On 6 February, Sophee Redhead, a 25-year-old former nursery worker, was cleared at Leeds Crown Court of the manslaughter (by gross negligence) of a three-year-old child at the York College Nursery on 17 September 2012. At the time of the incident, which involved the child's neck being caught in a rope on an outdoor slide, Sophee was supervising in the outdoor play area, but was consoling another young child who had fallen over and hurt himself.
Police investigation
As with all workplace fatalities, the matter was first and foremost investigated by the police, who were assisted by the relevant health and safety agency, which in this case was the Health and Safety Executive (a local authority's environmental health department may also investigate such incidents).
Register now to continue reading
Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Unlimited access to news and opinion
-
Email newsletter providing activity ideas, best practice and breaking news
Already have an account? Sign in here