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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Report to social services?

5 replies

21ZIGGY · 15/08/2025 20:21

I live in a small close. One of my neighbours, a married couple from poland, have three kids. Oldest is probably 5 and youngest is 1-2. The husband works long shifts leaving the wife ialone with the three kids and two dogs. They are dead odd, and they won't let the dogs go to the toilet in the garden, so the wife takes the dogs to a patch of grass across the road, reasonably frequently say every couple of hours to have a wee. She leaves the kids alone when she does this. It is very common knowledge in the close.

i have found the eldest, when he was about 3 and the 2 dogs in the road before having let himself out of the house without the parents realising. Zero thanks orany comnent all when i returned them. Same happened when another neighbour found kids in road.

However, today i think the risk has escalated. I was getting ready to go out in mybedroom which overlooks gardens. They are next door but one. I can hear kidsplaying, then shouting/screaming and their hot tub bubbling away.

As I left the house, I saw the wife across the road with the dogs. The husband wasn't there - car not there. He must have been at work. I only know because his car isnt there but accept something could have happened to the car and he was at home but history says otherwise.

The wife clearly heard the kids shouting and screaming as she ran back in the house very fast as she approached.

Should i report? It was dodgy before but leaving them in hot tub is just so dangerous. I know i should and i will but i just want to know im not being a nosy interfering neighbour.

OP posts:
BookArt55 · 15/08/2025 21:25

I would report. These instances could all be puzzle pieces that SS might need to support the kids. On the other hand mum might need some support/knowledge... she's taken an extremely big risk leaving the kids with any water unsupervised.

Owly11 · 15/08/2025 21:40

Prior to the hot tub being there I would have said no. But leaving kids that young alone with water is extremely dangerous. Can you speak with her first?

ArabiattaPrawn · 15/08/2025 21:42

Yes report. You can do it anonymously if you want to.

neverbeenskiing · 15/08/2025 21:49

School safeguarding lead here. This is definitely worth reporting. If you google 'Multi-agency safeguarding hub' and the name of your local authority a number should come up for you to call to report a safeguarding concern. You don't have to give your name or relationship to the children, although they might ask.

Children of that age should not be left alone in the house. But leaving them unsupervised near water is especially dangerous, the consequences could be fatal. Definitely mention the fact that the children have gotten out of the property and been found alone in the street by neighbours on more than one occasion as this also places them at risk of significant harm.

21ZIGGY · 17/08/2025 12:50

Thanks all. Ill address it tomorrow

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