An Aberdeen family has secured a payout of more than £10,000 from a nursery where their baby boy was severely burned by bleach.
Little Blake Nilssen was trying to stand when he toppled an unattended cleaning bucket at the Little Dreams Nursery on November 4, 2021.
Bleach mixed with hot water spilled onto the 10-month-old’s left arm and both legs, causing second-degree burns.
Staff at the nursery on Bon Accord Street failed to call 999 and instead called his parents who had to take him to the hospital themselves.
On arrival, the pair described hearing “chilling” screams coming from inside the building.
Care investigators have since upheld multiple complaints against the nursery and senior staff, including the nursery manager, have been reprimanded following the incident.
Legal action against the nursery has now been settled out of court with the family receiving a payout of more than £10,000.
‘It took legal action to get the answers we deserved’
Although Blake has responded well to treatment, his recovery is not over yet according to his mum, Ellie Johnson.
She said the legal action was “never about the money” and the payout has been placed in a trust fund for when Blake turns 16.
The mum also says she is “disappointed” by the nursery’s reaction to the incident.
“At the time, I said this incident was indefensible and I still feel that way,” she said.
“We still see some signs of emotional trauma, especially around water, but we’re hopeful he will calm over time and things can improve for him.
“I am still disappointed in the nursery’s reaction to everything. Even when presented with evidence – like photos of my burned and blistered baby – they tried to deny or downplay their failings.
“It took a legal action to get the answers we deserved and get Little Dreams to hold their hands up.
“This was never about the money which is why we’ve taken steps to have the compensation put in a trust for our son for when he’s older.”
She added: “We’re grateful to everyone who has helped us from friends and family to NHS staff who treated Blake’s injuries to our legal team who helped hold the nursery accountable.
“As a family, we now just want to try and put this painful episode behind us and look forwards so we request that our privacy is now respected.”
Injuries worsened after staff at nursery put paper towels on burns
Blake, who is now two, was injured in the baby room of the Little Dreams Nursery.
He was taken to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary by Miss Johnson and his dad, Daryl Nilssen, where he was placed in a special shower for 90 minutes that helped monitor his skin’s pH levels.
A plastic surgeon then burst the blisters and treated them with aloe vera gel before bandaging the affected areas.
A legal investigation by Digby Brown Solicitors revealed policies and procedures at Little Dreams were not followed as they should have been.
Lawyers also uncovered evidence that staff were not trained to the appropriate standard and risk assessments were not carried out.
It also emerged Blake’s injuries worsened because staff covered him in paper towels and when the towels were removed they ripped off the blisters that had started to form.
The details were confirmed in a hard-hitting report from the Care Inspectorate criticising the nursery for not contacting the emergency services immediately.
Neil Davidson, partner at Digby Brown Solicitors in Aberdeen who led the legal action for Blake, said: “No parent should have to worry about the welfare of their child when placing them into the care of professionals so with this legal action we knew there were three key priorities.
“This included providing Blake with access to specialist medical care, providing Ellie and Daryl with answers and shedding a light on negligent care to improve standards for everyone.
“I sincerely hope parents and care providers everywhere consider the gravity of what happened in this very harrowing ordeal and take steps to ensure such incidents are never repeated.”
When asked to comment, Little Dreams Nursery said: “This was an incident we have taken extremely seriously.
“As a local authority investigation into what happened is ongoing we cannot comment further, but we are of course giving this inquiry every support and assistance.”
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