Nursery World - A system that ignores witnesses

Further to the news story about the NSPCC's Full Stop campaign, (7 March), I would like to point out that childcare providers do indeed report instances of child abuse to the appropriate authorities. In my job as a day nursery manager I once witnessed a physical assault by a father on his young daughter when he came to collect her from the nursery. She accidentally stepped on his toe and out of anger he kicked her on the leg in front of two other adult witnesses, as well as several children and myself. I reported the incident to the local social services child protection unit but all that happened was the parent, who holds a responsible job, was told not to 'play' that way with his child again.

In my job as a day nursery manager I once witnessed a physical assault by a father on his young daughter when he came to collect her from the nursery. She accidentally stepped on his toe and out of anger he kicked her on the leg in front of two other adult witnesses, as well as several children and myself. I reported the incident to the local social services child protection unit but all that happened was the parent, who holds a responsible job, was told not to 'play' that way with his child again.

If this sort of thing happens in front of witnesses, what happens at home? And what other children are potentially being abused in other so-called 'safe settings' such as a nursery?

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