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Original poster

Social worker visit for letting child walk to school

170 replies

Kathyate6mincepies · 09/12/2007 10:39

Anyone else read this?

Interested to know what people think. I think this shows that the principle of social workers investigating 'all' reports is flawed - it leaves it far too open to malicious reports or differences of opinion in parenting styles.

OP posts:
VeVacuaMerryChristmas · 09/12/2007 12:58

I think the fran lyon story was so shocking precisely because it is so rare - don't know a great deal about the workings of social services except via my sister who works in child protection and it seems more often than not babies and young children are left in less than ideal circumstances, that it can be very very difficult to obtain interim care orders even when it is glaringly obvious to all that the child is at serious risk - never mind walking to school alone at a competent age

ivykaty44 · 09/12/2007 12:59

This type of media writing twist and turns what the real story is, on the surface it appears that it is wrong to let your child walk to school and if you were to do so you may have a visit from SS. Scrtch a little deeper and it is unclear what the real story is, has this person been investigated for leaving her children at other times?

What the media wants though is to scare people and twist the story to fit.

If we don't let our child be actual children and allow them to learn to walk to school this becomes childhood stealing. Let children have their childhood and experiance growing up.

Mincepiedermama · 09/12/2007 13:01

I've recently been thinking how ridiculous it is that I, and ALL the other parents around here, drag ourselves out every morning in all weathers to do the round trip to school.

Many of our children (my nearly eight year old ds and my 9 year old dd and, frankly, my 5 year old ds if he went with them) could easily, easily go on their own. It's utter madness. I walked much further to school on my own or with my sister when I was five.

The independence is good for them.

The only reason I haven't so far let my kids go to school on their own is because I worry about this sort of nanny state, over cautious attitude mainly from other parents.

I find many other parents almost hysterically cautious. They seem to spend far more time avoiding death than they do enjoying living. It's a modern curse.

3rdontheway · 09/12/2007 13:03

In that story its the leaving the child alone that was the most alarming. Theres no excuse for that, the woman was in the wrong. You dont just leave your house and let your young child stay there alone.

VeVacuaMerryChristmas · 09/12/2007 13:04

next year we'll able to walk to school - middle school (yr5) and my daughter will walk alone from whenever she is comfortable. mostly because the school is at the end of our lane, a lane so narrow it is barely a single car's width and we get a car attempting to navigate it about twice a month. at the moment school is a village or two away because that's what fitted with high school and work, it's only walkable by the insanely insane who have no fear of being hit by traffic or trains

BrandyButterGalore · 09/12/2007 13:07

small point but i think the fran lyon case was so shocking because it was so utterly unreasonable, not because it was rare. if these cases are held in secret, are usually against people with no real 'voice' and then the people concerned are not allowed to speak about it without prosection, then how on earth do we know if its rare or not?

i am NOT against the idea of SS and i sincerely wish they were 100% successful at spotting and helping vulnerable children. think they should have more training, and funding, and whatever else it takes to improve on that score. but it doesnt mean im any less worried about apparent abuses of power and/or well meaning but in-credible uses of said powers.

coppertop · 09/12/2007 13:07

It's fairly common around here for children in Yr3 and older to walk to school by themselves. Unlike KS1 children they are also allowed to leave school by themselves at the end of the school day, rather than having to wait for a parent to collect them. If a KS2 child uses an after-school club the parent has to sign a form to say whether they will be collecting their child or whether they are to be allowed to go home by themselves, so obviously the school doesn't see it as a problem.

TotalChaos · 09/12/2007 13:10

It wasn't just the walking to school thing (which didn't sound unreasonable to me). The 3 year old in the road thing DID sound rather worrying.

VeVacuaMerryChristmas · 09/12/2007 13:13

totally agree fran lyon case = indefensible

Callisto · 09/12/2007 14:31

Rubbish article, completely meaningless drivel from a rather flakey sounding journo who wants to stir things up.

BrandyButterGalore · 09/12/2007 18:03

hey, dont sit on the fence, say what you really mean!

Original poster
Kathyate6mincepies · 09/12/2007 18:46

It was in the 'first person' section so I don't think she is a journo, just an ordinary mum with a story to tell (though presumably a journo will have helped write the piece - someone else must know better than me how these things work).

OP posts:
Kevlarhead · 09/12/2007 23:00

I think the key point is that the woman left her child home alone on occasion. Having worked in a SS office, I reckon anyone who phoned up claiming that "My neighbour lets her child walk to school!" would get a few minutes of sympathetic listening before having their complaint filed under 'Timewasters'.

If a social worker gets a report from the NSPCC claiming a young child is being left alone on occasion, walks to school, has their own key [suggesting they may be left alone at other times], and a sibling has been seen playing unsupervised in the road, then things get a little more complex. These incidents might be the result of either:

A. Mummy being a harassed mother who lets her offspring walk to school or (hypothetically)

B. Mummy being permanently skunked out her tree.

The social worker whose lap this happens to land in has to decide: am I going to look into this, or am I going to bet my career and livelihood on it being A? Becuase it'll be their door the tabloids will be kicking in when the "Junkie Mother Kills Kids By Neglect While Social Services Stand By" headlines start appearing.

candypandy · 09/12/2007 23:06

I let my eight year old walk to school alone occasionally. Hate it but do it as lots of other children walk the same route and it's only ten minutes. World's going mad I think.. not the same as when I was growing up and sent off with an instruction to "come back when it gets dark"..

candypandy · 09/12/2007 23:07

mincespiedermama is right on the nose

wessexgirl · 09/12/2007 23:12

I can't see what the woman's point is. Somebody was concerned enough about young boy being left alone plus even younger child almost getting run over to call the NSPCC. Their intentions were almost certainly good. Seems the walking to school bit is a side issue (which wouldn't bother me - I walked to school alone from 6 onwards).

I take heart from this in that it seems SS take phone calls to the NSPCC seriously enough to investigate every one. Good for them.

nappyaddict · 09/12/2007 23:26

i would let a 7 year old walk to school. i would let a 6 year old do it if there were no roads to cross.

nappyaddict · 09/12/2007 23:29

by no roads to cross i also group in with this roads where there are pedestrian crossings or lollipop ladies/men.

ShinyHappyStarOfBethlehem · 09/12/2007 23:37

I wouldn't do the things she admits to doing. I wouldn't let a 7 year old walk to school alone and I would certainly NOT leave one at home alone.

I can't believe she's so honest (boastful?) about it.

nappyaddict · 09/12/2007 23:52

i would also let a 3 year old play out the front of the house on the pavement.

so shoot me

ShinyHappyStarOfBethlehem · 09/12/2007 23:53

On the pavement? But someone could take the 3 yr old in a second..

handlemecarefully · 10/12/2007 00:00

Ummm - so apparently people have had to slow down and brake for her 3 year old running out into the road - and she acknowledges this....

I'd report this

handlemecarefully · 10/12/2007 00:03

"My youngest has dashed into the road on occasions. I think I can remember waving thanks to.... "

So not just the once then. 'Occasions' - definitely concerning

nappyaddict · 10/12/2007 00:29

round here all the kids play out from 3. it's normal to me.

ShinyHappyStarOfBethlehem · 10/12/2007 00:36

I don't know how to type this.. I keep deleted and restarting the sentence..

try again.. "normal".. but if the children are on the pavement where anyone can walk, anyone could pick up a little 3 year old and carry them off. And 3 year olds just aren't supposed to be left unattended in a public space.. unless they're not and someone sits on the door step and observes them the whole time?

Please don't think I'm picking nappyaddict.. I am not a fantastic mother, I have even smacked my kids.. (there you go Mumsnet.. chew on that ).. but I can't see that it's right to leave a 3 year old out the front without a responsible person looking out for them. And not even in the garden, but on the pavement.