A legal aspect of nursing

A mother's account of her experience in an accident and emergency department
somewhere in the UK:

"My partner and I have been leaving our son, since he was eleven and a half,
alone at home for a few hours (never overnight or even later than 8 p.m.)
when he gets back from school each day. In our judgment he was mature enough
to handle this properly (and wanted to).

He's always had our mobile numbers to call if there was an emergency (he
never has), and there are 3 trusted neighbours whom he knows well and who
are within fifty yards of the front door.

Frankly, coming home from school etc. alone probably represents more of a
worry. We shadowed him for a few weeks.

At the time, we checked the law online and even phoned the NSPCC who
confirmed that the law does not set out any fixed age where the child is
deemed responsible enough to be left alone for some hours.

That was a year ago, he's now twelve and a half, and is more mature and
competent.

A few days ago, at about 5 p.m., when my partner was a hundred miles away
working, I was at work and felt really ill. I checked into the A&E of a
hospital close to where I work (about 15 miles from home).

I was really in pain while waiting for a doctor, and not focusing on the
questions the duty nurse was asking. One of these was something like "Is any
child or older person relying on you to come back on time?" I said my son,
she asked how old, I said "12", she said "Who is with him?", I said no one,
he's used to being by himself but I would need to call him to tell him I
would be late and his father would not be back until 9 p.m.

The nurse's reaction was to look at me as if I was a criminal. She said
point blank that I was breaking the law by leaving someone under 14
unattended and it was hospital policy to immediately inform social services
in these cases. I said what I thought the law said and she said I was wrong
or out-of-date.

This panicked me so I just walked out of A&E, still trailing some of the
wires for the intended cardiogram and got a taxi home, still feeling groggy.

Please reassure me that I am right and she was wrong. My partner raced back
too - what he has to say about social services isn't printable, and I know
he'll blame me for anything that goes wrong.

Should I contact SS? What is going to happen?"

-----------------------------------------------------

Was an offence being committed? Was the nurse right to accuse the parents of
breaking the law? Was the nurse right to say she will inform Social
Services?

	#1
Phil Anthropist	A legal aspect of nursing A mother's account of her experience in an accident and emergency department somewhere in the UK: "My partner and I have been leaving our son, since he was eleven and a half, alone at home for a few hours (never overnight or even later than 8 p.m.) when he gets back from school each day. In our judgment he was mature enough to handle this properly (and wanted to). He's always had our mobile numbers to call if there was an emergency (he never has), and there are 3 trusted neighbours whom he knows well and who are within fifty yards of the front door. Frankly, coming home from school etc. alone probably represents more of a worry. We shadowed him for a few weeks. At the time, we checked the law online and even phoned the NSPCC who confirmed that the law does not set out any fixed age where the child is deemed responsible enough to be left alone for some hours. That was a year ago, he's now twelve and a half, and is more mature and competent. A few days ago, at about 5 p.m., when my partner was a hundred miles away working, I was at work and felt really ill. I checked into the A&E of a hospital close to where I work (about 15 miles from home). I was really in pain while waiting for a doctor, and not focusing on the questions the duty nurse was asking. One of these was something like "Is any child or older person relying on you to come back on time?" I said my son, she asked how old, I said "12", she said "Who is with him?", I said no one, he's used to being by himself but I would need to call him to tell him I would be late and his father would not be back until 9 p.m. The nurse's reaction was to look at me as if I was a criminal. She said point blank that I was breaking the law by leaving someone under 14 unattended and it was hospital policy to immediately inform social services in these cases. I said what I thought the law said and she said I was wrong or out-of-date. This panicked me so I just walked out of A&E, still trailing some of the wires for the intended cardiogram and got a taxi home, still feeling groggy. Please reassure me that I am right and she was wrong. My partner raced back too - what he has to say about social services isn't printable, and I know he'll blame me for anything that goes wrong. Should I contact SS? What is going to happen?" ----------------------------------------------------- Was an offence being committed? Was the nurse right to accuse the parents of breaking the law? Was the nurse right to say she will inform Social Services?