Feeling very uncomfortable about what I've just seen

[thatverynightinmaxsroom]

It's a really miserable day here today - wet, windy etc. Just driving home and saw a little girl (7ish?) walking alone down the street. I slowed down because it's unusual to see kids of that age alone outside round here and unusual to see anyone outside on a day like this!
She was followed by a little boy, similar age. She turned into a front garden and I thought she was going in but she just looked through the window. The boy sat down on a mat on the pavement outside the house (there was quite a lot of junk in the front garden).

I turned the car round, put the window down and asked if they were okay. At that point a man out his head out and yelled at them to come in.

I know it's not massive, most of us have probably seen worse, but I can't get the image of the little boy sitting on the sodden mat out of my head and I'm just wondering if anyone would do anything about this.

I would. It may not go anywhere, but it may lead to a bigger picture.

If you are concerned and know the address you can report it. And before anyone says i'm being ridiculous police get all sorts of reports, something like this may or may not be anything but they really wouldn't mind being informed. What happens from there is up to them, but at least you can know you did alert someone so if there is anything to be concerned about the appropriate agencies will be aware.

Yes I would.
You can phone your local social services usually a freephone number to report a safeguarding concern. You could also call NSPCC helpline.
It may be nothing, it may be something. You might be adding to a picture the professionals are already aware of.
You've already done the right thing by going back to speak to them, phoning to report what you've seen is a continuation of doing the right thing.

You could ring nspcc to get some advice and log a concern. They will take it further if necessary.

I posted on the other thread you started but I will say it here too.

What did you see?

A child walking alone near her home. You might see my DD doing that...she's 8 but could pass for 7. Yes...even in the rain...she likes a little "adventure"

She might look in the window or sit on the step.

I might even call "Come in now!" in a "not that nice voice"

I'm not sure why people are suggesting you call social services!!

I think people are suggesting it if they are already on SS radar. I agree it's not much on its own.

Call the non emergency police number 101 if it's bothering you.
Personally my 7 yr old doesn't walk out alone. Rain or shine.

What is your concern regarding OP reporting Jonesy
Re child protection the emphasis is on reporting concerns rather then rationalising them.

2 kids outside on a Saturday morning, in not very nice weather, is no reason to report to anyone. Especially as they were called in by an adult

OP, can you ask for one of your threads to be deleted? You're getting answers on both of them.

If what OP saw was enough to concern her she would be right to report it. I'm going to have to hide a thread i'm making it worse now by posting on both!

Sweets my concern is that the OP clearly has nothing else to worry about.

What will she say?

"I saw two children walking near to their home in the rain. Then they went inside"

That's a real concern I must say.

Jonesyandthesalad

I agree. I think the implication is, that because there is a lot of junk in the garden, this family is pretty trashy and likely to be neglecting their children.

Let's put another spin on it. I live in a nice housing estate. There are two children (6 and 8) across the road who frequently are out to play in all weathers. I can very much imagine a situation where exactly this scenario would play out. They come back along the road, it is pissing with rain and one would go up looking in at the window whilst the other is sitting on the sodden wet grass. The dad would very much yell at them to get in. Nobody would ever suggest calling social services. In fact, those parents are frequently shouting at their children to stop doing something or other. I do wonder when they might realise their style is a little ineffective, but wouldn't consider it a matter for SS. They are good, decent people with well cared for, if a little wild, children.

People are allowed to shout at their children when they do ridiculous things - even people with a garden full of junk.

baymax

That YOUR child doesn't walk out alone doesn't mean that NO child should walk out alone.

Mine walks out alone, in her walking frame, to her friends house up the road. Should I be concerned someone is going to call the social on me?

Have name-changed for this.

I saw a child walking fast along a busy road recently, after school, alone. Nothing odd about that, in and of itself; she was around 10 or 11. But add in the additional details, and it becomes a different picture.
I knew the child (one of our school pupils). It was getting dark and she was walking back towards school. She was in her PE kit (shorts, T shirt and cardi) and had no coat or bag with her. It was around 4-5 degrees.

What would other posters have done?

All the kids in our street play out in the rain. It rains so much of the time, how else would they get enough time to play outside?

Jonsey I don't know what she would say, maybe she will come back and tell us. Who knows?
I'm not going to tell someone who witnessed something I didn't, that caused them concern, not to report it. I wouldn't at work and I won't on line. If anyone says 'x happened I was worried' I always say call it in. As do my colleagues.

i think op, if you are still here, if you can honestly say you would feel the same if tge garden was landscaped and there was a flashy Merc parked on the drive and the mat was clearly a White Company one then report

People are seriously suggesting that the op calls the police and SS because 2 kids were outside in the rain and were then called into their house? What madness is this?

OnHold, what would you suggest in my scenario above?

I would have asked the child of she was ok.

If

Octopus i would probably just have asked her if she was ok? Would be a normal thing for a teacher (assume you are?) to ask one of their pupils in that situation.

I was driving past on the other side of the busy road and couldn't get to her easily.
Another colleague came across her a few minutes later at traffic lights and was able to shout across and ask her, but got a mumbled response that she "didn't know" where her parents were.

2 kids outside on a Saturday morning, in not very nice weather, is no reason to report to anyone. Especially as they were called in by an adult

^^ This!! Am I missing something?

thatdearoctopus

Not sure what the relevance is, as it's a totally different situation. I would stop and ask her if she needed a lift somewhere, or where she was off to.

I can imagine a situation where she came home without her coat and her mother sent her back for it. 4-5 degrees isn't that cold for a child walking in a hurry. In fact, I remarked the other day about the primary children at a local private school, outside waiting for the bus, in shorts, with no jackets. It's the uniform, they aren't allowed jackets, just blazers. It was snowing. So, I wouldn't say adding those details made it a wildly different picture.