Six-figure sum agreed after baby’s choking death at nursery

The parents of a nine-month-old baby who died after choking at nursery say after four years of “unimaginable pain, perseverance and emotional endurance” they are glad to have reached a financial settlement.

Oliver Steeper died in hospital in September 2021, six days after he choked on chopped pasta at the Jelly Beans Day Nursery in Ashford.

His parents, Lewis and Zoe Steeper have received a six-figure settlement from the former nursery, without an admission of liability.

Former management of Jelly Beans nursery, which closed shortly after Oli’s death, have declined to comment.

Mrs Steeper said: “We can put that chapter of Oli’s life behind us and remember him positively.”

His father said the settlement allowed the family to draw a line under a “painful legal chapter”.

Mr Steeper added: “No amount of financial compensation can ever equate to the loss of our child but this resolution allows us to focus our energies on ensuring that no other family endures the same devastation that we have suffered whilst ensuring Oliver’s brother Jake has the best of futures ahead.”

He added that he and his wife had “fought tirelessly to highlight the systemic failings” that led to Oli’s death.

An inquest into his death found Oli died as a result of misadventure.

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

An expert in resuscitation at the inquest said the first aid delivered at the nursery was “poor” and that guidelines were not properly followed.

Following the inquest, a prevention of future deaths report was sent by coroner Katrina Hepburn to the Department for Education under the previous government.

Ms Hepburn raised concerns about paediatric first aid training being in date and staff education over weaning.

Since his death, Oli’s parents have been campaigning for better safety measures around weaning babies onto solid food and emergency first aid provision for nurseries.

They have welcomed new safer-eating measures which came into force in September.

Included in the guidelines are 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 within sight and hearing of a member of staff while eating, among other measures.

Mrs Steeper said: “It really touches at your heartstrings when you see that practitioners are taking on board what has been said and they are actively working towards making their settings as safe as they can be.

“The fact that underpinning all of that is Oli, it’s amazing, it’s really incredible.”

The Oliver Steeper Foundation, set up in his memory, is aiming to raise enough money to supply anti-choking devices in every registered childcare and early years setting across the UK.

So far it has distributed more than 1,450 LifeVacs.

The site of the former Jelly Beans Day Nursery in Kingsnorth was sold and is now a school for children with special educational needs.