Safeguarding - when you can smell alcohol on a parent

[LemonRedwood]

I have googled but can only find US law and guidance or threads on Netmums!

If a parent with PR arrives to collect a child (primary) and you can smell alcohol very strongly on them, where does the school stand legally on refusing to release the child to them? Does the parent's behaviour affect what you would do? (I.e behaving in a drunk manner v appearing sober while still smelling of alcohol.)

Without going into too much detail, I am anticipating a situation where I am going to have to make a decision in a situation like this and would like any information to back myself up with. I haven't been able to get through to CPSLO and I have emailed for advice but may not be responded to until next week.

Any pointers towards official advice or guidelines would be greatly appreciated.

[Heratnumber7]

Have you never drink a few glasses of wine too many whilst in charge of your own child?
If you say No, I don't believe you

[fairgame84]

I'm a safeguarding lead and we have parents turn up smelling of drink or cannabis. If the parent just smells but appears coherent then we log it on our recording system and monitor it.
If a parent appears intoxicated and incoherent through drink or drugs then we would not release the child and would call social services or the Police. Luckily we have never had to withold a child in that situation however we had a parent drop her children off while off her face on drugs. We referred straight to social services and they came out the same day.

[1sttimemama1986]

I am a social worker in a child protection team in south England. If there are concerns that a parent of a primary aged child is under the influence of alcohol, please consider:

-3-4pm is about early for a social drink?

• do they appear capable of caring in light of their presentation I.e. slurred speech, wobbly.

-do they drive to pick up
-can they afford appropriate supervision and care to the child in their current state?

• is it isolated or frequent

-consider emotional impact on the child if the parent is intoxicated
-has the child talked about home life/any disclosures or chance in the child's behaviour or presentation.

You should raise the concern with the parent and notify them that you will refer to social care if you are worried about things above. If not that worried, what can you offer? Get the parent in find out what's going on and signpost/advise/early help?

[LemonRedwood]

Thank you @fairgame84 and @1sttimemama1986

[IfNot]

I bumped into a friend of mine on the last day of term before Summer. She was on the way to pick up her year 5 daughter, on foot. She wasn't drunk (maybe a bit merry) but she smelled quite strongly of wine. She's a teacher. .
I think it would be outrageously parsimonious and intrusive (not to mention traumatic for a child), to refuse a parent to collect their child on the basis of one incident of smelling of alchohol.
Get some perspective and use your actual common sense!

[LemonRedwood]

@IfNot I have perspective from knowing the contents of the child's safeguarding file.

I was not asking whether I should be concerned. I am concerned in light of the bigger picture.

[serialtester]

You can't refuse to release a child to a parent with PR - unless there is a court order or PPO.

What you can do is record and refer.

[ididyeah]

Have been in the past in the same situation as part of a wider set of concerns regarding neglect and alcoholism. We logged everything because of that wider issue. It wasn't 'one' incident that led to the situation by any means. It continued, but accompanied with a sudden ability to look extra presentable at the school gate with plenty of perfume, use of mouthwash and chewing gum etc. Eventually there was an incident where social services were involved and then the logs were relevant.

[Dontknowwhatimdoing]

You can't refuse to release the child. Surely this needs referring on. I'd do that sooner rather than later, because if you do it Friday afternoon, nothing is likely to happen until Monday.

[CraftyGin]

You do not have responsibility to investigate. Send it up to your safeguarding lead.

The safeguarding lead should then pass it up to the LADO.

Having a parent collect a child having had a drink is not necessarily a safeguarding problem that requires immediate action (police/social services). It’s something you may want to note down in the child’s confidential records (although making sure you are GDPR compliant with opinion).

[iMatter]

A few years ago on my birthday I collected my children from school after having a couple of glasses of wine.

I had been out for a really lovely lunch with some great friends I hadn't seen for a long time.

My dh was driving.

Surely that wasn't a safeguarding issue?

[1sttimemama1986]

A school can refuse to release a child to a parent deemed unable to offer safe and appropriate care, if they were heavily intoxicated this would be an example it would absolutely be appropriate.

The school would need to call the other contacts on child's record to collect and report to police and social care, an urgent response would take place if there wasn't anyone else to collect the child and ensure safety in the meantime or if a parent kicked off which is understandable if they didn't agree they weren't capable.

[LemonRedwood]

No iMatter. Read my posts.

[LemonRedwood]

Thank you 1sttimemama. You've been really helpful.

[fairgame84]

No a few drinks isn't a safeguarding issue but when a parent turns up and can't walk straight, has to lean against a wall as they can't stand and is slurring their speech then that is a safeguarding issue. This was what we were presented with at 9am 2 weeks ago.
No we can't refuse to release the child but we can delay the release while we call the Police and we have done this before for other reasons. The Police can then decide whether the child is safe to go home.

[fairgame84]

CraftyGin LADO doesn't get involved in general safeguarding to do with families. They are for allegations against staff or foster carers or other professionals. They might get involved in professional disputes over a case or serious concerns on how a case is being handled.

[Shannaratiger]

This happened to a friend of mine. She had drug and alcohol problems. She turned up at the school drunk and they refused to allow her to pick her Dd up, her brother and to come and get her.
I would definitely not release the child if any doubt of parents ability.

[BettyBettyBetty]

I'm a DSL and I would realease the child if parent is acting normally, but log it. If they were acting intoxicated I'd phone children's services.

Good luck OP, it's really hard to know what to do at times. I wish we had a secure DSL network of sorts!

[JayT87]

Got to agree with 1sttimemama1986, a school can refuse to allow a child to go with a parent who was not fit. Although the law etc might say no, we need to remember what the law says about CP and also our professional codes of practice. Any adult can refuse to allow a child to go with an adult who is not fit to look after them, this is the basics of CP/Safe guarding.