During the school summer holidays, many parents – and particularly those that work – are faced with the dilemma of whether they can safely leave their children home alone.
There’s no legal age a child can be left home alone, but it’s against the law to leave them alone if it puts them at risk, explains Helen Westerman, head of local campaigns at the NSPCC. “A child who doesn’t feel comfortable shouldn’t be left alone,” she stresses, pointing out that as every child matures differently, it would be impossible to have a one size fits all law.
As well as making the big home alone decision, an additional dilemma for parents is whether it’s safe to let children go out to play unsupervised, and Westerman says: “Lots of parents will be thinking about whether it’s safe to leave their children at home safely, and if they’re old enough to leave the house unsupervised. This can be a really tricky decision for parents and carers to make as it will differ from child to child.
