AIBU to report a neighbour for keeping his DC out of school?

[Rainallnight]

Two girls who live across the road from us are still at home, after schools have gone back.

I asked one of them if something was up and she said her dad was keeping them off because ‘so many kids have tested positive for coronavirus’.

They are early secondary school age.

The dad has people popping in and out of his house all the time, so he can’t be that worried about it.

I’m really sad on their behalf. Should I report him? Or just leave it, because their school will obviously know they’re not there?

the girls have always seemed not terribly well looked after was the only comment.

If you really have experience @LolaSmiles, maybe you could usefully explain to the op and other people reading what would be genuine grounds for concern?

The fact they are off school is known. The fact he is a criminal is apparently well known. The fact there are visitors is not grounds for reporting unless something specific about the visitors is observed.

That's my point. She's said she has concerns and yet from this you've decided she's full of imaginings. I've already said school are aware they aren't attending. The OP hasn't outlined what her concerns are, so it's a bit much for everyone to jump on her.

The sad thing is that on threads where posters express concerns, there's always people telling them to ignore, say nothing, mind your own business. Nothing will happen if someone shares a safeguarding concern and those with more information and professional training decide no action is needed. As you'll know from experience the children who are in bad situations professionals putting the jigsaw together is helped by little pieces of information.

**As you'll know from experience, when children are in bad situations professionals putting the jigsaw together is helped by little pieces of information.

@LolaSmiles

**As you'll know from experience, when children are in bad situations professionals putting the jigsaw together is helped by little pieces of information.

Yes, but it has to be information and the op has no information from what they have posted.

These threads often have the op come back with a whole host more, if that happens the thread will change.

No need to report the kids not been in school as has been mentioned. There are procedures for schools to follow.

If you have safeguarding concerns report.

ChameleonClara
But the OP doesn't need to give us all a list of her concerns for us to say that it's possible that passing information to the school might be useful. Just because she hasn't written an extensive list, doesn't mean she is imagining things. Nothing happens if she's got the wrong end of the stick, but if she hasn't then it's useful information.

The best people to decide what is useful are the school who know the students and the family. The rest of us are just strangers on the internet, where I'm willing to bet most of the posters haven't done any safeguarding training. The dominance of the keep your nose out, don't say anything view across most safeguarding threads on here is quite concerning.

@Starlightstarbright1

No need to report the kids not been in school as has been mentioned. There are procedures for schools to follow.

If you have safeguarding concerns report.

It’s as simple as this. Not need for it to be made more complicated.

Presuming you have wider concerns you can report and be specific about what your concerns are.

I wouldn’t just report the non attendance at school as that will be obvious but I’d report any welfare concerns and you mention school attendance at the same time.

If you have genuine safeguarding concerns then contact the school. Otherwise, they know they are not there.

i don't think it's unreasonable to report a child welfare issue to social services but as for school - I'm fairly sure they'll know!

@LolaSmiles I don't understand why you keep coming back to me.

I think people should report articulable concerns, do you think people should report feelings?

If there is a welfare issue, probably. School will know though and will know what the kids are handing in, or not. Weekly phone calls chasing up one of mine who couldn't work at home. ( Did get a place in school last lockdown though, thank God)

I am surprised at some of these responses. Children have been abused and murdered when they’ve been kept out of school and flew below the radar where people have “minded their own business”. I’d rather be an interfering old bag and raise genuine concerns even if they turn our to be unfounded than turn a blind eye and children suffer

ChameleonClara
It's not just you, but I don't think you can decide from the OP's post that she is imagining stuff.

I've not said anyone should just report whatever feelings they have. I'm just concerned that people are very quick to tell others to mind their own business when they simply haven't enough information to tell someone there's no issues.

RedcurrantPuff I agree. There have been times I've raised a safeguarding concern about students and they were small concerns. Some it was there wasn't anything going on in the background, some led to a pastoral lead uncovering some bullying or mental health issues,some formed part of a bigger picture with early help, some (unbeknownst to me) gave additional information for ongoing child protection investigations. The idea that lots of posters here would say to keep my nose out / I can't believe you're so quick to report worries me.

OP - if you want to report anything then it's better to inform social services, who can coordinate with the school if that's useful. As PP have said though, you'll need to be very specific. Stating you're concerned they are hanging round the street all day instead of being educated somewhere is ok, it logs that someone might want to check on the home schooling arrangements. "Not terribly well looked after" / "visitors" needs detail about what exactly you think the safeguarding issue is, or nobody can do anything with the lack of information.

Surprised at the answers.

If you think he won’t know it’s you (being a petty criminal) id report to someone. He may have said he’s home educating when he’s obviously not.

Gif I'm glad you're not my neighbour. Mind your own business, you've spoken to a child (without the parents consent 🙄) and have her take but you have no idea what is happening in this families life. You can't possibly be this bored!