A child was found alone by a passer-by after squeezing through a small gap and leaving the grounds of a north-east nursery.
The incident happened at Banana Moon Nursery in Westhill on March 10 when the youngster managed to get through a space between a fence and a wall at an outdoor play area.
The Care Inspectorate said the nursery contacted them about the incident and they would “monitor the service”.
Gap between fence and wall secured
A member of the public found the child who was safely returned to the Peregrine Road premises.
The parents of the youngster were contacted by nursery bosses “within minutes” of the incident who explained what had happened.
Nursery chiefs secured the gap between the wall and the fence, and the outdoor area was closed for the rest of the day to allow management to review the new measures.
Nursery bosses issue statement after incident
Banana Moon Day Nursery issued a statement setting out what happened and insist an incident like this “cannot be repeated.”
The statement said: “On March 10 our management team reported that a child attending the nursery had managed to leave the premises through a self-made small gap in the outdoor play area.
“The child was seen during their brief period outside of the nursery by a member of the public and safely returned to the nursery with immediate effect. Parents of the child were contacted within minutes of the incident explaining the situation.
“The small gap between a fence and wall has been secured, alongside the decision to close the outdoor play area for the remaining part of the day. These quick actions allowed for senior management and business owner to review the new measures and approve before any new risk to child safety was possible.
“We want to confirm that this is the only incident of its type that has occurred within the nursery and we have taken all the measures currently possible to ensure it cannot be repeated.
“Finally, we appreciate the swift actions taken by staff, parents and the public to prevent this incident from escalating.”
Watchdog will monitor the service
A spokesman for the Care Inspectorate said it was aware of the issue and the “concern” it had caused.
The spokesman said: “We were notified appropriately by the care service of this incident and we have discussed it with them.
“We have also discussed with them the actions they have taken to prevent any similar future incidents to ensure children are safe and secure when enjoying outdoor play.
“We continue to monitor the service.
“Every child in Scotland has the right to good quality, safe care. Anyone with a concern about a care service can contact us on 0345 600 9527.”
An Aberdeenshire Council spokesman said: “Our early years team has worked with Banana Moon nursery’s management team on changes to procedure to ensure a similar instance does not occur.”
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