A West London council ordered an urgent investigation after a child picked up a Stanley knife left at a nursery by a contractor.
Kensington and Chelsea Council said it requested Bellrock carry out an urgent investigation which they said happened swiftly. The council said they felt assured that recommendations have been implemented following the incident in June, which has only just come to light.
The council confirmed that on June 27, a small Stanley knife was found on a wooden unit at the St Quintin Nursery, near Ladbroke Grove, in Kensington.
The knife was found by one child who then passed it on to another before it was handed over to a member of staff.
No one was injured in the incident. Neither Kensington and Chelsea Council nor Bellrock confirmed the nature of the works that took place at the time of the incident.
A council spokesperson said: “The safety and wellbeing of the children are of utmost importance to us, and we took this incident extremely seriously. This was a rare and unfortunate case of human error and thankfully nobody was hurt.
“The nursery staff followed procedure by immediately referring the incident to the council. The parents of the children involved were promptly informed and given opportunities to discuss their concerns. We have conducted thorough risk assessments and reviewed our protocols.
“We requested that Bellrock undertake an urgent investigation, which happened swiftly and we are reassured that recommendations have already been implemented.”
A Bellrock statement read: “We recognise the seriousness of this incident and have treated it with the utmost urgency. The safety and wellbeing of everyone in the environments where we work remains our highest priority.
“Immediately following the incident, we launched a full internal investigation, and appropriate action has been taken in line with our strict health and safety protocols.
“We remain fully committed to upholding the highest standards of safety, professionalism and care in every environment we serve.
“Our longstanding partnership with the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea remains strong, and we continue to work closely together to ensure the highest levels of trust and safety are maintained.”
Bellrock did not clarify what actions it took.
St Quintin Centre offers a specialist play service, support and activities for disabled children, young people and their families, according to its website.
The centre is open seven days a week and offers term-time support from birth to five years old. They also offer afterschool services, Saturday and holiday club support for five to 18-year-olds.
