Beyond the Policies: The Real Cost of Unsafe Practices in Nurseries

Genevieve was just nine months old when her parents dropped her off at nursery, trusting she’d be safe and well cared for. But just hours later, they were called to hospital — and days after that, they said their final goodbyes. Her story is devastating. And sadly, it isn’t unique.

The BBC investigation into the death of baby Genevieve has shaken many of us in the early years sector. It’s a tragic example of how vulnerable children are in our care, and the critical importance of safeguarding and health and safety in every nursery setting.

But it’s also raised uncomfortable questions: Are we truly confident in our own practice? Are our teams alert, equipped, and accountable? Or are we just hoping nothing goes wrong?

At Think Nursery, we’ve visited many nurseries across the UAE — and while many are doing excellent work, we’ve also observed and pointed out common patterns of risk that go unnoticed until something goes wrong.

What We’ve Seen First-Hand

During our Pro Insight Audits, we observed:

• Educators using personal mobile phones inside classrooms whist supervision children

• Children over 18 months put to sleep in rocker chairs, rather than on flat surfaces with appropriate bedding and oversight.

• Fire evacuation drills that hadn’t been conducted in over two years, with no logs or evidence of practice.

These are not just regulatory issues. They are child safety issues — and they can happen in any nursery when compliance replaces culture or when leadership assumes that “no news is good news.”

From Policy to Practice: Where Things Break Down

Yes, this case happened in the UK but the underlying issues are universal. What happened to Genevieve wasn’t the result of one mistake. It was the result of several small failures — in training, supervision, environment, and communication — all of which snowballed into tragedy. This is why we must stop treating health and safety as a one-off checklist and instead embed it into the heart of our practice.

We must ask ourselves:

• Do all staff know how to locate and use fire extinguishers?

• Is every sleep area supervised, with staff following Safer Sleep policy?

• When was the last time you reviewed your evacuation plan with your team — and practiced it?

From our regular visits and audits, we’ve seen that health and safety is often the most overlooked part of early years provision. The focus is often on displays, curriculum, and communication — all important — but not at the cost of the basics that keep children alive and well.

We’re not here to criticise. We’re here to help nursery leaders see what they might have missed, before something goes wrong. Because once it does, there’s no going back.

What Are Parents Looking For?

Following Genevieve’s tragic death, her parents have spoken out about the changes they want to see in the sector:

• Stronger regulation — not just on paper, but in action

• Regular, unannounced inspections — to ensure real accountability

• Consistent safe practice — where routines protect children, not put them at risk

These demands are not extreme. In fact, they reflect the minimum standard of assurance any parent hopes for when choosing a nursery for their child.

We run a workshop on Health & Safety

It’s heartfelt, honest and eye-opening. Together, we unpacked real cases, including Genevieve’s. We explored what’s working, what’s not, what must change and link serious cases to our polices and procedures.

This session is not just a box-ticking exercise — it’s a mindset shift.

What could You Overlooking?

As the BBC Interview shows, the damage is done long before a headline is written (Watch interview here).
So we leave you with this:

If something happened tomorrow, would your team know what to do — or would they hesitate?

Let’s not wait until it’s too late. Let’s make health and safety something we live, not just list. If you’d like more information or want to discuss how we can support your nursery, feel free to get in touch at info@thinknursery.com.

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