The NSPCC respond to a rise in reports of children being left home alone - they offer helpful, supportive advice for parents juggling the pressures of work and kids.
Parents are always performing the greatest balancing act. Expensive childcare costs and inconsistent access to wraparound care is leaving some families trapped into living near grandparents who can look after children for free. Never is the juggle of work, children and life more apparent than during school holidays, when these pressures are compounded and parents have few options open to them for support.
In the last year, the NSPCC Helpline has seen a 65per cent rise in calls from those raising concerns about children being left home alone. Between April 2023 and March 2024, 7,802 contacts were made with the service in relation to the subject, compared to 4,717 contacts the previous year. Just over half (51 per cent) of reports made were deemed serious enough for the NSPCC to refer the case for further action.
The charity recognises that as school holidays approach, parents can feel unsure about whether they can leave their child unsupervised, understanding the difficulties the months of July and August bring to those facing the balance of competing pressures. Add in the continued cost of living crisis and flexible working difficulties, and parents are faced with having to continue working while trying to look after their children. For some, leaving them alone can be an option, but needs to be under the right conditions.
We spoke to family lawyer Anna-Laura Lock for her opinion on leaving children home alone. She tells us "It is certainly something that I am seeing happen increasingly often in my professional experience, possibly in circumstances where it is now ‘the norm’ for both parents to be working full or at least part-time. This represents a cultural shift, particularly in the last decade.
The increasing and unsustainable cost of childcare together with expectations of a return to full-time office attendance has meant that parents are choosing to leave children at home for longer periods, particularly when those children are of secondary school age."
She adds "The law on this point is arguably vague without the specification of a mandatory age threshold and the decision left ultimately to the parents’ judgment. That said, the implications for getting it wrong are severe, with the risk of social services involvement and criminal prosecution if a child is exposed to ‘unnecessary suffering or injury to health’.
"What the vagueness of the law does not take into account and what the NSPCC data shows is that children, even those of secondary school age, could fear the lack of parental presence, supervision and support. In my experience, children have reported feelings of loneliness, lack of support with homework and revision and being left to fend for themselves at mealtimes. In addition the risk of exposure to harm from third parties- older children or adults – whether physically in person (at home or in the community) or online cannot be understated."
With no legal age limit for leaving children home alone, the NSPCC recommends no child under the age of 12 is left at home unsupervised. A child who expresses concerns about being left alone should never be put in that position - even children who feel confident they can manage, should be left with emergency contact numbers and not left unsupervised for long periods of time.
If the only option for families is to leave children home alone, the NSPCC recommend the following tips:
- Set some ground rules: Do they know what to do in an emergency and will they have friends over? A discussion about expectations from both sides will lead to a clear understanding of what is expected from the child and what will happen when they're alone.
- Agree what they’ll do while you’re out. Will they be able to leave the house and how far will they be allowed to go? This will make up part of your ground rules agreement.
- Make sure they're safe online. If you're not there in person to keep an eye on their screen time and apps or games they use, you'll need to set realistic limits with them. If there's any apps or games you don't feel comfortable with them using without you there, consider restricting access to these and reiterate the message your child should never give away personal details online.
- Practise what to do in an emergency. Do they know who to contact and what to do in an emergency? Have you gone through alternative exit routes if they lose access to the ones they know about? Make sure they know what could go wrong and how they need to respond.
- Be clear what time you’ll be back. If your plans change, let them know. Make sure they've got the details of another safe person to call if they become concerned about your whereabouts and aren't able to reach you.
- Check in with them. Chances are you're going to be a little worried about them and will do this anyway. Regular check-ins will put both of your minds at rest.
- Build up slowly. The NSPCC recommends leaving a child for 20 minutes at a time to begin with, and building this up slowly over time. It's not a good idea to leave them for long periods right from the start, when they're getting used to the process of caring for themselves.
The NSPCC have plenty more resources and advice pages for leaving children alone on their website. Kam Thandi, Head of the NSPCC’s Helpline said: "It can be hard for parents and carers to know the right age to leave their child home alone as every child is different, and the first time being left unsupervised will differ for every family."
She adds "It is vital that both the child and adult feel comfortable with any decision that is taken, and that if a young person is to be left home alone they know how to contact a trusted adult and what to do in an emergency."
Adults with concerns about a child can contact the NSPCC Helpline by calling 0808 800 5000. Childline is available for young people via the phone on 0800 1111 and online where there is a 121 chat on the Childline website.
For more helpful content, we reveal why 'stranger danger' is outdated and the new term to teach kids instead, along with a clever hack thought to prevent abductions. We also share the best internet safety tips for whether you're with your children or they're having screen time alone.
Anna-Laura has 10 years of experience in family law and is currently a partner at Rayden Solicitors. She advises on all aspects of family law to individuals – both during a relationship to help them plan for their future, and also after a relationship has broken down. She advises regularly in relation to issues involving children with an awareness of the importance of finding a child-focused solution whilst at the same time supporting clients through a sensitive and painful time.
