School Taxi left my children on doorstep

[Pegasus11]

I am a little shaken. I work but I have a normally reliable babysitter who meets my DS (5 and 7) from their school taxi. They are entitled to transport as they were sent to a non catchment school when we moved.

Today my babysitter called me at work at 1545 to say she wasn't at my house. Why she had not let me know if she was stuck in traffic sooner I don't know, but she didn't. I immediately called the taxi firm to ask them to hang onto my kids until I could get there/get someone to meet them.

The reply was that the children had been left on the doorstep and it was my responsibility to make sure there was someone there, not theirs to check the children got in. I know it is my responsibility to make sure there is someone there and I am very upset with the babysitter for not leetting me know sooner too. But the "safety valve" has to be that the taxi firm don't just release reception age children out of the taxi. It could happen if someone coming to collect children had a road accident or anything.

I am just relieved that nothing happened and that my kids are ok, and the taxi driver is a nice man. But it was heart in the mouth territory when the taxi lady calmly told me the kids were "out there" on their own and felt the need to share.

[WhimsicalWinnifred]

It's all well and good having the record if there is a next time but have the taxi company and/or la not said anything about this time?

[ExtraHotLatteToGo]

Pegasus. You sound very calm about it now, your blood pressure must be better than mine because I'm still livid and they're not my kids! I hope you hear back from the LEA. I'd have been demanding heads on platters!

What's your plan for next term? It all sounds highly frustrating & difficult - hats off to you for keeping all the balls in the air!

[MumsTheWordYouKnow]

Both were at fault. How ridiculous for some pps to say it is not the taxi drivers responsibility. It absolutely is their responsibility to ensure your children are handed over safely to the responsible adult. It's not a bus service which is for older children.

[JinRamen]

I admire your calm on this thread, op. Glad a letter has been written and I hope you get a suitable apology.

[moosemama]

My ds is taken to and from school in a taxi, although he is older and has ASD.

We had issues with the taxi dropping him several doors down when he first started being driven by them. The LA sub-contract to the taxi company, but all their drivers are required to hand over the children to an appropriate adult at their home address and if no-one is available, the have a specific procedure to follow, which includes contacting a central LA number and attempting to contact the parents or other emergency contacts for the child. This forms part of the taxi's contract with the LA and is non-negotiable. (For those who asked/wondered/commented, all drivers and escorts have higher level background/dbs checks done prior to working with the children and are given multiple contacts for each child in case of emergency.)

Our LA took it so seriously that they removed the driver and we've had an absolutely fantastic driver and escort ever since (3 years now). The escort used to get out of the taxi, walk ds to the door and hand him over, but these days, in agreement with ourselves, they just wait until they see me let him in then wave.

Op YDNBU, there are procedures the taxi driver should have followed and regardless of that, no responsible adult would just drive off and leave a 5 and 7 year old locked out of their house on their own.

[Ditsy4]

I haven't read all 10 pages but I have read the OP message and a few more. Although I haven't need to use a taxi often we did have access to one. Firstly to those posters who seem to think it was a bit ridiculous for OP children to be granted a taxi let me tell you there are loads of kids who go to and from school in a taxi. Try moving away from London. Have a wander North of Watford and you might find lots of remote areas where the transport is a taxi because there are no buses! My kids primary school mini bus and taxi tender went out every three years. There is no way that Sheryl the mini bus driver would ever have left those kids without ensuring the presence of an adult at home. Likewise the taxi drivers. Had they done so they wouldn't have had their contract renewed and they would have been reprimanded anyway.
My daughter was given a free taxi because we lived more than 6 miles from her Church school. We had good reason not to send her to her catchment school and I used the taxi service on the days I was ill. Even though she 13 the driver waited till she entered the house. It was because he was a kind, sensible, responsible adult. Contract taxi drivers are not the same as sticking your kid in a taxi one end. The drivers are expected to check that someone is there to meet the children.
Pegasus 11 no way are you at fault,you were expecting the babysitter to being coming and you could never imagine the taxi driver would leave them. I would however talk to them about which neighbours they could go to if something ever happen again just to reassure them.

[Ditsy4]

I hope you and your children have recovered[smiled].

[Pegasus11]

I am truly grateful and touched by all of you who have taken time to give a view on this and said such reassuring things.

In the end my DH rung the LEA safeguarding line because that is what the official procedure said we should do. And it is being investigated with the company which I am slightly uncomfortable with. It accept must happen. DH insisted we did this because the consequences could have been much worse if the boys had been left for 2 hours not 20 minutes and he felt the message had to come from the county not us. We did make clear then and in the written report that we know people make mistakes and it is one day in a million there wouldn't be someone there and the driver is a nice man and a very safe driver. But those boys were at risk for that 20 minutes and the driver must must check. Not just at our house. But for all the kids.

And we have kind of told DS1 that he was bloody brilliant for taking charge and not panicking. It's nice when your kids surprise you in a good way. They grow up so fast. My DH shrugs and says "he's a good lad, isn't he". But a year ago, 6 months even, he wouldn't have shown that maturity.

Thank you all again. x

[goodomens830]

I would firstly be FUMING with the babysitter. Really, you should question why she left it so late to tell you. Secondly, I would be livid with the taxi driver. They absolutely should not drop any child off without a known adult in VIEW at least. I would seriously complain about this.

[trafalgargal]

I'm with your OH. Had you not complained and this taxi company did it again and a child went missing or worse you'd have kicked yourself for not complaining.

There is no reason to feel uncomfortable the taxi firms do very well out of these contracts -it isn't unreasonable to expect they follow the rules attached to such contracts .

[Attitude84]

It's understandable that the taxi service dont have responsibility for her children, or aren't babysitters, but surely common sense must've been there somewhere? Leaving small children on their own? Anything could've happened, how would the taxi driver have felt if the children were hurt or injured after he left them? It's pure luck that they weren't. I'd change babysitter straight away and I'd definitely have something to say to the snotty bitch at the taxi firm as well as the careless driver. Yes it was making the babysitters fault, but there is also a thing called compassion and care as well as a simple phone call. The OP is very right in being upset.

[Attitude84]

Mainly*
Hurt or taken*

[Cathaka15]

This isn't about the babysitter or if someone was there or not. The taxi firm should NOT have left young children without seeing an adult who is allowed to pick them up firstly. My daughter gets bussed school and back and they do not hand her over to anyone that is not on the list of people I have allowed. Just like schools. What crap firm is this taxi company. I would call and speak to a manager and let them have it. So it doesn't happen again to you or others.

[kelda]

I'm glad you have reported this. You had to, the taxi driver could do it again with worse consequences. I hate to think what could happen if this had been mine ds.

[snowgirl29]

Pegasus that is the best thing to do. Often complaints are taken more seriously if done by someone with clout so to speak.

One of the regular taxi drivers we get has a school contract a fair bit out of the way and as a result - he always keeps an hour free each end of the day in case of traffic or problems. It sounds like he was a taxi driver who had another job straight afterwards. The amount of times I've been left stranded when a driver has been stacking jobs. Is there another company you can ask the LA to use?

[MsGemJay]

I empathise, this must have been awful for you and your children.

Whilst you have hired someone to be there and be accountable and as far as you are aware that person was there, it is; parental responsibility to ensure that children are able to be taken to/from school safely.

I am aware of families who regularly do this (do not collect their children) and for safety reason those children may be returned to the school or a place of safety (police station).

Taxi drivers are hired solely to take an entitled child to/from school. Most will wait a good 5-10 mins and try and contact families. It isn't their sole job and they have other work and family commitments themselves.

What if the driver needed to be back to collect his/her child(ren)

I really do feel for you. But I don't think the driver can be faulted on this occasion. Sorry :(

[Pegasus11]

MsGemJay the county transport department did not share your view. It is a fundamental breach of their safeguarding policy, so we are told.

[Pegasus11]

No steps were taken to contact us. No 5-10 minute wait. The taxi driver by his own admission did not wait to see if anybody was in. He opened the car door. Kids got out. Somebody always is here, so he drove off.

Would you do that if you were returning kids to a friend after a play date? Pull up outside the house, let a 5 year old out into the drive, and head off before their mum answered the door? Hmmmmmm.

[JudyCoolibar]

Of course the driver can be faulted, Mrs GemJay. He is paid to do the job in accordance with the agreement between the school and his employers. That includes the requirement to follow their safety policies, which will certainly include procedures to deal with the situation when there is no-one at home when children are dropped off. If he doesn't follow instructions then, no matter what other work and family commitments he might have, he is to blame. He needs to structure his other commitments around his employers' requirements, just as every other employed person has to do.