How nurseries have become safer after Ashford baby choking death in 2021

The early years sector has moved to reassure parents that nurseries are safe following updates to official standards.

The government’s new safer eating measures for early years childcare came into effect in September.

The parents of Oliver Steeper – who died in 2021 after choking on his food at nursery – welcomed the measures after campaigning for change since his death.

Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Early Years Alliance, said the reforms “brought about permanent change in the early years sector”.

Lewis Steeper, Oli’s father, said it was “everything” to see changes made.

“No child should ever have to die to make changes but unfortunately I think that is the way everything seems to happen in the world,” he told the BBC.

Oli died in hospital six days after he choked on chopped pasta at the Jelly Beans Day Nursery in Ashford, Kent.

His parents, Lewis and Zoe Steeper have received a six-figure settlement without an admission of liability from the nursery, which closed shortly after Oli died.

An inquest found Oli died as a result of misadventure.

At the time he ate pureed meals at home and nursery staff told his parents that solids could be blended before being fed to him.

In a report, the coroner raised concerns about paediatric first aid training and staff education over weaning.

Measures in the new guidance include that childcare providers must talk to parents about the stage of weaning their child is at, prepare food in a way to prevent choking, and ensure children are always observed while eating.

Mr Leitch said many providers “adopted good practices” before but the guidance and the Steeper family’s campaigning had “basically made this a mandatory obligation, and therefore everybody will sit up and take notice”.

Catherine Weller, manager at City Way Nursery in Rochester, said she “completely” understands if parents are concerned but that children were safe at nursery “if everything that should be in place is there”.

She said her nursery was Millie’s Mark accredited and had a LifeVac anti-choking device – one of more than 1,450 that The Oliver Steeper Foundation has distributed.

“I think it’s important that you view settings before you register your little one,” Ms Weller said. “Ask as many questions as you can around safety.”

“It really touches at your heart strings,” Oli’s mother Zoe Steeper said.

“When you see that practitioners are taking onboard what’s been said and working towards making their settings as safe as they can be.”

She told the BBC: “The fact that underpinning all of that is Oli is amazing.”

Mr Leitch said: “I’d like to reassure parents that the settings that their children will be going to are safe places.

“This guidance has improved that.”

He told the BBC that staff in early years settings “welcome the changes”.

Early years safeguarding consultant Sharon Birch, of Safeguarding Network, said it was “absolutely brilliant” that the statutory framework was changed.

“It’s a great step forward in helping children with the weaning process, with feeding and healthy eating,” she said.

“We always need to reflect, we always need to improve,” she told the BBC.

“As things change in society, as things change in modern life, we can always look to be better.”