Legal amount to drink with children in the house?

[MBRE]

Just that really. Once the kids are in bed, asleep, if I want a G&T or a glass of wine is that legal whilst still "in charge" of the children if their DF is out? What's the limits etc if the police were turn up and breathalyse me? Are they even allowed to do that? So all kids asleep, over the age of three but two under five, two older ones over ten. What's the actual law around this? Anyone know?

There isn't a legal amount otherwise parents who are alcoholics would all be arrested.

However it is a good idea not to be absolutely so off your face if your children are young and aren't able to call for help themselves in an emergency.

If there was an emergency and there was no adult in the household who could come to the children's aid and they was serious injury/death then it would be neglect.

There are no specific laws about being drunk in charge of a child in your own home (as opposed to in public, where there are laws). It could potentially be charged as child neglect in the case of very severe or ongoing drunkenness but this is quite rare and definitely wouldn't cover normal drinking.

Having a glass of wine is fine, don't worry about it.

I don’t think there is. I expect you are assumed to be acting like a responsible adult and not drinking so much you can’t make a responsible decision or put your kids in danger. Until proven otherwise.

Thankfully, parents are assumed to be good and responsible parents until they show otherwise. Including when it comes to drinking.

Why would you even worry about the police turning up at your door? Most people wouldn’t ever think that the police may turn up at their door to check things. Are there other reasons the police would be after checking on you?

No law. Thank goodness.

Don't be daft. Stop drinking and mind your business, woman.

What makes you think there's a law around this area?

Many parents are alcoholics.

Breathalysers can only be used in specific situations, usually relating to driving. The police can't breathalyse just anyone, as far as I'm aware.

You could be charged with neglect if you are too drunk to look after them properly. If we wanted a drink when mine were young I used to make sure one or the other if us was always under the legal driving limit, just in case of emergencies, but that's personal.

Had a few phone calls later in an evening, when I'm already in bed from on call safeguarding to say I've been reported "anonymously" for drinking with children in the house. I can't find any information around this but wondered why they are contacting me! If there's laws around limits to drinking in the home with children?

Well, have you been regularly drunk around your children?

There isn’t any law here but there are laws around neglect so social services would get involved if they felt the drinking reached levels of neglect.

Are you sure it's safe guarding ringing you?

What?

Are you in the UK? Is this real?

This is malicious IMO, I'd report to the police as harassment.

Who? Who is on call safeguarding?

Nope

If it was official the caller would state the agency 'Countyshire Police' or 'Countyshire Council Children's Safeguarding Team' and the caller's name.

What specifically was said?

@bergamotorange I have reported this as malicious and harassment. It's literally a glass of G&T on an evening. Young kids are hard work. I'm always in bed by nine! I'm not up drinking all night. I've had problems with an ex in the past who told social services I was al alcoholic, nothing was proven, social services didn't take it on, wondering if it's him raising his head again 🙄 just wasn't sure as I took a child in for another parent, "safeguarding" then got a call to say I was "intoxicated" child was removed in the middle of the night but all my children were left in my care. That's why I worry about the police turning up with continuous malicious reporting to breathalyse to prove I'm over some limit or not. I've had a couple of these calls as I say when I'm already in bed at gone 9pm. It's the summer holidays, I need to relax at the end of the day 🤦‍♀️

Last one was "hi it's X from the duty safeguarding team, we have had a report you have been drinking with children in the house, are children in the house? Have you been drinking?"

Guess the problem is I don't know what's being said exactly by this sources as it's all "anonymous"

Who removed the other child in the night?

That doesn't sound right at all
out of hours, social services are run off their feet, mostly dealing with mental health emergencies. If there was a report and a genuine concern for safety, the police would attend. If not, the report would be passed to a daytime duty team for follow-up.

Back when my kids were that young, it was very necessary to have a drink or two!!

I took a child in for another parent, "safeguarding" then got a call to say I was "intoxicated" child was removed in the middle of the night but all my children were left in my care.

Who removed the child? Their parents?

Next time you are looking after someone else's child don't let them be removed by anyone except their own parents unless it is agreed before hand as you are putting the child in danger.

None of this makes any sense.

Can you start again at the beginning and state clearly and chronologically what actually happened.

It all sounds a bit mad.

Duty social worker and police.... who failed to welfare check my own children and left them with me... so that was weird in itself. I really need to know exactly what's been reported but no one will tell me