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.
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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.
