Nine-month-old baby Oliver Steeper choked to death on penne pasta at nursery - father speaks out

The father of a nine-month-old baby who choked to death on penne pasta has spoken out. Oliver Steeper was at nursery when the tragic incident occurred.

Since their little boy’s death in September 2021, parents Lewis and Zoe Steeper have been calling for better safety standards at childcare providers and now the Government has announced new measures to “improve the safety of childcare settings for everyone” following the couple’s three-year campaign.

Little Oliver died in hospital six days after he choked on chopped penne pasta at the Jelly Beans Day Nursery in Ashford, Kent. The new measures announced on October 18 are set to include emergency first aid provisions and a necessity to collect information from parents on weaning babies onto solid food.

At the close of Oliver’s inquest in May this year, coroner Katrina Hepburn said regulations requiring one first-aider per nursery “pose a risk to future life” and wrote to the Department for Education on preventing future deaths.

Ministers have confirmed early years safeguarding reforms to come into force in September 2025, including making sure there is always a staff member in the room with a valid paediatric first-aid certificate while children are eating, and talking to parents about introducing solid foods to their child.

The move comes following a consultation which showed “strong support” on proposals on safer eating for childcare providers.

Mr Steeper said: “After Oliver tragically passed away in September 2021 from choking on penne pasta at the age of nine months, we are embracing these changes. The investigations conducted after Oliver’s death revealed certain issues that needed to be addressed. This update from the Department for Education will rectify those issues and improve the safety of childcare settings for everyone.”

Speaking to ITV Meridian, Mr Steeper added: "I think the biggest change is that they're going to now make it necessary or mandatory for nurseries to talk to parents at what stage of food their children are at. We didn't get that. We got a tick-box exercise and sadly it went wrong and Oliver's no longer with us.

"The other change is that everybody that works in a nursery has to have an in-date paediatric first aid certificate. I think that's vitally necessary to close the risk onto children if the unthinkable does happen."

Jill Paterson, the family’s solicitor from law firm Leigh Day, added: “Oli’s parents have campaigned since his death to do what they can to ensure that no other families have to go through the tragedy that they have. These new measures are a very welcome development towards safer childcare provision and a tribute to the tireless work of Oli’s brave parents.”