AIBU to contact Social services about a neighbour

[Yetanothernamechange1234]

Long and short of it is her 4 kids came over to mine today...said their mum was asleep and they couldn't wake her...they climbed out the back window to get out the house as couldn't find the keys. Mum also had a 1 year old in there also asleep the kids thought. They asked to have dinner with us in case they couldn't wake their mum later. When I took them home it took a good half hour of banging on the door to rouse the mum,she had no idea the kids weren't in the house. Would I be totally inappropriate to contact SS and if I did would they tell her who it was?

[herculepoirot2]

I would have called an ambulance straight away. But yes, you need to contact SS. If they couldn’t wake their mother and had to climb out of the window, she is either very ill or she was drunk or high.

[herculepoirot2]

But half an hour banging on the door with a 1 year old inside (presumably screaming)? Really?

[Weezol]

I'm so worried the children tonight,they did ask if they could sleep here if they needed to.

That line made me go cold. There's something wrong in that house.

I think the first thing to do is call the police and request a welfare check.

www.citizensadvice.org.uk/family/children-and-young-people/child-abuse/police-involvement/child-abuse-police-involvement/

[PeoniesarePink]

Yes please phone 101 and report this. They can do a welfare check and report onto SS if needed.

Something is very very wrong with all that. Makes your blood run cold.

[Knackeredmommy]

Please call! They're serious safeguarding issues there. What is you were out? They're not safe right now. SS will support.

[BitOftheSea]

There must be history here or you’d have called an ambulance when the kids told you she was unresponsive with a 1 year old in the house. She could have been in a diabetic coma or anything. No one would respond to this in the way you apparently did if it was a one off situation

[Whitebeltatlife]

I think it odd that you didn’t think to call police as my first thought would be that she is seriously ill/dead/had an accident and I would have been extremely concerned about the baby! I’d have probably tried to climb in the window the kids came out of it! She could just be exhausted (I’ve been there, although not to the point where kids can’t wake me!) however the fact that the children themselves are asking if they can have dinner with you or sleep at your house if they need to is what’s ringing alarm bells that there’s more to this. I would call social services, I would probably even call the police regarding a welfare check as would be quicker and they will make the call on how serious it is. She will knows it you but frankly the safety of those children is more important in my eyes.

[Bookworm4]

What ages are the kids? Did you have any sense of how the mum was?

[AbbyHammond]

Did you see the baby?

Is the mum ill? Sounds like the kids were asking you for help - no way would I just have taken them home and left them there!

[IntoValhalla]

You need to ring the non-emergency police number and report it as well as reporting to social services
The thought of a 1yo baby being in there with an adult who can’t be woken, and older kids asking if they can sleep at your house makes my blood run cold
There’s something very wrong in that house - even if it is just that the mum is completely exhausted and has no support.

[SparklyMagpie]

And what did she say as you'd obviously explain why you were stood on her doorstep with the children?

[MmmBlowholes]

You should've rang 999. Half an hour banging with a 1 year old unaccounted for? Insanity.

[RhubarbTea]

Ring the police, this is definitely serious enough.

[SparklyMagpie]

@Thump agree with you

[YouSayPotatoesISayVodka]

I don’t think it would do any harm to contact social services. She’s got lots of children and is presumably on her own with them? Maybe she needs more support/is struggling. They might be able to help, they’re meant to. I’m glad the children know they can come to you if they get stuck again. They did the right thing.

[HappyHammy]

I'd call the police now for a welfare check and take the children in if mum isn't able to look after them

[skybluee]

I'd go and speak to her, see what she says before calling anyone. There may be a very simple explanation (for example, she tried a new antihistamine and it reacted badly or something like that).

[PinkBlossomInSummer]

her 4 kids came over to mine today...said their mum was asleep and they couldn't wake her...they climbed out the back window to get out the house as couldn't find the keys. Mum also had a 1 year old in there also asleep the kids thought.

And you never thought to ring the police knowing the children climbed out a window and there was a baby still Inside? Ok then...🙄

[StrongTea]

Do you know if the mum has family nearby? Maybe you could have a word with them? Think the children’s welfare has to come first so sounds like you have to talk to social services, for all you know the family may be known to them.

[OnlyFoolsnMothers]

Is there a chance the mum is sleep deprived with the baby- any other indications that ss need be involved?

[IVEgottheDECAF]

If this is real. It is horrible and needs reporting to SS and the police

[SparklyMagpie]

"any other indications that ss need be involved?"

So if this really did happen, none of that would be enough for you to report because the mum might be "sleep deprived"??

[ReanimatedSGB]

Do you have any idea of what the mother's issue is - diabetes, epilepsy, being unwell, or do you think it's substance abuse of some sort? You do seem to be unusually laid back about the fact that the mother couldn't be roused and the DC were upset.