Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Am I over reacting? Kids in a taxi by themselves.

67 replies

HuevosRancheros · 29/05/2019 18:39

Kids went to holiday club today, they have been many times before, they know the staff and the staff know them.

In the afternoon they go swimming off site. Today apparently there wasn’t enough room in the minibus for all of them, so my two (aged 8 and 11) and two other kids (don’t know the ages) went in a taxi by themselves. No adult from holiday club in there with them, but using a known and trusted taxi company. DCs said they were chosen as they were sensible and some of the oldest there.
There were two members of staff in the minibus with the other kids.

I’m not happy about it. I’d never put the kids in a taxi on their own, and don’t like the fact that the holiday club have done it without me knowing. But am I over reacting? Would appreciate some other opinions and perspective please :)

OP posts:
lyralalala · 29/05/2019 19:24

How many kids were in the minibus? Two adults sounds like they had either a crap ratio or busted their ratio. We get asked about going swimming all the time as the swimming pool allows over 8s without an adult, but that doesn't mean we can go on a trip and not count our over 8s as they are in our care, not the pools.

Combined with the taxi I'd be really dubious about them.

Did the minibus and taxi travel in convoy at least?

I take it a staff member couldn't go with them as one was driving the bus and one was supervising the kids on the bus - there should never be only two adults. All it takes is one of those adults to have an accident (only person that's ever been bluelighted away from our playscheme is one of the adults!) and that's one solo adult dealing with the incident and the kids.

Serin · 29/05/2019 19:25

I once rang a taxi firm to take my 2 lads aged 12 and 11 to secondary school. The driver flatly refused to take them and told me off for considering letting them get into a car with a stranger Blush
I wouldn't mind but both lads played rugby and were bigger than him. Grin

lyralalala · 29/05/2019 19:34

How irate I'd be would depend on how organised they were (although I absolutely don't think it's acceptable and would expect to be dealing with a complaint if it happened at our setting) - if they dealt with the taxi company that the schools used and had one of the drivers who is vetted and used to doing it then I'd be pissed off. If they realised last minute there wasn't enough space and just rang a taxi I'd be absolutey livid.

Also it's not completely relevant what you'd do with your own kids. What you expect someone being paid to care for your children isn't always the same.

hmwhatsmynameagain · 29/05/2019 19:34

School transport uses taxis from reception with no escort.

Pharlapwasthebest · 29/05/2019 19:37

YANBU, I would have really cross too.

hmwhatsmynameagain · 29/05/2019 19:37

Or they do in my area, dbs checked drivers and that's that

Original poster
HuevosRancheros · 29/05/2019 19:38

Thank you all for your replies.
I’m glad to see that the majority are with me, though I do see the POV of the others.

They were in convoy apparently.
I don’t know if the minibus was from the taxi company or driven by one of the staff members - I hadn’t considered that, but that would explain why one of them didn’t go in the taxi. I will definitely be having words tomorrow. It does make me wonder about ratios...

OP posts:
AbbyHammond · 29/05/2019 19:40

I wouldn't mind children being taken in a taxi in principle, however this sounds like more organisation/planning by the club - it should have been planned in advance, agreed with you, emergency procedure in place etc.

lyralalala · 29/05/2019 19:47

It does make me wonder about ratios...

Are they registered with Ofsted? If it runs for more than two hours a day and/or has any under eights it should be if it's run for childcare (as opposed to basketball club or tennis club).

Is it run by/in a school?

Ofsted have ratios, but insurers also have ratios and there ratios should be something they can easily tell you. Ours is actually on the wall with our insurance certificate.

Original poster
HuevosRancheros · 29/05/2019 19:51

Yes, it’s in a school, they run before/after school club as well as holiday club.
When I signed them in this morning, I think there were no more than 15 or so due to be in today.
I’ll talk to them tomorrow, thanks all.

And yes, I know that to some I may be being overprotective, but I guess I kind of expect higher standards from a childcare provider who I’m paying ££ to!

OP posts:
Leeds2 · 29/05/2019 19:54

I think regardless of whether the DC should've been travelling in a taxi, the supervising adults should have asked for your permission first. I don't actually think I would have minded four children travelling alone in a taxi, in convoy with the mini bus, but I think I should've been told.

nancy75 · 29/05/2019 19:57

Yes the key is the lack of contact with the parent - if they’d phoned & said we need to put the kids in a taxi with Dave, the taxi driver the school uses everyday for transport then it’s a very different situation to the parent finding out the kids went in a cab & not knowing if the firm has been checked or called last minute.

MummyMummy01 · 29/05/2019 20:00

No way I would really be having strong words. You entrust your child to club not a random taxi driver. Telford. Bradford. Oxford and many more

nancy75 · 29/05/2019 20:02

I think the chances of 4 kids being groomed in one short taxi ride is very small, it’s what would happen in an emergency situation that would worry me

Orangeballon · 29/05/2019 20:02

You are over reacting, taxis pick up rural school kids every day to take them to school, there really is not enough adults to accompany every child. The taxi drivers all have clearance.

nancy75 · 29/05/2019 20:04

In the case of school children being picked up by taxi the parents have given their consent & know it’s happening - it’s not the same situation

lyralalala · 29/05/2019 20:09

Yes, it’s in a school, they run before/after school club as well as holiday club.

Is it run by the school or just based in the school?

It probably sounds picky, but it does make a difference to the registration. For example the one I'm involved in is in the school and runs before/afterschool, but is nothing to do with the actual school so we're registered as an individual childcare set up.

You are over reacting, taxis pick up rural school kids every day to take them to school, there really is not enough adults to accompany every child

For somewhere providing paid for childcare saying 'there really is not enough adults to accompany every child' simply isn't acceptable. They get paid to have enough adults to accompany every child. That's their job.

School is a different kettle of fish because it's organised and agreed with the parents. And school isn't paid for childcare.

Original poster
HuevosRancheros · 29/05/2019 20:23

It’s run by a charity who are nothing to do with the school.

I don’t think I’m worried about grooming/abduction etc as, as others have said, the chances of that happening are very small. But obviously still a risk, which they shouldn’t have been exposed to.

It’s the “what if there was an accident” scenario. I don’t like the idea of them having to face something like that alone. I never expected the holiday club to do this, so yes, I will be having strong words.

OP posts:
LouLou789 · 29/05/2019 20:28

Understand your concerns but just want to say my DH is a cabbie, has enhanced DBS and has to do all sorts of journeys with children, including taking kids younger than yours to school at times.

The thing I would be most concerned about is not that it happened, but that it gave a message to your kids that they could get into someone’s car without their parent’s say-so.

lyralalala · 29/05/2019 20:30

It’s run by a charity who are nothing to do with the school.

In that case they'll have a separate Ofsted. Their last report is possibly online so you'd be able to search and it will note their ratios. Will give you a heads up if they are breaching that as well before you speak to them.

missedith01 · 29/05/2019 20:40

I wouldn't be happy. My DP works for a private school and they frequently arrange taxis to airports for the children. All registered and DBS-checked, etc. That doesn't eliminate the possibility of abuse, I'm afraid. One driver stopped the cab by a cashpoint and demanded more money or he wouldn't continue the journey. For children this young who would be less confident in asserting themselves if something bad happened it's not appropriate, in my view. (I'm sure most cabbies are lovely, but that's not the point).

Fairylea · 29/05/2019 20:43

I wouldn’t be very happy with this, it’s the lack of warning and preparation etc, and really they should have an escort with them that they know well.

I say that as someone whose son goes 25 miles to (complex needs) school in a taxi everyday with a driver and an escort provided by the local authority. There is no way I’d be happy with them suddenly changing drivers / escorts or arrangements without notice and time to meet the new people involved.

Awwlookatmybabyspider · 29/05/2019 20:52

I'd be absolutely livid. I wouldn't trust them with a pet fish. Let alone my children.
Surely putting them in a car with a stranger is a serious a safe guarding issue. Obviously they're safe, so The Taxi Driver was okay, but They couldn't have guaranteed that, could they. If there was no room on the mini bus. They should have abandoned the swimming trip.

StatisticallyChallenged · 29/05/2019 20:55

Our ASC uses taxis and doesn't always have an adult in each cab (due to ratios) but there's a full operational plan in place - taxis driving in convoy with at least a member of staff in first and last, council approved dbs contract taxis etc etc and it's approved by the regulator and fully documented and risk assessed. So the general concept of children in taxi without a member of staff isn't unviable. But this doesn't sound terribly well planned or thought out or like it's a regular, properly risk assessed approach to me.

Conks · 29/05/2019 20:55

Overreaction

Swipe left for the next trending thread