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AIBU?

School Taxi left my children on doorstep

244 replies

Pegasus11 · 04/07/2016 17:14

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.

OP posts:

Report

Pegasus11 · 04/07/2016 21:49

We are entitled to free transport for DS1 because his catchment school was full. We pay for the taxi so DS2 can go in taxi with DS1. We pay our babysitter. What is "free" or "ad hoc" in this?

I have a decent salary which I can earn by having childcare in place. My husband has an OK salary which he earns by being willing to get shot at while you sleep in your bed.

None of this has any bearing on whether the taxi company should have left our sons, aged 5 and 7, unattended.

OP posts:

JudyCoolibar · 04/07/2016 21:53

Dr Morbius, you're not even reading the OP's posts properly. She was prepared to pay for the taxi to being the children to her.

RepentAtLeisure · 04/07/2016 21:58

Secondly I am amazed at how many kids get taxi's to school. No wonder the UK social care bill (and my taxes) are rediculous.

Well that's what happens when people have to send their children to schools in other towns. Remember the days when you automatically went to the school nearest you?

Surely the company must have to adhere to some kind of care standards to have the contract? I'd ask the council directly. A 5 and 7 year old should not be left alone outside.

PandasRock · 04/07/2016 22:02

OP, I'm confused as to taxi arrangements.

Do you pay, or is it LA funded? Not that that makes any difference to whether the taxi driver was in the wrong (he was).

But I wonder whether, if you pay for the taxi, this has muddied the waters a bit, and the taxi company don't treat it as a school contract (therefore clear policy on what to do in these situations) but as a private contract - no obligation beyond dropping children off.

Feckitall · 04/07/2016 22:09

Well said Pegasus!!

Pegasus11 · 04/07/2016 22:10

The taxi is LA funded for DS1, we pay the LA doe for DS2's seat on the LA discretionary seats policy because we want them both at the same school or our home life would implode! It is the same taxi and the same driver. It is a LA route.

OP posts:

GColdtimer · 04/07/2016 22:12

Stop being goady DrM. Nobody was suggesting the taxi driver provided ad hoc care. Only that he didn't leave two young children on the doorstep.

Op heads would be rolling if they were my children. I would be asking the taxi firm and the LA about their safeguarding policy. Taxi firm deserve to loose their contract.

MammaTJ · 04/07/2016 22:15

I have posted twice and forgot to mention, do praise your DS1 loads for responding so well to the responsibility and DS2 for being so good! If they had not, heads would indeed be rolling right now! And it would not be yours!

Aeroflotgirl · 04/07/2016 22:26

What the taxi company was totally wrong. I used to escort for the LA, and if we did that we would be facing a disciplinary. We woukd always hand a child to an adult at home, if nobody is in, we would have a list of numbers to contact for the child. There should be procedures that have to be followed, you just cannot leave to young children alone like that. I woukd be complaining to the LEA and taxi company.

AnneElliott · 04/07/2016 22:57

That's shocking op. What normal adult would leave 2 young kids on the doorstep? How could you live with yourself if anything happened?

As an adult, if I see kids that look lost I go over and try and help them. As someone with the job of taking them home, I just can't understand what went through the driver's head!

grannytomine · 04/07/2016 23:08

I don't think it should be down to policy, although I am sure there is one, but could any adult leave a 5 year old sat on the doorstep not knowing if an adult would ever arrive? Say a single mum or dad had been knocked down or was suddenly ill and rushed into hospital and no one arrived home that night, imagine the headlines if the child had been abducted. I hope your kids are OK, it must have been very scary for them.

grannytomine · 04/07/2016 23:16

I thought all taxi drivers had to be DBS checked regardless of whether they do school runs or not. My council certainly insist on them to get a taxi licence.

Tanith · 04/07/2016 23:34

"Firstly the number of posters who think It is OK for a driver to provide ad hoc child care. Would you be offering payment for his time?"

What are you talking about??
He's a school-run taxi driver! He is already providing childcare - that's his job!

As for the extra time - listen! If I am babysitting and the parents are late (and they don't ring to let me know), do you think it would be acceptable for me to to get up and walk out, leaving those children alone?

Aeroflotgirl · 04/07/2016 23:56

I am 😒 At the number of posters who think that this is ok. The taxi company is responsible for those kids until they are handed over at the door to another adult. What the company did was negligent and irresponsible.

Nanny0gg · 05/07/2016 00:02

So are you going to ring the LA to complain?

Because you should.

SharonBottsPoundOfGrapes · 05/07/2016 00:06

My mum is a school escort. In her LA the driver just drives. It's the escort responsible for emergency details. The driver doesn't work if there's no escort on that run. Does your driver have an escort op? Is it a five seater or larger?

trafalgargal · 05/07/2016 00:34

It makes no differece. The safeguarding rules apply regardless of if there is an escort or not when it's an LEA contract as the OP has confirmed this is.

trafalgargal · 05/07/2016 00:38

If the driver drove off leaving a child on the doorstep they'd be sacked along with the escort. All the drivers are trained in safeguarding before they are allowed to drive on the LEA runs its part of the contract.

MidniteScribbler · 05/07/2016 00:45

Of course the taxi driver was in the wrong. On what planet is it acceptable to just dump two very young children on a doorstep and drive off?

There would be hell to pay if teachers just locked up the school and left a child sitting on the footpath, and rightly so. Or if a babysitter looked at the clock and just walked out.

It's just common sense.

DoNotBlameMeIVotedRemain · 05/07/2016 02:54

Taxi driver is more at fault than babysitter here. Driver is the one who knowingly left the children unaccompanied. Babysitter reasonably assumed they would be kept safe (even if social services contacted).

MarthaElf · 05/07/2016 03:28

I also think the driver is at fault. The ones I see around here make sure someone has answered. If no one does they call emergency contact. Policy says SS if all else fails.

It isn't about providing ad hoc childcare. It is about safeguarding a 5 and 7 year old.

There are a million reasons it isn't ok.

Supposing Mum had been knocked down, rushed into hospital, collapsed at home etc. The children could have been there hours.

Sootica · 05/07/2016 03:45

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

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Florida123 · 05/07/2016 05:36

monkeywithacowface is right - I used to work in transport in London and we had a very clear policy.

Suggest you contact your LA and make a formal complaint.

pullthecracker · 05/07/2016 06:41

I would also be making a big complaint, I can't imagine how terrifying that must have been for you when you heard that they had been left on the doorstep. It is a massive safeguarding issue that they didn't leave two small children into the hands of another adult.

Tellmewhyohwhy · 05/07/2016 06:56

My dc get a taxi to and from school but with an escort and they would never be left on the doorstep.

I have been in exactly the same position as op with a childminder at the house to meet the taxi when I am at work. A few times she has been late (stuck on a train once) and fortunately the taxi driver is amenable and has given me his number for emergencies so I can liaise with him over what to do.

With an LA contract there is a clear policy. Also the parent signs a contract for their responsibility in the arrangement.

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