Neighbour hitting kids, screaming - Not sure what to do

[mrdibbs]

As a parent I know how hard it is, especially with two young children under 7 years old. It is relentless, stressful and can be v v tough. This is especially true for a single parent.

For the past 10 months my neighbour (A single mum of a boy and girl under 6) has consistently screamed, swore and (I've no evidence - only from what I can hear) I think hit her children. I hear the kids crying out constantly. It is extremely stressful.

I contacted my local council who did nothing.

Of course I have no evidence she is hitting the children. But I hear silence and then an almighty wail from the kids.

She swears and screams at them daily and her tone is beyond aggressive.

Aside from being concerned about the effect this is having on such small kids it is causing me now massive stress. I hate it.

In one incident she threw one of the kids outside and slammed the door. I texted her asking if everything was ok. 4 hours late she replied 'Yes'.

I don't know what to do.

Call the police?

Childline, social services, keep on reporting, record the sounds, keep making big fuss. Knock on her door when you hear it, anything.

Contact the school nurse/health visitor and social services. If one is at school contact safeguarding there.

Report report report and keep reporting.

When you say contacted the council, what department?

Was it children's services you spoke to? What did they say?

1. If you believe a child is at risk by being shut outside for hours, being physically and / or emotionally abused you call the police
2. due to ongoing nature of these behaviours you contact your local social services child safeguarding team and / or NSPCC
3. you pay no attention to any plonkers who say to you mind your own business and make you doubt yourself about your instincts that what you are aware of is NOT RIGHT
4. ACT. Child safeguarding is everyone’s business, and children are the priority.

You phone the police and you phone social services. Call 999 if you think they're being hit.

You call NSPCC
you log it with 101
you call the social work department on their child protection number.

you keep a diary and events or sounds. You don’t ever stop asking for help for them all.

You need to report this. There will be an out of hours emergency contact number for social services it should be on the council website.

Report it and keep reporting it. If you know what school the children go to you could send in an email for the attention of their safeguarding lead? Worth a go.

I have had similar to this before and I called the police. Sometimes it's the one more piece of the puzzle that is needed by SS to act if there is a real problem. A police report will also be fed back to the children's school so they will also then have a record for their own safeguarding, again it could be important information for them if they too have concerns about the children.
For me, it's not up to us to worry if it definitely is abuse or something, if you have a concern, which is what you have - you report it. Don't think about it - just make the call.

Search for your local MASH (multi-agency safeguarding hub) contact number. You should be able to find it easily online and anyone can report concerns to them. There should also be an emergency number if it needs an urgent response.

Definitely report - hopefully by reading everyone's post you will know it's the right thing to do - you aren't being a busy body

What made you report it to the council rather than social services or the police?

Police and social services. Every time there is an incident. Perhaps talk to other neighbors who may also be witness' to what could be happening.

Police
MASH / Children's safeguarding team
You don't need evidence, you just need to say what's happening.
No deliberation needed.

I think police when you hear an incident occur. They have a legal right to enter the house and check the safety and welfare of the kids. Social workers school nurses health visitors etc do not.

I'm guessing by council OP will have contacted their children's or social services.

@booktokbear

I'm guessing by council OP will have contacted their children's or social services.

And social services ignored it?

I don't think that would have happened.

Perhaps if OP answers the question rather then you guessing?

As a foster carer if I had concerns about a neighbour I would call the duty social worker for children's services (every council will have one) and they would decide what action needs to be taken.

How do you know social services have ignored it?

You are assuming that because the children are still in their mothers care. Just because they haven’t been removed doesn’t mean that there is no SS involvement.

@DrunkenElephant

It was the bit where OP said

I contacted my local council who did nothing.

I can only comment on the information given.

Having lived through the same for years I’m not in the slightest surprised that nothing was done. My neighbour has been reported many many times, has social workers come and visit and nothing is ever done and she doesn’t change! They make appointments to come out when she’s all sweetness and light obviously and they won’t take recordings into account as “there’s no guarantee it’s her”, police have been out and still nothing gets done! It’s awful but unfortunately I think in some areas social services are just too swamped to deal with these sort of reports!

@DorothyZ The MASH team are part of the local council.

Children’s services are part of the local council.

Even if she had just reported it to the housing department they would have a duty to pass it over for assessment anyway.

OP, keep reporting and try and keep a log of what you hear and when. I would also report to the police, you can call 101 after the event or 999 obviously if you believe a child to be in danger.

And you have waited this long to call the police and social services