Family backs tougher safeguarding rules to protect babies in early years settings
A family whose baby was mistreated at Tiny Toes Nursery in Stockport has spoken out in support of growing calls for tougher safeguarding rules in early years settings, warning that inspection regimes alone cannot protect children who are too young to speak up.
The child, identified only as A.B., was just nine months old at the time and was one of the babies abused by nursery worker Rebecca Gregory, who was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment in 2024 after pleading guilty to four counts of wilfully ill-treating children. CCTV footage shown in court captured Gregory physically and verbally abusing, and threatening babies in her care.
Gregory was the second Tiny Toes worker to be imprisoned, following the conviction of Kate Roughley, who was sentenced to 14 years for the manslaughter of nine-month-old Genevieve Meehan.
Evidence relating to A.B. was heard during Gregory’s sentencing, including CCTV footage taken in the Spring of 2022 which showed her tightly swaddling and laying the baby on his front, as well as dropping the baby from standing height into a cot and thrusting him down onto a hard floor with force, which led to him hurting his head. The family said this was “incredibly dangerous” and they remain devastated by what happened.
“We trusted the nursery completely,” said A.B.’s parent. “To learn that someone could behave like this towards such young, vulnerable children is beyond words. We need to make sure this can never happen again.”
The family is being supported by national law firm Simpson Millar. Their solicitor said the Tiny Toes cases must lead to urgent change.
A.B.’s parents have also spoken out in support of the campaign launched by Genevieve Meehan’s family for stronger safety standards in early years settings - including tougher checks, greater accountability, and CCTV being taken more seriously in baby rooms.
They welcomed recent changes to Ofsted’s approach to inspections, including reforms introduced for registered early years settings from November 2025, which remove overall effectiveness grades and assess safeguarding on a ‘met’ / ‘not met’ basis.
However, the family said the time between inspections remains a serious concern — particularly for nurseries caring for babies who cannot speak up or explain what has happened to them.
“Ofsted changes are positive, but inspections only show a snapshot,” the parent said. “Every nursery will put their best foot forward when inspectors are there — but what happens on all the days they’re not?
“We only found out what happened to our son by accident, because police were reviewing CCTV as part of the investigation into the death of another baby at the nursery. Otherwise, we would have been none the wiser. How can that be right?
“CCTV should be made mandatory in nurseries, and there needs to be random checks of that CCTV and real accountability for everyone in the nursery. This wasn’t a one-off. Given what happened, someone must have known something was wrong — and it should have been stopped much sooner.”
Tiny Toes Nursery closed in 2022 following investigations.
At a pre-inquest review hearing in relation to Genevieve Mehan earlier this month, the coroner said she would refer the case to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) after evidence - including CCTV footage, video logs and witness statements - indicated possible gross negligence manslaughter and corporate manslaughter.
The parents welcomed the announcement, saying they still have serious unanswered questions about accountability.
“We still have so many questions about what happened. We know that there was an inspection carried out by Stockport Council and that the nursery has closed, but we don’t yet know the findings of that investigation,” the parent added. “We don’t know what was found, why more wasn’t done sooner to prevent these incidents, or whether any sanctions were taken against management.
“For all we know, the same people could still be working elsewhere with children and that’s really concerning.”
The family is now calling for urgent action to strengthen safeguarding across the sector, adding their support to the Campaign for Gigi, launched by the parents of Genevieve Zofia Meehan, who was killed at the same nursery.
The campaign is calling for compulsory CCTV in nursery settings; unannounced Ofsted inspections to be routine in early years settings; review of CCTV footage in Ofsted inspections; clear, statutory safe sleep guidance for early years settings; mandatory safe sleep training for all nursery staff and Ofsted inspectors; and clear statutory guidance on the use of sleep products in early years settings.
A.B.’s family also want the Government to review expectations around qualifications for early years staff, pointing to current Government guidance which states: ‘Some jobs in nurseries won’t need a specific early years qualification. You can apply directly for these roles and start working straight away.’
Following their ordeal, the family instructed Simpson Millar to further investigate the circumstances surrounding what happened to A.B, and whether more could have been done to prevent it.
Jacob Shaw, a solicitor at the firm, is backing the family’s call for urgent changes to safeguarding in nurseries: He said: “Babies and very young children are among the most vulnerable in society because they cannot speak up, explain what has happened or raise concerns themselves. That means the responsibility on early years providers, regulators and local authorities is even greater.
“These cases highlight why safeguarding must be robust and consistently enforced, with clear accountability at every level. Families should not have to rely on chance to discover what has happened to their child. Stronger safeguards — including effective oversight between inspections and appropriate use of CCTV — are essential to protect children and prevent harm.”
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