Shannon Edwards, a mother from Abertridwr, Caerphilly, reported a minor cut on her two-year-old daughter Bonnie's head to her nursery, Hafan Fach, run by Pitter Patter Play, on May 21. She explained the injury was from a fall while playing. Hours later, as she prepared to pick up her older children from school, a police officer and a social worker arrived at her door to investigate Bonnie's injuries.
Investigation Triggered by Nursery Report
Edwards said she had a positive interaction with a staff member at drop-off, who seemed unfazed by the cut. However, the nursery later raised a safeguarding concern, leading to a joint visit from Gwent Police and Caerphilly Council social services. Edwards and her fiancé Michael were immediately prohibited from unsupervised contact with Bonnie and their other three children: three-year-old Freddie, five-year-old Myla, and six-year-old Micky.
Edwards described the investigation as coming "out of the blue" and feeling as though her life was "falling apart." She said, "I didn't eat for three days during everything because I just couldn't stop crying and thinking of the worst scenarios. I really thought my children were going to be taken off me."
Initial Incident and Nursery Visit
On May 19, Bonnie stayed at a friend's house, where she fell and hit her head on a radiator. Edwards said there was no bleeding and Bonnie seemed fine. The next day, while dressing Bonnie, Michael noticed a small scratch on her back. Edwards contacted the friend, who said she hadn't noticed it because Bonnie was already in pyjamas.
On May 21, Edwards took Bonnie to nursery and informed staff about both injuries. She said a staff member responded sympathetically, saying, "That's fine, my children are the same, they're always jumping and falling over." Edwards picked Bonnie up at 11:30am with no concerns raised.
Police and Social Services Visit
At about 2:50pm, a police officer and social worker arrived at Edwards' home as she was about to collect her older children from school. They told her she was not allowed to pick them up and needed to investigate Bonnie's injuries. Edwards initially refused entry until her partner arrived, but the social worker warned that she was "making things 10 times worse" and making it look like she had "something to hide."
Edwards let them in, and they checked the children's bedrooms, finding everything safe. However, she was told that no one—including her partner, mother, or neighbour—could collect the older children from school. Edwards was left alone with her two youngest while authorities took a statement from the friend who had been caring for Bonnie. She was then required to sign a safeguarding order prohibiting unsupervised contact with her children.
Hospital Visit and Assessment
The next day, Edwards was supervised to take Bonnie to the Grange Hospital in Cwmbran for examination. A paediatrician immediately determined the injuries were accidental. Despite this, Edwards was told she would undergo a 42-day parenting assessment. "I felt it was unfair because it stemmed from an accident," she said.
Edwards also reported an incident during transport: a social worker driving her two youngest children activated hazard lights, then laughed when asked why, saying Freddie had opened the car door. Edwards filed a complaint about this.
Conclusion and Responses
This week, the investigation concluded with no issues raised. Edwards had removed Bonnie from the nursery in May and disputes a requested payment for June. She said she supports safeguarding but would have appreciated "more communication" before the authorities' visit.
A Gwent Police spokesman said: "Officers visited a property in Abertridwr following a report of a concern for the safety of a child. On attendance, no offences were identified."
A spokesman for Pitter Patter Play said: "We take our safeguarding responsibilities extremely seriously. When a safeguarding concern is raised, we are legally and professionally required to follow established statutory procedures. The Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW) has investigated these events and has found no case to answer."
A Caerphilly Council spokesman said: "All safeguarding concerns of this nature are assessed and investigated in line with established procedures to ensure the safety and wellbeing of children. While we recognise that such processes can be distressing for families involved, it would not be appropriate for us to comment on the details of any individual case."
