15.19 Children left unaccompanied by parents/carers (Home alone)

The use of this guidance should be considered in the following circumstances:

• A child left alone in a home without any adult or responsible person present
• A child left in a home with an adult or child who is unsuitable
• A child allowed to go out without appropriate supervision

The law outlines the circumstances in which a child who is left unaccompanied will amount to a criminal offence:

If any person who has attained the age of sixteen years and has responsibility for a child or young person under that age, wilfully assaults, ill-treats (whether physically or otherwise), neglects, abandons, or exposes him, or causes or procures him to be assaulted, ill-treated (whether physically or otherwise), neglected, abandoned, or exposed, in a manner likely to cause him unnecessary suffering or injury to health (whether the suffering or injury is of a physical or a psychological nature) that person is guilty of an offence, and shall be liable. (Section 1(1) of the Children & Young Persons Act 1933)

This offence can only be committed by a person aged 16 or over who responsibility for a child under that age.

In addition to the above there are general considerations that parents and carers should follow:

• Babies and young children should never be left unaccompanied at home, even for a few minutes
• Even older children may not be mature enough to cope with an emergency, and should only be left alone for short periods of time if at all
• If an older child is left alone are they content about the arrangements and know how to contact their parents or carers
• Children under 16 should not be left unaccompanied overnight
• Does the child have additional needs which may impact on their ability?

Also see advice for parents from the NSPCC: 

• A guide to help parents and carers decide whether their child is ready to either stay at home or go out alone

In any situation where a child is found in the circumstances described above, the first issue to consider is the immediate safety of the child. If the child is at immediate risk of significant harm the police should be called immediately. The police have the power to take any child who is at immediate risk of significant harm into police protection. This will ensure the ongoing safety of a child whilst enquiries are made to locate their parents or carers. When a child is taken into police protection the police must inform children’s social care who should initiate Section 47 enquiries.

Even if a child is not at immediate risk of significant harm, if a child is found in circumstances where the parents or carers cannot be immediately located, the police should be contacted in order that enquiries can be made to locate the parents/ carers and consider whether any offences may have been committed.

When a professional who is working with a family discovers a child from that family unaccompanied, there is no reason why they cannot make initial enquires to locate the relevant parents/carers, but if these are not successful, the police should then again be notified.

In any of the above circumstances any child found should not be left unaccompanied by the professional discovering them until the parents/carers have been located and are considered suitable to care for the child, or the child has been taken into police protection.  Arrangements to place the child with relatives, friends or neighbours should only be made as a last resort, providing the child is old enough to have a view and is content to be placed in such circumstances, and police and children’s social care records have confirmed the suitability of any such person

In all incidents of children being found without appropriate supervision as decribed above, the child(ren) should be made subject of a referral to children’s social care - see Making a Referral

There is no minimum age in law below which a child / young person may not 'baby-sit' a younger child. Those who hold Parental Responsibility are responsible for ensuring the baby-sitter is capable and will provide adequate care and should take account of:

• Age and maturity of child to be baby-sat
• Age, maturity and experience of the proposed baby-sitter;
• Nature of existing relationship between all parties;
• Length of time for which the child is to be baby-sat;
• The physical environment;
• Availability of back-up from parent/s or other immediately available adult.

The NSPCC recommend 16 as the minimum age for baby-sitting.

If a baby-sitter is aged 16 or over and wilfully assaults, ill-treats, neglects, abandons or exposes a younger child in a manner likely to cause her/him unnecessary suffering or injury to health (or causes to procures the child to be so treated), s/he and the person with parental responsibility who arranged the babysitting are liable to prosecution.