Manchester news: Oftsed closes Chadderton as woman is arrested for assault and child cruelty
A nursery has been forced to close by education authority Oftsed as a woman is arrested for assault and child cruelty.
Police said a seven-month-old girl remains in a ‘serious but stable condition’ following an incident at Kids Around The Clock around a week ago.
Paramedics called police at around 3.45pm on Wednesday, September 21 to a seriously ill baby.
Oftsed has now suspended the nursery, with a notice displayed in the doorway announcing it could remain closed until November 7, so it can investigate the ‘risk of harm’ posed to children.
One woman in her 30s who was arrested on suspicion of section 18 assault and child cruelty this week has since been bailed with strict conditions placed on her.
could be closed for up to six weeks The Kids Around The Clock (pictured), in Chadderton, after a seven-month-old baby was taken to hospital after becoming ‘critically ill’
A notice of suspension letter sent to the nursery reads: ‘The purpose of suspension is to allow time to investigate our belief that a child may be exposed to a risk of harm and for any necessary steps to be taken to eliminate or reduce the risk of harm.
‘We will regularly review the situation and will stop the suspension within this period if we believe children are no longer at risk.’
It outlines that the suspension runs from September 27 until November 7 – a total of five weeks and six days. The notice goes on to say that the suspension will be ‘regularly reviewed’ and can be stopped if it is thought children are ‘no longer at risk’.
It adds: ‘The suspension does not automatically mean that a provider is unsuitable to provide care in the future or that we will cancel registration.
‘We only take steps to cancel registration if we consider that the provider is no longer suitable to provide childcare.’
A spokesperson from Ofsted said in a statement to the Manchester Evening News: ‘We have suspended the nursery while other agencies conduct their enquiries. We are unable to comment further at this time.’
Police were called to the scene by paramedics with the North West Ambulance Service shortly before 4pm on September 21, to reports a seven-month-old girl was critically ill and being rushed to hospital
The child’s parents are being kept updated and are being supported by the investigation team currently, police said.
Extensive enquiries continue to be conducted to establish the circumstances of how the child’s condition deteriorated, with Oldham Council and Ofsted also involved in the investigations.