Campaign for Gigi

Gigi was killed whilst in nursery care. The nursery worker responsible has been convicted of manslaughter. But Gigi's story is not just about one individual, it's about a system that failed her.

Gigi grins brightly wearing a yellow dress.

Gigi is looking around the camera to who is taking the photo, wearing a blue striped romper suit. She is sat on an adult bed.

Campaign for Gigi

Genevieve Meehan, lovingly known as Gigi, was a nine-month-old with a captivating smile and mischievous personality. She loved being with her family, dancing, spaghetti Bolognese and watching her little dog. Despite being born prematurely, she quickly caught up on all her milestones.

Tragically, Gigi was killed whilst in nursery care.

When being placed down to sleep, Gigi was tightly swaddled inside a blanket. She was strapped face down onto a bean bag. Her cause of death was determined as a combination of asphyxia (where the body is deprived of oxygen), and pathophysiological stress which arose by an unsafe sleep environment.

The nursery worker responsible was convicted of manslaughter, due to the CCTV footage.

Gigi’s parents, Katie and John, have partnered with The Lullaby Trust and their local MP Tom Morrison, to launch the Campaign for Gigi.

What we're campaigning for

Together we’re calling for urgent and necessary changes to protect other children and babies.

Implementing clear, statutory requirements on safer sleep in nursery settings

As the investigation into Gigi’s killing progressed, it was discovered that the nursery worker convicted of killing Gigi had communicated her plan to sleep Gigi on a bean bag to other nursery workers. No one intervened.

We are calling for mandatory, up-to-date safer sleep training for all nursery staff to develop a culture in which unsafe sleep practices are called out, questioned and changed. Early years staff should be able to:

Know how to sleep babies safely.
Feel empowered to challenge unsafe practices.
Take immediate action if a baby is at risk.

Baby lying on their back, looking out through the slats of the cot.

In addition, we are urging the Department for Education to urgently strengthen and expand the statutory framework for early years settings. This framework outlines the legal requirements that nurseries and childcare providers must follow.

Currently, it offers only minimal guidance on safer sleep, directing providers to general advice that isn’t tailored for early years settings. We are urging the government to provide specific, practical advice, including clear rules around the use of sleep products.

Everyone working with babies should have the knowledge to sleep them as safely as possible, because knowledge saves lives.

Update (February 2026):

Olivia Bailey, Early Years Minister confirmed that new statutory safer sleep wording is being developed for inclusion in the Early Years Foundation Stage statutory framework.

If every early years setting has an evidence-based safer sleeping policy and trusted information, we’re one step closer to giving every baby and young child a safer start in life.

Watch the announcement:

Screengrab of a video clip set at Westminster. There are long, curved tables and a handful of people sat at the table. There is a play icon in the middle.

A strengthened Ofsted inspection process

Prior to 2015, Ofsted inspections were routinely unannounced. Now, only one third are carried out without warning.

Katie and John reviewed Ofsted inspection reports before choosing which nursery to send Gigi to. The BBC documentary, ‘How Safe Are Our Nurseries’ depicted how nursery staff hid children in cupboards during inspections, to meet staff-to-child ratios.

The BBC documentary also highlighted that since inspections became mostly announced, child injury reports from nurseries have almost tripled. This rise suggests that announced inspections may not always reflect the everyday reality of nursery settings.

Early years professional sitting on the floor in a nursery with a little girl on her lap, playing with toys.

Update (August 2025):

Stephen Morgan MP, Minister for Early Education confirmed that from next April, Ofsted will move towards inspecting all providers on the early years register at least once every four years, compared to the current six-year cycle.

Mandatory CCTV in nurseries to protect babies, children and early years workers

Katie and John firmly believe that without CCTV, they wouldn’t have known how unsafely she was slept and Gigi’s killer would never have been held accountable. According to Ofsted, there is currently no government guidance on CCTV use in nurseries. When Greater Manchester Police reviewed the CCTV footage from Gigi’s nursery, that led to another worker being convicted of offences of neglect.

We want CCTV to have a role in keeping babies and children, and staff, safe before we reach a tragedy. It should not only be checked once there has been a serious incident. CCTV can give staff the confidence to speak up when they see something that is concerning, and could help Ofsted to monitor regular practices in nurseries even before there is a concern.

In addition, we are calling for Ofsted and the Department for Education to explore reviewing CCTV footage as part of Ofsted inspections. This can act as an active safeguard, revealing concerns that may not be visible during a short, scheduled inspection.

A close up of a baby's hands grasping at toy trains, near a wooden track.

We believe that many responsible nurseries already use CCTV effectively, to protect children and staff, monitor care and reassure parents and carers.

It’s time to review how we can make this practice universal.

Update (February 2026):

Olivia Bailey, Early Years Minister announced that an expert government panel is being established to review the use of CCTV in nurseries, including whether it should become mandatory.

Watch the announcement:

The Campaign for Gigi is her legacy

We know that the campaign isn’t going to bring Genevieve back, but it’s so important to us that other parents don’t suffer in the way that we have suffered. Our beautiful daughter deserves to have a legacy so that her life can inspire others. This campaign is a way that we can show our devotion to Genevieve. As a family, we will work tirelessly to ensure she has the legacy she deserves.

Katie and John, Gigi's parents

Gigi grins brightly wearing a yellow dress. Her image is surrounded by illustrated lavender.

Working together for safer starts

We recognise that so many early years professionals are skilled, dedicated and committed to children’s safety and wellbeing. Every day, they work with care and dedication, often under pressure with limited resources.

This campaign is not an indictment of early years workers. This campaign is in response to the facts of Gigi’s story, and the evidence-based changes that could help prevent future tragedies. Her story is a heart-breaking example of what can happen when systems fail and safeguards are missing.

We want to see early years professionals better supported and given all the tools and knowledge they need to keep children safe.

How we support early years professionals

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About Gigi

“Gigi loved every day she spent with her family. She loved dancing, spending time with her sister and watching her little dog. Whilst born prematurely, she soon caught up with all of her milestones. This was probably helped by the fact that she loved food, with spaghetti Bolognese being her absolute favourite. Gigi is a precious, integral member of our family.”

Katie and John