Am I out of order if I report this to child services?

[Em94]

For background my job involves safeguarding and if this was discovered through work I would 100% be reporting but in this instance I’m not sure it’s my place.

I have bought something off Facebook market place and been to collect today, upon arrival no one answered the door so I waited in the car and tried again.
a boy aged 9/10 answered the door & i asked if there was an adult home as I was here to collect something. The boy got the item for me let me look at it and told me his parents were in bed. (I didn’t go inside, this was all at the doorstep).
he was dirty, unclean toe nails, the house smelt and you could see the clutter everywhere. No curtains open.
I can’t stop thinking about it and unsure whether it’s my place to do anything

I would certainly contact social services and tell them what you saw. Poor little boy.

Safeguarding is everyone’s job. Always.

I would report. Especially as you had arranged to collect and they were in bed.

If you don't op who will? If someone had reported BB as having been crying for days he would still be alive....

I don’t know what you brought but I’m thinking maybe this was someone who couldn’t ask for help trying to raise the alarm? Absolutely report it.

Definitely report.

Yes I would report but I would also block them from my Facebook page as it'll be obv it was you who reported and I would be anxious about repercussions but 100% it's the right thing to do, I'm just a bit scaredy.

Yep report. With all the awful stories in the news lately I wouldn’t be able to sleep if I were you and I didn’t. Safeguarding children is everyone’s business. I don’t see why your boundaries would be any different in work and out of it.

I think I would report too.

Yes you are a human please do

Of course you report it!

I detest this attitude of 'it's not my place'. Because what it really means is 'I don't want the inconvenience to myself of getting involved, I'll just walk on by'.

People saying 'it's not my place' condemn the child to more misery.

You can call NSPCC helpline and talk it through with them. Personally I would report

Yes report it.

You would report it for the condition of the boy and house, but also because the child is being expected to deal with strangers without the parents around which is not particularly safe.

If you are collecting the item, I'm guessing the seller does not have your address which is good if they do suspect it was you who reported them.

I’d be definitely on the report side too but then but then I think what if you talk to them and find out it was a once off, eg he was dirty for a reason and their house is a mess because they’re moving or something. Although how did you see his toenails, if they were hugely overgrown etc obviously that’s terrible

I'm more concerned by him opening the door to strangers and his parents either being absent or not bothered. That's potentially so dangerous.

I don’t understand why you are hesitating for even a second. You have said yourself that you would 100% take this further if at work.
I don’t know your profession, but I work in healthcare and have had some safeguarding training. I thought it was a professional duty to report concerns discovered outside of work. It is certainly at the very least a moral obligation.

if this was discovered through work I would 100% be reporting but in this instance I’m not sure it’s my place

Surely the most important thing is simply whether you believe the child might be at risk, and not how you happened to discover it? The child's welfare doesn't suddenly become less important because you weren't at work when you noticed the signs of neglect. It's anyone's place to report something they think is of genuine concern and it's not like social services just go round, have the parents arrested and whisk away a child without assessing a situation. If you're mistaken and the child isn't at risk, then social services will determine that and all will be well.

what if you talk to them and find out it was a once off, eg he was dirty for a reason and their house is a mess because they’re moving or something

But if that's the case, social services would take a look and determine that there's nothing wrong, so the OP hasn't done any harm by reporting it.

Report it but I highly doubt anything will happen, I had a distant family member reach out to have her kids put under my care for a period of time because she was too busy taking drugs to pick them up from school on countless occasions. She didnt feed them well, their flat was disgusting. Kids were never removed.

Absolutely report.

Of course you should report it!

It's far better to report it and it turn out to be no concern than not report it and a child suffering neglect.

I am horrified people have voted YABU. Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility!

I’d report it. Assuming it should be a school day in your area as well?

aside from the house what a horrific problem the boy just invited you in to his home with no supervision.

even if social services don’t achieve much they will at least make sure the kid doesn’t let strangers know how vulnerable he is at home.

You saw something that caused you concern - it’s exactly your place to report. If not you, then who?

But that’s not the reporters job, that’s the professionals job who take the reports and go assess

Report, any good person should. But given your professional requirement, I think I'd feel the need to ensure I reported, even if you weren't there in that capacity.

Definitely report, if nothing is wrong then they will see that but just in case always report