Parents of 10-month-old boy who suffered second-degree burns at his nursery after tipping over bucket of ‘boiling water and bleach’ slam ‘negligent’ staff who failed to call an ambulance as they call for it to be shut down
- Blake Nilssen got second degree burns at Little Dreams Nursery in Aberdeen
- Blake, 10 months, toppled an unattended cleaning bucket over on November 4
- The nursery did not call an ambulance as they waited for his parents to arrive
- Workers covered Blake in paper towels, which ripped off the blisters from burns
- The Care Inspectorate upheld multiple complaints made against the nursery
The family of a 10-month-old baby who suffered second-degree burns from ‘boiling bleach’ at nursery have slammed ‘negligent’ staff and called for it to be shut down.
Blake Nilssen was left with burns on November 4 after toppling an unattended cleaning bucket while trying to stand up at the Little Dreams Nursery in Aberdeen.
The youngster was denied treatment for an hour because staff waited for parents to collect him instead of calling for an ambulance.
Workers covered Blake in paper towels but when they removed them, the towels ripped off the blisters that had started to form.
The Care Inspectorate upheld multiple complaints against the nursery and ordered bosses to make immediate changes.
Blake Nilssen (pictured) suffered second-degree burns on November 4 after toppling an unattended cleaning bucket while trying to stand up at the Little Dreams Nursery in Aberdeen
But Blake’s family is now considering legal action and issued an urgent warning to parents over fears of a repeat tragedy.
Devastated mother Ellie Johnson, 27, said she could hear her son screaming when she arrived to pick him up from nursery and described the ordeal as ‘chilling’.
Ms Johnson, from Aberdeen, claimed her son is facing ‘being scarred for life’ after the incident in the ‘baby room’ of the nursery and slammed the creche’s actions as ‘indefensible’.
She continued: ‘Blake faces being scarred for life and now we have a constant fear of knowing who to trust to take care of our son in the future.
‘Little Dreams Nursery should be closed. This is utterly indefensible.’
Blake had been attending Little Dreams Nursery since April for three days per week, at a cost of £52 per day.
The youngster was denied treatment for an hour because staff waited for his parents to collect him instead of calling for an ambulance. Pictured: Daryl Nilssen with his son Blake
Workers covered Blake (pictured in bandages after the burns) in paper towels but when they removed them, the towels ripped off the blisters that had started to form
Ms Johnson, who runs her own beauty business, said she dropped Blake off at 9.30am and was told at 3.45pm to collect her son as he had ‘managed to tip a bucket of water on himself’.
Ms Johnson and her partner 31-year-old Daryl Nilssen, who is Blake’s father, said they only realised things were more serious on arrival at the nursery.
She said: ‘They said the water had a bit of bleach in it but that was it. There was no urgency in their voice and they didn’t say the water was boiling.
‘We opened the door and heard the most horrific screaming. It was chilling. Then we realises it came from our little boy.
‘There’s no words to describe the fear we felt at that moment.’
Ms Johnson said Blake was in a separate room from the other children, where he was stripped to his nappy and vest with his limbs covered in cling film and paper towels.
She said there was liquid running down Blake’s legs and arms from ‘burst blisters’ and added that she grabbed her son and immediately took him to A&E.
She added: ‘He was screaming, his skin was red all over and there was an overwhelming smell of bleach with liquid running down his legs and arms from burst blisters.
The Care Inspectorate upheld complaints against the nursery and ordered bosses to make changes. Pictured: Ellie Johnson with partner Mr Nilssen and sons Blake and Tyler (left)
‘I screamed at the staff, grabbed Blake and drove to A&E.
‘Blake screamed so hard he lost consciousness a few times on the way, literally passing out from the pain.’
Medics at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary repeatedly rinsed Blake in a special shower room over 90 minutes and monitored the pH of his skin.
A plastic surgeon then burst the blisters and treated them with aloe vera gel before bandaging affected areas.
Blake was also given small doses of morphine to ease the pain and help him sleep as he stayed at ARI for observation.
The following day, Blake was put under general anaesthetic for a ‘skin scrub’ and his burns were dressed in six layers of bandages to aid healing and prevent infection.
Devastated father Mr Nilssen, an offshore worker, said: ‘The whole situation was totally avoidable, should never have happened and cannot be allowed to happen again.
‘Seeing your child in that kind of pain is something you’re never prepared for and it’s raised wider problems as we now worry about who we can trust next with our son.’
Ms Johnson added: ‘Blake is now on the road to recovery but this road is a long one.
Blake’s family is now considering legal action and issued an urgent warning to parents over fears of a repeat tragedy. Pictured: Blake being held by Mr Nilssen after the burns
Ellie Johnson (pictured with sons Tyler and Blake and partner Mr Nilssen), 27, said she could hear her son screaming when she arrived to pick him up from nursery
‘His physical scars will likely be permanent – we just pray the mental ones won’t – so our focus now is making sure Blake is happy and healthy.
‘But we still don’t have answers to the most obvious question – why was a bucket with boiling bleach left in a baby room?
‘This wasn’t an accident – it was blatant negligence.
‘Daryl and I really debated about next steps but we felt a sense of duty to highlight what happened so parents and other nurseries can be more mindful.’
The couple made 10 complaints to the Care Inspectorate which sparked an immediate investigation and on November 11, an on-site inspection was carried out.
Investigators, who gave prior warning of the visit, said staff gave ‘differing accounts of what happened’ which also varied from the incident forms.
Inspectors also described nursery supervision as ‘ineffective’ and criticised their use of paper towels and failing to call an ambulance.
The report noted: ‘It is our considered view that the inactions taken by the staff may have caused further complications to Blake’s injuries.
‘Staff should have contacted the emergency services, immediately.
‘They would have been able to give the right advice while awaiting an ambulance which would have minimised the pain and discomfort Blake must have been experiencing.’
Ms Johnson (pictured with Mr Nilssen), from Aberdeen, claimed her son is facing ‘being scarred for life’ after the incident and slammed the creche’s actions as ‘indefensible’
Neil Davidson, Partner at Digby Brown Solicitors in Aberdeen, is supporting the young family. Pictured: Ms Johnson holding Blake as a baby
The Care Inspectorate also raised concerns about staff not challenging decisions made by management.
The report added: ‘A qualified practitioner did not challenge the use of scalding water boiled from a kettle, and bleach in a bucket as dangerous despite telling us that she thought it was.’
Eight requirements were ordered against the nursery, including making sure staff are first-aid trained and aware of emergency procedures.
Other requirements included improvements to nursery housekeeping, awareness of whistleblowing policies and the ongoing training of staff.
Neil Davidson, Partner at Digby Brown Solicitors in Aberdeen, is supporting the young family.
He said: ‘What happened to Blake is horrendous. The trauma he and his parents experienced will endure for a long time so I praise their courage in speaking out.
‘As parents we place the highest trust in those who care for our children and the Care Inspectorate quite rightly demanded improvements at this nursery.
‘We will do all we can to help this young family recover and move on following this awful incident.’
MailOnline has contacted Little Dreams Nursery for comment.
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