To think we need to re-think security for children's schools and clubs following Southport

[caffelattetogo]

Before I start, this is absolutely not blaming the victims or anyone who organised the holiday club in Southport. It's easy to be wise after the event.

But, I really think that we need new risk assessments for anywhere that children are, ones that look more at their safety. These monsters target children, so anywhere that children are needs to think about locked doors, video doorbell cameras, extra security measures, anything we can to keep them safer.

Mental health services are struggling and the early warning signs are being missed. We have dangerous people free to plan activities like this, and while we shouldn't need to, I think we need to be aware.

I have thought about this when planning my children's clubs following the attack, and chosen ones with better security measures.

Similarly, I'm concerned about the security at DCs' school and nursery, where doors are often left open.

I know these attacks are rare, but I would feel safer knowing that they were behind locked doors.

AIBU?

Everywhere? How would that work exactly

It really, really isn't. So many drama llamas on this thread.

YABU. The constant stress and worry we put our children under with the current focus on safety and security is worse for them, overall, than the risks of rare violent attacks.

Mental health disorders, especially anxiety, are rampant in children nowadays and it is disastrous for them. Making even more moves that send the message they are at constant risk is not in their best interests.

Reasonable and proportionate measures can be put in place without it being stressful for children. There is zero need for adults to say we are doing x in case y happens.

All the clubs my children go to have fairly stringent security measure in place. All sent updated risk policies and security measures following Southport.
My children have no idea of this. They go, have a good time and leave. No anxiety.

No. We are already overegulated to the hill it’s smothering. If someone really wants to do something bad …. Unfortunately they will.

We haven't managed to put safety and security measure in place to date without stressing children out, why do you think this would somehow be different?

I run a girlguiding unit. I keep the doors locked at all times. Open at the end of sessions when i can see parents and hand each girl over. We have done this since before covid though so not new for us.

I think all schools in the UK have security doors.

My DC are 18 & 19 and when they attended beavers, cubs and scouts both the outside and inner doors of the community centre were locked with a doorbell to each. At pickup parents queues outside until a leader let them in.

Any parties in church halls and community centres were locked, karate club locked, swimming door locked, all with doorbells.

My children aren’t stressed by any security and safety measures, they barely notice them.

If the OP's suggestion was to just do this for your kids, that little individual datum would be relevant. But she's talking about something being for all children. So it isn't.

Alright. Just pointing out it wouldn’t stress out all kids. Of all the groups my kids go to, any security measures are done in such a way that I’d wager most kids don’t even notice. But you know best.

It's shocking that concerns were raised 3 times

What is the point of Prevent if no one acts on someone voicing concerns

Kids do notice. They may not be able to tell you what protocols are in place, but in general many are aware that, for instance, many parents think someone might get into their school, etc. and attack them if there aren't strict controls over entry.

Dc's school is locked and the gates are locked during the day. Ballet school was very proactive and put a lock on the studio door the same week of the horrendous event in Southport. Brownie group held in a school so door also locked.
Definitely something I will consider in the future before signing dc to any new activities.

School I work in is on a large site, built in the 70s, has several buildings, head has asked council to improve security but fencing the whole site would cost many, many thousands of pounds. We have in the last few months had security locks fitted to external doors. A few weeks ago a teen who isn’t a member of the school turned up, some of our kids let her in (card locks on the outside, release button on inside). Thankfully she wasn’t a threat and the head has spelt out in no uncertain terms this isn’t to happen again. Difficult though isn’t it. City centre schools are generally on smaller sites and kids are a bit more savvy maybe, we’re properly out in the sticks. In the 60s and 70s so many schools were built to be open to the wider community quite deliberately. There’s so little money for school improvement at the moment. How much is unaffordable, given that the risk of another school attack is pretty small.

Ballet school was very proactive and put a lock on the studio door the same week of the horrendous event in Southport. Brownie group held in a school so door also locked.

But as pp have said, the children need to be able to get out in an emergency. The lock needs to be one that can easily be opened by a child, in case the teacher is incapacitated, or even just at the other end of the room. And emergency services need to be able to get in.

I would like the crack down on cannabis. I think some young men go mad on it. It’s everywhere

You may well have a point here. I think we also need a zero tolerance to knife carrying.

Our schools and nurseries are very secure. However a lot of the clubs, especially the smaller ones (not part of big chains) are very insecure. On the day after the southport stabbings i walked right into our kids holiday club. One let me pick up the kids without even checking who I was or what kids I was coming to collect (my husband had done the last couple of drop offs and pick ups). So yes I think improvements could be made, fairly easily

We hear how kids are carrying knifes because they fear being stabbed. If I feared being stabbed, I would buy a stab proof vest, not a zombie knife. So I don't buy that argument at all. Carry a knife, you get jail time, end of.

My children's primary school was very secure, gates locked. Buzz to get in thr front door, office staff were behind glass/perspex and then another locked door into the school. Secondary school less so.

However I meet a friend at the weekend, where her very young child does a sports club. I can walk straight into the school, and into the class within seconds. All yhe doors are open - potentially because other activities are happening in the same building

Totally against making children feel even more frightened than many already do, by turning places of fun into pseudo prisons.

What we do need is the ability to deal with the obviously dangerous, either through mental illness or just plain bad. Human rights have gone too far, where police or health workers are frightened to remove the liberty of people who should be locked up for their own or others safety.

I am old enough to remember the start of care in the community. And for many it was a great thing. But for a number of others suffering serious mental health issues, it just shoved the burden of care from a hospital setting, to police and social work. Probably costing more than in patient care for the person.

What we need to do is actually deal with those who carry knives and express a desire to murder. This man could easily have been stopped if the agencies involved had dealt with the danger properly. I don't know why they didn't (incompetence, underfunding, poor risk assessment) but the inquiry needs to get those details and the government must fix the problems.

Keeping kids in secure compounds is papering over the cracks.

I agree. One of my children's Saturday clubs has just introduced a new system where you have to be buzzed in the gate (previously you could go to reception to sign in)