How cameras are being used to tackle abuse in nurseries

Industry voices warned that CCTV could raise privacy concerns, misinterpretation, and added costs for smaller settings, with debates about ensuring responsible use and safeguarding.

NDNA chief executive Tim McLachlan warned that CCTV is not a silver bullet for safeguarding in nurseries.

Vincent Chan was jailed for 18 years for abusing children in his care in northwest London.

Nathan Bennett was sentenced to 30 years in Bristol for a series of sexual offences against children, following CCTV evidence.

Bright Little Stars nursery in north London provides parents with limited live access to footage from their child’s room (up to 15 minutes per day) to balance transparency with privacy.

Chalk Nursery has installed cameras at sites in Bristol and London, covering children's rooms, outdoor spaces, and reception areas.

Australia is reportedly trialling CCTV in around 300 childcare centres.

In England, ministers asked experts whether CCTV should be required in all nurseries, and a committee of MPs began examining whether children in early years settings are properly protected.

Ofsted announced it would inspect early years settings every four years, rather than every six years.

Genevieve's parents, together with the Lullaby Trust, launched a campaign calling for CCTV to be installed in every nursery and for footage to be reviewed by Ofsted during inspections to provide an unfiltered view of nursery practices.

A National Day Nursery Association (NDNA) survey of 276 nurseries found 94 use CCTV, 98 have no plans to introduce it, and 84 are considering it.

Police reviewed CCTV footage from Genevieve's nursery, which helped reveal unsafe sleep practices and ill treatment, contributing to the subsequent legal case.

Later in 2022, Noah Sibanda died at a nursery in Dudley, West Midlands after being wrapped tightly in blankets; a nursery worker placed a leg across Noah's lower back and left him unsupervised, and he was found not breathing about two hours later. The worker was imprisoned for gross negligence manslaughter (three years and four months), and the nursery owner received a suspended six-month sentence for health and safety offences.

Genevieve Meehan, nine months old, died at a nursery in Stockport, Greater Manchester after suffocation caused by being strapped face down to a beanbag and left for more than 90 minutes with minimal supervision. A nursery worker was jailed for 14 years for manslaughter; the judge described the death as absolutely avoidable.