Campaign launched to stop leaving children home alone during summer

A new campaign named 'Home or Alone' has been launched by the NSPCC this summer, after a rise in children being left during the school summer holidays.

There's no legal age a child can be left home alone, but it's against the law to leave a child if it puts them at risk.

Parents trying to manage the six week school break can find supervision for a child challenging, particularly as child cost have risen in recent years.

With the average cost of childcare being over £7000 for the year.

Last year, the NSPCC made 566 referrals to agencies in the West Midlands after receiving contact about children being left with adult supervision.

This is a 23 percent increase in the last year, with the charity preparing for a spike in calls this summer.

Part of the campaign is a quiz for parents and carers to take to decide if their child is ready to stay at home, or go out alone unsupervised.

Rachel Wallace is the campaigns manager in the West Midlands and said:" The peak definitely comes in the summer and we know that it's a long summer holiday and there's lots of pressure on families and things but the idea of the campaign is to help parents make informed decisions on their child's safety."

To find out more about the campaign click here or contact the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000 or help@nspcc.org.uk