Kiera Young took her little daughter Lexie to Primrose City Nursery in Glasgow, where she’d worked for two years, but when she picked her up after the third settling-in session she was shocked
A mum trusted the nursery where she was employed to look after her seven-month-old baby, but was horrified when she picked her up and discovered she’d suffered a fractured skull.
Kiera Young, 26, had worked at Primrose City Nursery in Glasgow for nearly two years when she decided to take her daughter, Lexie Hurles, there. However, during the baby’s third settling-in session, which lasted two hours, she sustained a skull fracture and brain injury.
The mum said she only became aware of the incident when she arrived to pick up little Lexie on March 24, 2023, and even now, two years later, the circumstances around the incident are unclear. The Care Inspectorate upheld all three complaints made by Lexie’s family and the family has now settled a legal claim for a five-figure sum with the nursery.
Kiera told the Daily Record: “That nursery was the very place where I worked, so I felt safe leaving Lexie there. It’s not because I expected my daughter to get special care or anything like that – it was simply because I believed in the staff, having worked beside them for so long. It just makes it all the worse when your own colleagues and bosses let you down in this way.”
After being taken to the Royal Hospital for Children in Govan, Lexie was diagnosed with a skull fracture and mild brain injury. She was discharged two days later but had to be readmitted due to vomiting and fever. After observing her for one day, doctors sent her home – but for three months after the incident, she continued to show signs of distress and comfort.
Her mum, who no longer works at the nursery, said she was given conflicting accounts of the accident. One suggested Lexie was supervised when she threw her head back and struck the floor, while another indicated the staff member moved away before Lexie fell backwards.
Kiera decided to report the incident to the Care Inspectorate, raising concerns about a lack of care, delayed communication, and the absence of an accident report at the time of collection. All three complaints were upheld.
“Seeing your child like that… there are no words,” the mum said. “I was horrified, terrified, furious… just thinking the worst about everything. It’s still a mystery what happened – I’ll never know for sure. But the most important things are that Lexie is better, the nursery was held accountable, and hopefully, parents and nurseries learn something from this.”
Kiera pursued a nursery injury claim through Digby Brown Solicitors after the nursery initially denied liability, leading to a court action. However, the nursery’s insurance company ultimately agreed to an out-of-court settlement.
A spokesperson for Digby Brown Solicitors said: “The pictures of Lexie’s injuries are shocking, so one can only imagine how much scarier it must have been at the time for both mother and daughter. We’re pleased that Lexie recovered and that Kiera secured the outcome she sought. But this should rightly serve as an emphatic warning to childcare services everywhere – there are robust yet common-sense safety procedures for a reason, and they simply must be adhered to if children are to stay safe.”
The Mirror has contacted Primrose City Nursery for comment.
