Family awarded five-figure damages after toddler's leg broken on first nursery day

Click this link to go to the Scotland homepage for the most recent updates and sports information. A family received a five-digit amount in ...

• Click this link to go to the Scotland homepage for the most recent updates and sports information.

A family received a five-digit amount in compensation after a young child fractured her leg only 90 minutes into her initial day at the nursery.

Skye Tucker, who was only one years old at the time, was injured at Little Clouds Nursery in Aberdeen following a fall from a baby changing table.

She and her twin brother Aaron, who is now two years old, had only just started their first full day at the facility on January 7 this year when the alarming event occurred.

It is known that Skye fell off the table just after 9 a.m. when a caregiver left her alone to go and find nappy cream.

In a message shared with her parents through the nursery's parent communication app, the staff mentioned regarding the incident: 'Skye was upset when this occurred, but she has received many hugs and is completely fine.'

The child was provided with an ice pack but did not get medical care for almost ten hours following the incident.

It wasn't until Skye's parents, Kyle, 40, and Sheena, 38, brought her to A&E later that day that medical staff at Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital verified she had experienced an undisplaced fracture at the top of her right tibia.

This year, Kyle and Sheena revealed they are pursuing legal steps following the nursery management's admission of a "total failure in judgment."

The matter was first brought to court but was eventually resolved outside of the judicial system.

A review conducted by the Care Inspectorate at Little Clouds Nursery, situated in the Altens neighborhood of Aberdeen, uncovered five complaints, highlighting multiple issues in both care provision and communication.

Currently, Skye's parents are encouraging others to obtain additional perspectives if they ever question their child's level of medical treatment.

In a statement, they mentioned: 'Skye has completely recovered and her physical health has always been the top concern, so we are relieved there was no long-term damage.'

We are aware that the staff at Little Clouds did not intend to harm any child on that day, but what happened to Skye could have been prevented entirely.

The nursery raised its hands very quickly and we valued that – but a private message is one thing, while accountability and a promise to improve is another.

We aimed to ensure that something similar would not occur again and that other parents could make well-informed choices regarding their child's care. We believed a civil lawsuit was the most effective approach, and we hope our victory encourages other parents to address issues concerning their child's well-being.

Since events of this nature can distort or harm any sense of trust, and may result in lasting concerns for families regarding the continuous safety and well-being of children—this must not occur in child care. Parents should be assured that the environment where they leave their child prioritizes their well-being throughout the entire day.

Little Clouds Nursery extended heartfelt apologies to Skye and her family, stating in a release: 'The incident that occurred did not align with our usual high standards, and we sincerely regret that a child was harmed while under our supervision.'

It stated they were 'grateful' that the child fully recovered and 'hope for the best' for her and her family.

Nevertheless, the nursery stated that the story "only presents one perspective of the events" and added, "Although we completely agree that the incident should not have taken place, it is crucial to recognize that the staff members involved did not intend to cause harm, and the particular staff member concerned has not been working at the facility since the incident occurred."

The event was profoundly distressing for all concerned and led to a time of contemplation and enhancement throughout our entire team. We are very thankful to the families who had faith in us and backed our continuous endeavors to enhance and uphold our excellent standards.

The report stated that a comprehensive evaluation conducted by the Care Inspectorate classified the nursery as 'good' and 'very good' in critical areas, with no significant issues identified.

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