To ignore social services and think of my child's safety??

[Hhnsam]

I have social services involved in my life due to a past partner, they interfere in every aspect of my life and recently I've moved my 3 year old to a bed.. It's seems late by my son is a slow learner, since being in a bed he has being leaving his bedroom early morning and the other day I heard a noise at 6am (I live in a flat) to find my son had left his bedroom and injured his finger in my hamster cage by sticking his finger in and being bitten, other cases ive caught him before anything dangerous has happened... Im worried one day he may enter my living room or kitchen ect and I've told social services I'm going to put a door gate on his bedroom to prevent and danger in the future as I can barely sleep worrying what he might do, they have told me door gates after the age of two are dangerous and I can't? Do I ignore them and fit one anyway or any suggestions?

DGD (and her father ds2 before her!) would scale a gate across her bedroom door silently and with complete ease and she's 2.1, not 3! So I can see why gates on bedroom doors aren't the best idea.

However, I can't see why your social worker would object to locks on your kitchen and living room. But you need to make the flat safe first and foremost so that if your ds gets up without you hearing him, you've already done the damage limitation.

Strap the television to the wall (something I need to do after last week's "exploration" by dgd!) and move heavy ornaments if he can't be trusted not to touch them and keep the hamster well out of reach. Although a bite from the hamster might well be all it needs to stop your ds poking his fingers in its cage.

I'm sure social services will be supportive of bolting doors (other than his bedroom!) in order to keep him safe.

Can you close doors to rooms that aren't toddler proof?

Our tv is screwed to the tv stand.

High bolts is standard practice in care homes with dementia patients. Stops them getting into the kitchens and trying to wash the toaster while it's still plugged in.

My 3.8 year old still has a gate across his door, as we can't put one across the top of our stairs for many and varied reasons.

He's never tried to climb it. He just opens his door and shouts down the hall when he wants out!

I got a dog gate so much higher it takes 3/4 of the door frame up

www.argos.co.uk/m/static/Product/partNumber/8704346.htm

You can buy these plastic latched that stop things being opened. Bouts do them. They are sticky pads so very easy to fit & not permanent

Why don't you ask the SW for suggestions, after all she's been in your home.

They do taller baby gates aimed at dogs rather than children, don't think a 3 year old could climb one of those. Maybe ask your sw if that would be any good?

My dd2 was a champion climber as a tot (still is, just a bit less dangerously), I think she was a monkey in a previous life. She scaled the wall between our house and the neighbours' (with the help of a cosy coupe), it is about 4 foot. We put a safety gate on her bedroom door, she never tried to climb over it, mainly to stop her getting up in the dark and falling down the stairs. I didn't fancy a gate at the top of the stairs for safety reasons.

Social services would not have an issue with you putting locks on your kitchen door to keep your child safe. But you need to make your house as safe as you can.
Put away heavy ornaments, make sure that nothing that is unsafe is left in his reach. Check your living areas every night before you go to bed to make sure you have left nothing out. Strap your tv to the wall to make sure he cant pull it down on top of himself. Ask your social worker to come round and do a risk assessment of your house with you. She may spot things you havent noticed.
FWIW, my 3 yr old still has a gate on his door, but this is to stop him running in and out of his room all evening. If he was to go downstairs there would be nothing unsafe for him to play with. I leave the downstairs hall light on for older siblings, as their rooms are close to the stairs. They are less likely to fall down the stairs if they can see where they are going.

Forgot to say, your ds will be over that gate soon enough anyway, using a gate is only a short term solution. Which is why its better to address the safety of the house issues sooner rather than later.

I have just took the stairgate of DS bedroom door he is 3.3 now but never made any effort to climb over it.

Personally I would say the risk of climbing over a gate was less than the risk of harm in the flat left alone (unless you know your child is a climber)

With regards locking doors - I assume the doors you are considering that for aren't on any exit route in an emergency?

Just on the stair gates thing - DS1 worked out how to open it at 2 years. I caught him swinging on it across the top of the stairs! I took it down that night.

Thank you for all suggestions, I've moved hazards out my hallway and when he has left bedroom I've caught him before he's entered other rooms, I'm sorting out some bolts and a chime, then I can't see anything dangerous he could then do, I hope he grows out of this habit soon! As for door handles I asked dh to turn them around only for it to be to close to the wall and stick!

Buy a bigger door gate, those dog ones.