Death of Steve Bruce’s infant grandson leads to calls for urgent action

The four-month-old grandson of football manager Steve Bruce died after he was placed in an ‘unsafe sleeping position’ by an unregulated maternity nurse, an inquest has heard.

Madison Bruce Smith was found unresponsive by his father, ex-Leeds United and Fulham striker Matt Smith, on the morning of October 18, 2024.

The baby could not be resuscitated at the family home in Trafford, Greater Manchester, and was taken to Wythenshawe Hospital, where he was pronounced dead by paramedics.

Madison’s death has prompted calls for better regulation in childcare, after the coroner found that untrained individuals present a significant danger to children.

Mr Smith and his wife, Bruce’s daughter Amy, had employed Eva Clements through a company named Ruthie Maternity Services after their son had difficulties sleeping in the afternoons.

They believed Ms Clements was skilled, fully trained and vetted and that the company was a well-established maternity and sleep support service, but Stockport Coroner’s Court heard that neither was regulated.

Ruth Asare, head of Ruthie Maternity Services, said she had no medical qualifications and had only a first aid certificate and a Level 2 diploma in post-natal care gained from a three-day course and a six-month coursework project.

Ms Clements said she had a degree in early years education but admitted she had no medical qualifications.

The inquest heard Madison’s parents would ‘never have dreamed’ of putting their son asleep in the position he died in, but when Ms Clements told them all four of her own babies had slept on their stomachs with no problems, they agreed.

Still, the advice violated recognised safe sleeping guidance from the NHS and health professionals.

In a short, narrative conclusion, senior coroner for South Manchester, Alison Mutch, said: ‘Madison died in circumstances where his cause of death could not be ascertained while asleep in his cot, having been placed in a prone and unsafe sleeping position.’

The coroner added: ‘I hope the services can be regulated and, going forward, parents are not left in a situation where they believe they are employing someone who is qualified to advise them when they are clearly unqualified.’

She said Ms Clements slept in a different room and was meant to check in on the baby, but didn’t do so despite hearing him stir and crying through the night.

Madison’s parents, together with Bruce and his son, ex-footballer Alex, attended Monday’s hearing.

In a statement read to the court on Monday, Alex said: ‘Losing Madison has been utterly excruciating. The pain is indescribable and often too much to bear. It has totally shattered our entire family.

‘We believe that Madison died in a complete regulatory vacuum. Without regulation, this will happen again, and other parents will place trust in individuals who should not be in the care of infants.’

The head of the childcare agency told the coroner that those she trained were given the safe sleeping advice to put babies on their backs.

However, Ms Clements said she had been taught by Ms Asare to put babies on their tummies. She denied telling Madison’s mother she was a nurse and also denied suggestions she had ‘convinced her’ that the prone position was appropriate.

In a statement after Madison’s death, the National Nanny Association said: ‘We share the grave concern that this tragedy occurred within what has been described as a complete regulatory vacuum.

‘Without mandatory safeguards, minimum training requirements, and clear accountability, families are being placed in a position where they may unknowingly entrust their children to individuals who are not suitably qualified.’

The NNA is fighting for the government to introduce mandatory DBS checks for all nannies, maternity nurses and childcare providers.

They also hope to set minimum training and qualification standards across the sector, establish a recognised national register for childcare professionals and enact stronger safeguarding frameworks and enforcement mechanisms.

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