THE NSPCC has issued advice to parents wondering what age it is OK to leave a child at home alone as the school summer holidays begin.

It’s as the NSPCC Helpline reveals it made 58 per cent more referrals in the last year to a local agency or service in the south west of England, about children being left home alone or unsupervised.

Between April 2023 and March 2024, the service, which provides help and advice for adults with concerns about the wellbeing of a child, sent 475 referrals to local agencies or services in the south west following contacts about the issue. This is compared to 300 referrals during the previous 12 months.

Last year, the Helpline received 7,802 contacts about the subject from adults from across the UK, compared to 4,717 contacts between 2022 to 2023.

The charity said the increases could be due to a number of factors, including a recent NSPCC Helpline marketing campaign, increased service capacity and greater public awareness about the risks of leaving children home alone.

More than half of these contacts nationally (51 per cent) on children being left home alone were deemed serious enough for the NSPCC Helpline to make a referral to a local authority with a view to further action being taken.

Balancing act

With schools in Cornwall and across England breaking up this week, many adults might feel unsure about whether their child is ready to be left unsupervised or have concerns about another child being left alone.

For many parents, July and August can be particularly difficult as they are forced to balance the competing pressures of work and childcare. These challenges are likely to be even more acute this year as the cost-of-living crisis continues, forcing some parents and carers to work increased hours or take part-time jobs.

One adult contacted the Helpline with a concern about their neighbour, saying: “It’s two little girls I’m worried about, they must be about four and six; they’re left home alone quite a lot and that means they’re unsupervised with the family’s dogs.

“I’ve knocked a few times to see if they’re ok and they always say, ‘daddy will be back soon’ but it’s usually hours later when one of the parents comes back.”

Advice for parents

  • There is no legal age limit for leaving children home alone, but the NSPCC would not recommend leaving any child under the age of 12 at home unsupervised, especially for extended periods of time.
  • A child who expresses concern about being left alone should never be without a parent or carer and for those young people who do feel comfortable, it is vital they are left with contact numbers for a parent, carer or trusted adult. Long periods of being unsupervised can lead to children feeling afraid or neglected.
  • Should leaving a child alone be the only option for an adult, then the NSPCC’s website has tips for parents to help ensure the young person feels safe, as well as a quiz to assess if a child is ready to be left unsupervised.

One young person aged 14 told Childline: “I’m sick of being left on my own, mum expects me to just look after myself. There isn’t always food I can cook, I can’t go and see my friends or do anything fun, but she can.”

Kam Thandi, head of the NSPCC’s Helpline, said: “It can be hard for parents and carers to know the right age to leave their child home alone as every child is different, and the first time being left unsupervised will differ for every family.

“It is vital that both the child and adult feel comfortable with any decision that is taken, and that if a young person is to be left home alone they know how to contact a trusted adult and what to do in an emergency.

“For anyone who may need advice or is concerned about a child who might be at risk, our Helpline service can support you and the NSPCC website has a range of tips.”

Adults with concerns about a child can contact the NSPCC Helpline by calling 0808 800 5000, emailing help@NSPCC.org.uk or completing our report abuse online form.

Childline is available for young people via the phone on 0800 1111 and online where there is a 121 chat on the Childline website.

You can find more information and advice on leaving children home alone on the NSPCC website.