Mark Whitehead 22 May 2023

Childcare provider fined record £225,000

Childcare provider fined record £225,000  image
Image: Landshark1 / Shutterstock.com.

Britain’s biggest private childcare provider has been given a record fine after inspectors found mouse droppings in the kitchen and the children’s play areas of one of its nurseries.

Busy Bees was fined £225,000 and £15,000 in costs by a court in London after pleading guilty to food safety and hygiene offences at its nursery in the grounds of Whipps Cross university hospital in Leytonstone.

The court heard that inspectors from Waltham Forest council found extensive evidence of mouse droppings throughout the kitchen, by the sinks and in a storeroom, as well as in the children’s playrooms.

The council used emergency powers to temporarily close the nursery after the inspection in January last year.

Busy Bees said it had brought in external contractors to look into the problems and quickly rectified them.

Khevyn Limbajee, Waltham Forest’s cabinet member for community safety, said: ‘When parents entrust their children to attend a nursery, they do so in the belief that they will be left in a safe and clean environment.

‘Young children are particularly vulnerable to diseases due to their developing immune systems.

‘The intervention from our team was crucial in preventing children from being exposed to hazardous conditions that could have impacted their health.’

Matt Labaki, operations director for Busy Bees, said: 'The health and safety of our children and colleagues is of paramount importance and we can only be satisfied if our standards meet the required levels.

'Once the issues had been identified we immediately brought in external contractors to address both issues that had been found and they conducted a complete review of our health and hygiene processes. Both issues were rectified within days.'

Sign up here to recieve our free daily news and jobs bulletin.

SIGN UP
For your free daily news bulletin
Highways jobs

Senior Project Manager (Regeneration)

West Yorkshire Combined Authority
£49,359 to £56,057 per annum (pay award pending) – Grade 9
With ambitious goals ahead, we need dedicated individuals who are ready to make a real impact as part of our expanding Housing team Leeds / Hybrid
Recuriter: West Yorkshire Combined Authority

Information Governance Officer

Essex County Council
£28349.00 - £33351.00 per annum + pension
Information Governance OfficerPermanent, Full Time£28,349 to £33,351 per annumLocation
Recuriter: Essex County Council

Information Governance Officer

Essex County Council
£28349.00 - £33351.00 per annum + pension
Information Governance OfficerFixed Term, Full Time£28,349 to £33,351 per annumLocation
Recuriter: Essex County Council

HR Advisor - Pay & Policy (Career Grade)

Wakefield Council
Grade 9 - Grade 10, Career Grade, 24 hours, Permanent
Are you ready to make a difference and shape policies that foster a high performing and inclusive workplace? Wakefield, West Yorkshire
Recuriter: Wakefield Council

Leisure Support Assistant

Wakefield Council
£12,013.50 - £12,202.00, Grade 3, 18.5 hours, Permanent
Are You Ready to Make a Difference in Your Community? Wakefield, West Yorkshire
Recuriter: Wakefield Council
Linkedin Banner