What happens if a serious allegation of wrongdoing is made against
a member of a nursery's staff? Charlotte Goddard and Hannah Crown
provide a legal overview and explore the thorny issues.

While every parent's worst nightmare is their child coming to harm, learning that, as an early years professional, you may have failed to protect someone else's child is the ultimate failure. Clearly children's safety overrides everything else, and authorities must fully investigate any allegations that are made. But the sad fact is that many allegations are never proved one way or the other. And even when an investigation is dropped, the effect of it can still be utterly shattering.

One recent case is that of Little Angels Nursery in Wiltshire. Allegations of sexual abuse of children were made and police arrested two members of staff. Five months later, after a 'rigorous' investigation, no charges were brought and the case was dropped.

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