Last December, a member of staff at the Kindercare Nursery in Blackpool, Lancashire, reported overhearing nursery assistant Sarah Frisch threaten two-year-old Xavier Waters. Following the allegation, Ms Frisch, 21, was suspended from her job and a two-week internal investigation began.
Busy Bees, the nursery chain that owns the Kindercare brand, also reported the incident to the police, who investigated it as a child protection matter. Ofsted and social services were also informed.
The internal investigation failed to find conclusive evidence that the incident had taken place. Ms Frisch denied flushing the child's head in the toilet, but admitted that she had made the threat.
Margaret Randles, a group director at Busy Bees, said, 'She said she didn't mean it and it was in jest'. But Ms Frisch was dismissed for making the 'inappropriate comment'. Ms Randles said the nursery wrote to Xavier's parents to tell them Ms Frisch's employment had been terminated. Busy Bees also wrote to Ofsted with details of the investigation's outcome.
The police did not find sufficient evidence to take the matter further.
Ms Randles said, 'We constantly promote a positive approach to the care of our children. These things are never easy. But we are delighted that it was brought to our attention so we could deal with it.
'Obviously there are standard guidelines and legal requirements. But our own internal policies and procedures for the way we handle children are far more detailed than those.'