Ofsted has suspended the registration of Bright Horizons Day Nursery at Furness General Hospital in Barrow-in-Furness, citing concerns that children could face a risk of harm.
The temporary suspension took effect on July 22, 2026, and will last until September 1, closing the nursery for six weeks.
The regulatory action follows a Welfare Requirements Notice issued on July 20 to the parent company, Bright Horizons Family Solutions Ltd. The notice requires the chain to address organizational safeguarding failures by August 1.
These failures stem from an investigation into a serious safeguarding incident that occurred in September 2025.
Inspections across 172 of the operator's 300 national nurseries revealed breaches in 69 settings.
An Ofsted spokesperson explained the reasoning behind the intervention. "To allow inquiries to be completed in relation to the concerns," the spokesperson said.
The watchdog noted that the suspension allows time for inquiries and corrective steps, without automatically indicating permanent deregistration.
The Barrow setting was last rated good during its 2022 inspection.
Parents reported receiving no prior warning about the immediate shutdown, forcing many to arrange emergency childcare or take unpaid leave.
"I went on Facebook on the local mum's group and it said it was closed with immediate effect and that was that - it's been a nightmare," said Alison Murphy, whose 16-month-old daughter attends the nursery.
Murphy noted that employees appeared unaware of the shutdown when she picked up her daughter on July 22.
"When we picked her up on Wednesday, the staff didn't seem to know. They all said 'see you on Friday,'" Murphy said.
She explained that family members will assist with care temporarily while she adjusts to the sudden disruption.
"We work really long hours which is why we use that nursery. We drop her off at seven and we pick her up at six," Murphy said.
Parents are now left negotiating work obligations and financial loss during the shutdown window.
"She'll adjust to a new nursery, but until then we're going to have to take days off unpaid," Murphy said.
Bright Horizons addressed the disruption caused to parents following the sudden suspension order.
"We understand the very real impact this temporary closure will have on our families and we are sorry for the disruption this has caused," a Bright Horizons spokesperson said.
The operator affirmed its commitment to maintaining safety standards while regulatory reviews continue.
"Our priority remains the safety and wellbeing of children and we will continue to work with Ofsted," the spokesperson said.
The provider stated it would maintain communication with impacted clients during the six-week closure period.
"We will keep families updated as appropriate throughout this process and will provide further information when we are able to do so," the spokesperson said.
