With the summer holidays not too far away, the manager of a child protection charity has offered advice to parents who are considering leaving their children at home.
The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) works nationwide to protect children from abuse.
The summer period is the busiest time for the charity and NSPCC Campaigns Manager Ellen Smith said that in “general there seems to be an increase in people contacting the helpline during the summer months”.
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With the cost-of-living crisis meaning that childcare costs have risen, Ms Smith acknowledged that for working parents it was a “very tricky time”.
In the summer, Ms Smith said there was a “link between children being left alone for longer”.
In an exclusive interview with the Oxford Mail, Ms Smith said: “There may be times in the summer when parents do need to think about leaving their children at home for a bit longer.”
Ms Smith said it was important for parents to first explore how “confident their children are with the idea of being home alone.”
She suggested parents had a chat with their children to make sure they are comfortable with risks such as picking up the phone or answering the door.
In the past two years, two in five contacts to the NSPCC helpline took place in the summer months.
Ms Smith said the summer period would be a very difficult time for parents this year as many have to “juggle the cost of living and having to work throughout the school holidays”.
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In 2021, the NSPCC helpline received over 6,000 contacts about children being left unsupervised.
Ms Smith said parents should set up plans for their children so they know how to react in certain scenarios when left alone.
For example, making sure the children have trusted adults they can call if they need help and Ms Smith said it was also very important to set “clear boundaries” concerning what they aren’t allowed to do.
Ms Smith advised that parents spend time on the NSPCC website as this had “brilliant resources” which parents could use before leaving their children alone.
Ms Smith highlighted it is illegal for parents to leave their children alone if they are at risk.
She explained: “Answering the phone or door could put them under a lot of emotional risk and we don’t want them feeling scared when they are at home.”
Ms Smith urged parents who are seeking more advice to contact the charity's helpline on 02078252505 which is open between 9am and 5pm.
However, if a child is believed to be in immediate danger then the police should be called on 999.
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