Paedophile nursery worker could have been stopped sooner, says former colleague

Key facts

• A former employee at a Partou nursery in Bristol raised concerns about Nathan Bennett's behavior.
• The former colleague claims management ignored her concerns about Nathan Bennett.
• Nathan Bennett was sentenced to 30 years in prison.
• Nathan Bennett was convicted of sexually abusing five boys.
• Other Partou nurseries received official notices to improve safeguarding.
• Bright Horizons nurseries received official notices to improve safeguarding.
• The notices to improve were issued after similar incidents.

A former employee at a Partou nursery in Bristol alleges that management disregarded her warnings about Nathan Bennett's behavior prior to his discovery as a child abuser. Bennett, who worked at the nursery, was subsequently sentenced to 30 years in prison for the sexual abuse of five young boys. The former colleague stated she raised concerns about Bennett's conduct, but these were reportedly ignored by the nursery's management. This incident has brought to light broader safeguarding concerns within nursery chains. Investigations into other Partou nurseries and Bright Horizons nurseries have revealed that these facilities have received multiple official notices to improve their safeguarding practices following similar incidents. The extent of these notices suggests a systemic issue in ensuring child safety across multiple locations within these organizations.