Katie Wheeler and John Meehan, parents of nine-month-old Genevieve Meehan, are campaigning for improved safety standards in nurseries after their daughter died at a Cheadle Hulme nursery. Their Campaign for Gigi has already led to changes, including mandatory safe sleep training across nursery settings and increased Ofsted funding for more no-notice inspections.
Campaign for Gigi
Genevieve, known as 'Gigi', died from asphyxia and 'pathophysiological stress' caused by an unsafe sleeping environment. Deputy manager Kate Roughley, who was acting as 'baby room leader' at Tiny Toes nursery, was found guilty of manslaughter and is serving a 14-year sentence.
Katie says she talks about Genevieve in the present tense to keep her memory alive. She describes her daughter as "small but mighty" and a "raucous", "mischievous" little girl. John says the campaign is a way to parent Genevieve and to ensure other parents don't suffer the same loss.
Changes achieved
As a result of their work, training on safe sleep will be rolled out across all nursery settings. Ofsted funding has been increased to allow for 3,000 more no-notice inspections, and the inspection cycle has been reduced from six to four years.
The campaign is also calling for compulsory CCTV in nursery settings, unannounced Ofsted inspections to be routine, and mandatory safe sleep training for all nursery staff and Ofsted inspectors.
Ongoing fight
Katie and John are working with MPs Tom Morrison and Connor Rand on safer sleep campaigning and pushing for CCTV in all nursery settings. A pre-inquest review into Genevieve's death is set for October 8.
Katie says the campaign should "empower" parents to question advice about safe sleep. She hopes to see a national public health campaign similar to the 'Back to Sleep' campaign, which helped reduce SIDS deaths from 2,000 to around 200 per year.
