A nursery worker who sexually abused young children in his care was cleared to return to work by a safeguarding investigation overseen by Camden council three years before his eventual arrest, according to The Guardian.
Vincent Chan was sentenced to 18 years in prison in February after admitting 56 offences, including assault by penetration on three-year-old girls at a Bright Horizons nursery on Finchley Road in north-west London. Prosecutors described him as a “prolific sexual predator” following his conviction.
The Guardian has now disclosed that Chan was the subject of an earlier safeguarding probe in 2021. A parent raised what were termed “significant concerns” about Chan’s conduct and behaviour with the nursery, including worries about what her young daughter was saying about him.
Bright Horizons referred the matter to Camden council, which advised the company to investigate. Chan was temporarily moved to duties involving no contact with children while Bright Horizons conducted the inquiry. Once completed, he was cleared and allowed to resume caring for young children at the nursery.
Abuse continued after clearance
In 2022, a year after being cleared, Chan filmed himself sexually abusing three-year-old girls at the same Bright Horizons facility. He was first arrested in June 2024 on suspicion of child cruelty after staff found videos he had filmed of distressed children.
When police searched Chan’s devices, they discovered he was a prolific offender with tens of thousands of child abuse images on his computer. He had also committed sexual offences in a previous role as a teaching assistant at St Mary’s Church of England primary school in Dollis Park, north London, including upskirting female pupils.
In early 2024, before Chan’s arrest, other parents told Bright Horizons that their children described Chan as shouting at them, being “angry” and a “bad man”. These parents say their concerns were dismissed. The Finchley Road nursery closed in June 2025 following Chan’s first arrest.
No police referral in 2021
Nurseries are required to refer matters to local authority designated officers (LADOs) when concerns are raised that a worker has harmed or poses a risk to children, may be guilty of criminal conduct, or has behaved in a way that makes them unsuitable for childcare work. Local authorities hold ultimate responsibility for managing allegations about adults who work with children.
LADOs can recommend police referrals if they believe a criminal threshold has been met. The Metropolitan Police did not receive a referral regarding Chan in 2021 and were only notified of the concerns later, according to the report.
After Chan’s offending came to light, Camden council conducted a rapid review of the decision to clear him in 2021. The council then commissioned a local child safeguarding practice review, led by an independent reviewer, to examine how Chan was able to abuse children at the nursery and in his previous role.
The review, initially expected in summer 2026, has been repeatedly delayed and is now anticipated in early 2027. It is expected to be critical of the safeguarding culture at Bright Horizons. However, Camden council has stated publicly that it cannot investigate Bright Horizons under health and safety laws because it is conflicted due to its participation in the safeguarding review.
In a letter to a parent, Camden council said the review’s purpose was “not conducted to hold individuals, organisations, or agencies to account”. The Guardian reports that the review is unlikely to satisfy parents of Chan’s victims because it will probably not apportion blame to Bright Horizons executives.
Between 2017 and 2024, the period Chan worked at the nursery, Camden council received other unrelated safeguarding referrals from Bright Horizons, according to the report.
A Camden council spokesperson said children deserve the best care in a safe environment and that the independent review “presents a pivotal opportunity to prevent abuse like this from happening again”. Bright Horizons said its thoughts remain with victims and their families but could not comment while the safeguarding review is ongoing.
What this means for Poles in the UK
Polish parents in London and across the UK who use nurseries should be aware that this case raises serious questions about safeguarding procedures at childcare facilities. If you have concerns about your child’s nursery worker, you have the right to raise them with the nursery management and expect them to be taken seriously.
Under UK law, nurseries must report safeguarding concerns to local authority designated officers (LADOs). If you believe a nursery has dismissed legitimate concerns about a staff member, you can contact your local authority’s LADO service directly. In Camden, this is done through Camden’s children and families service.
Parents should talk regularly to their children about nursery, in an age-appropriate way, and take note if a child repeatedly expresses fear or discomfort about a particular staff member. If your concerns are not addressed satisfactorily, you can also contact Ofsted, the regulator for childcare in England, which inspects nurseries and can investigate complaints.
This case underscores the importance of choosing registered, regulated childcare providers and staying engaged with what happens during your child’s day. Official guidance on choosing childcare is available on the gov.uk website, and safeguarding concerns can be reported to your local council’s children’s services.
