Family living in a car

[BlueBug444]

I hope I've got the wrong end of the stick completely - but I think I need to report this to social services and I don't know where to begin. Do I just ring the council and they will put me through to social services?

I walk my Dog through a park most mornings and afternoons/evenings. On the carpark there's a car that's been there for several weeks. At first I thought it had been abandoned then I saw a dog in it one morning. Having kept an eye on it for the last few weeks it seems there's a couple with a young girl (maybe 10 or 11 years old) living in it + at least two dogs and some birds in a cage. I've seen the girl wandering round the park during the day several times now. Usually on her own - then she goes back to the car. It never seems to leave the carpark or be driven anywhere. I heard the man shouting at the woman the other day that "this was is it now and at least we're not on the streets". I feel awful for them that they have seemingly been driven to such desperate measures

Oh gosh that is awful. Poverty and housing in this country is truly getting worse horribly fast.

Pls don't report them. It might cause all sorts of trouble for them and they probably have a plan and know that can report themselves for support.

This must be stressful enough for them without being reported and worried about losing their child. That would be the wrong decision in my opinion and not in solidarity with them at all

You could offer them a shower if you wanted to help?

Adults may choose to live in a car
The child does not choose
Report fir the child sake
They may at least get a b and b emergency accomodation with a shower access

If you did report them, they would not lose their child over this alone. Of course if it transpires that there is substance misuse or domestic abuse then that would change things but SS don’t remove kids from their parents unless there is a danger identified. Something else could be going on though, does the girl appear to be going to school?

I would contact your emergency homeless team who would try and make contact with them along with social services.

I don't think she goes to school. I've seen her in the park on days you'd normally expect her to be in school and never in a uniform

The local councils will provide emergency housing to families with children. They may or may not know about it. You could report on 101 to police as they can go to car and enquire what it going on and safeguarding issues can be handled by them. Police will also have details about where to go about emergency housing.

Emergency housing doesn’t cater for pets. Some people, myself included, would never leave the pets.

I’d report to the police tbh. At the least your local social services safe guarding hub.

My worry in that case is that there is a sinister reason for them living in a car, possibly avoiding social services, because families get accomodation from the council in hotels or temporary housing in homelessness. They simply would not let a child be living in a car (the local authority) if they knew. If she was attending school, school would definitely report this and would try to help.

In this scenario you need to think from the child’s POV not the parents. Report it and let SS investigate.

You’d have your child living with multiple animals and adults in a single car, rather than leave your pets?

You’d prefer your child to live in a car?

If the girl is 10 or 11, she really needs to get back into education - she'll be secondary age in September if she isn't already, and will be getting left further and further behind.

Though if the car has been there a while, I'm surprised no-one else has noticed.

Emergency housing doesn’t cater for pets. Some people, myself included, would never leave the pets.

A 10yo girl takes priority over a dog. If they really can't leave the pets, mother and girl can go into accommodation and father stay in the car with the dogs.

I’m luckily not in that situation. When I was homeless and had to live in emergency housing it was just myself and my baby.

Definitely report. I wouldn’t want to lose my pets but I wouldn’t make my child suffer either.

2 adults, a child, 2 dogs and some birds! At least 1 adult and the child can housed somewhere and the child can attend school.

Sorry everyone I was just pointing out emergency housing isn’t for pets. And a lot of homeless people won’t leave their dog and so on.

I was not saying this is ok.

just pointing out a fact.

the child needs a safe home obviously.

But someone else may be able to care for their pets temporarily. A child cannot be living in a car, OP hasn’t said but if they are in the UK then we could have a cold snap at any time and they could all be at risk of hypothermia.

phone the police
and what happens if they’re not there tomorrow and you saw something that turns out to be part of something big
maybe I am getting away with myself

Absolutely report it. The child’s basic needs cannot be met while she is sleeping in a car with animals. Something is clearly very wrong.

Too many people don’t report this stuff because they don’t want to rock the boat but the safety of the child must come first. If the family presents as homeless to the council then they will always house children, even if it’s hotel accommodation. There’s a reason why this has not happened. If it’s because they don’t want to leave their animals then they’re not capable of identifying that their child’s need for a roof over their head is greater than their need not to leave their budgie behind.

Apologies just read your recent reply. Your initial one shocked me a bit!

This is not overdramatic

Yes report. I don’t know much about the system but surely there has to be a better alternative.

I think you should report this. The child could be at risk for all kinds of reasons.

Same here. I would rather live in a car than be separated from my pet.

That’s your choice, but I hope you wouldn’t force a child to live in a car so you don’t have to be separated from your pet. Children’s needs come first.