her first day of care.
Now, a legal investigation is under way into how the one-year-old suffered the injury.
The tot is now recovering with the love of her parents Kyle, 39, and Sheena, 38.
‘It continues to upset us’
Speaking for the first time publicly about the incident, Sheena told The Press and Journal: “The fact Skye was left for most of the day without any real medical attention continues to upset us when we think about the pain she must have endured.”
Nursery bosses admitted the incident happened due to a “complete lapse in judgement” after a nursery worker left the tot unattended while looking for nappy cream.
It is feared Skye’s trauma was also worsened as she did not receive professional medical care for hours – and only then it was because her parents became concerned.
Skye’s fall from the table happened on the morning of January 7 this year.
It was her first full day of care after the Tucker family took part in in earlier ‘settling in’ sessions.
Skye’s twin brother Aaron was also in the nursery’s care at the same time.
At around 9.10am – around 90 minutes after being dropped off – the nursery sent Skye’s parents a message via a social media service used by the nursery.
‘She is absolutely fine’
The member of staff stated: “While getting Skye’s nappy changed, I turned around to get nappy cream from the cupboard.
“As I done this, Skye rolled off the nappy mat causing her to fall.
“She was sad when this happened but she has (had) lots of cuddles and is absolutely fine.”
The message also stated an ice pack had been administered.
But the incident turned out to be much more serious.
When Skye continued to show signs of discomfort at home later that day, her parents decided to go to A&E.
After an X-ray at Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital, medics confirmed Skye had suffered an undisplaced proximal tibial fracture to her right leg.
She also suffered facial bruising.
Later that evening, a senior member of staff from the nursery sent a further message apologising to the family.
The Care Inspectorate investigated the nursery last month.
It upheld five complaints after identifying numerous failings in care and communication.
‘Avoidable situation’
Little Clouds bosses apologised but now face a legal action over the negligent errors.
In a statement, Sheena and Kyle said: “Skye seems to now be recovering well – so that is the main thing.
“We were shocked to learn the extent of her injuries and how avoidable the whole situation was.
“Not leaving a baby unattended on a high-changing table must surely be one of the most basic things to learn in a nursery.
“The fact she was left for most of the day without any real medical attention continues to upset us when we think about the pain she must have endured.
Apology appreciated
“In fairness to the nursery, we appreciated their quick apology.
“It came with a full explanation of what happened on the day as well as a full outline on the outcome of their investigation.
“It’s not often a guilty party is so transparent and so quick to hold their hands up, so we do appreciate that.
“The Care Inspectorate findings were welcome.
“But it’s important from a public-awareness point of view that parents know the full facts to help make informed decisions about their own childcare.
“Our focus now is making sure our daughter has a full recovery and starting a process to protect other children from the same errors.”
Little Clouds management said they investigated the incident and admitted a breach in health and safety rules around “constant supervision”.
‘Lapse in judgement’
The communication from management also confirmed the nappy-changing station was classed as “high-risk equipment” due to its height.
Bosses also said the incident happened following a “complete lapse in judgement” from the staff member, who was later subject to internal disciplinary action.
The incident sparked a Care Inspectorate review where inspectors identified five failures around the incident including an “incomplete” update to parents.
Skye and Aaron are now receiving daycare services with a different care provider.
A spokesman for Digby Brown, which is supporting the Tucker Family, said: “An incident like this is a parent’s worst nightmare – we rightly expect children to receive the best possible care.
“But childcare is not simply an issue of ‘trust’.
“There are processes designed to keep children safe and, when those are not followed, injuries can happen.
“It’s extremely fortunate that this was not more serious.
“We will continue to support the Tucker family during a civil action to ensure Skye makes a full recovery and care services are improved.”
Detailed action plan
The nursery’s manager Samantha Gill said: “We are committed to making the necessary changes to make Little Clouds a better place for all its service users.
“After our initial investigation, we developed a detailed action plan and we are working hard to address all the points raised.
“We have been working closely with the relevant bodies to ensure we are on track in making the necessary changes.
“We look forward to our follow-up visit from inspectors to show the progress we have made.
“Again, we apologise to the child and their family.”