NSPCC urging West Midlands parents to check their children feel safe before leaving them home alone
The NSPCC say between April 2024 and March 2025, 496 referrals were made to agencies in the West Midlands over concerns about a child being unsupervised
The NSPCC is calling on parents in the West Midlands to talk to their children to see if they feel safe being left home alone before doing so.
Between April 2024 and March 2025 the children's charity says 496 referrals were made to agencies in the West Midlands from its helpline where children being left home alone or unsupervised was believed to be the main risk factor for the child.
While the is no legal age a child can be left home alone, it's against the law to leave a child alone if it puts them at risk.
Rosie Murden is a campaigns manager from the NSPCC's Midlands team and she says it is an area of concern and the NSPCC is recommending never letting a child aged under 12-years-old be home alone.
"No matter what the age of the child it is extremely important to listen to the child, they may have concerns about being left at home without a parent or carer and those worries should be respected and addressed," she said.
"We all recognise that the long summer holidays can be a difficult time for many parents and carers, causing them concerns about how they can juggle their work and life commitments to make ensure their children are safe and looked after while also holding down a job.
"This is where parents and carers can help to prepare their child by discussing situations that might happen and what they should do in that situation, for example, what to do if someone rings the door bell."
Across the UK between April 2024 and March 2025, the charity says its helpline service received 6,719 contacts on children being left home alone.
It added, in July and August there was a particularly high number of contacts made about this issue, with a total of 1,276 across the two months.