How to tackle serious safeguarding gaps in nurseries | Letter

Your editorial on early years provision (The Guardian view on nurseries: some things are going right for under-fives, 4 October) ends by referring to the horrifying case of Vincent Chan, who worked at Bright Horizons nursery in north-west London. We write as the MP representing the constituency in which the nursery is situated and as the parent of children who attended the nursery and were victims of Chan. We believe his case exposed serious gaps in the safeguarding system that urgently need addressing by government.

First, CCTV should be mandatory in nurseries. When used with appropriate safeguards, it can provide both a deterrent and an important source of evidence when allegations are made.

Second, implementing a “flare” system that goes beyond Disclosure and Barring Service checks, allowing parents, carers and nurseries to report safeguarding concerns, and connecting allegations and relevant employment information across early years settings and over time.

Third, the law governing sexual and exploitative images of children needs examination. One family affected by this case has discovered that photographs of their child found on Chan’s devices did not meet the existing legal threshold for an indecent image. We should ask whether current legislation adequately protects children from exploitative or sexualised imagery that falls short of this threshold.

Finally, early years settings need clear, enforceable standards governing electronic devices, backed by Ofsted inspection. Nurseries hold large quantities of photographs and other sensitive digital information about vulnerable children. The rules governing how devices are used should reflect that responsibility. Had this been in place, Chan could have been caught sooner.

We urge the urgent attention of the prime minister and the government on these matters.
Tulip Siddiq MP Labour, Hampstead and Highgate, Parent A Parent of children who attended Bright Horizons, Finchley Road, London