Duty of care

Discussion in 'Electricians' Talk' started by Domesticsparky, Mar 6, 2023.

  1. Domesticsparky

    Domesticsparky Active Member

    Hi All, so this may cause some commotion.

    So a bit of a back story, I went to quote for a bathroom extractor fan today. Walking inside the front door...black mould everywhere, rubbish and food and rat poo covering the floor, carpet missing in places.

    Junk and rubbish just everywhere, it was that bad I had to squeeze around bags of rubbish just to get to the stairs

    I proceed upstairs to the bathroom, more black mould and a god awful smell, smells like a rotting corpse. I go into the bathroom and the room is black with mould and broken tiles just left on the floor, the bath is covered in limescale and crud, broken toilet etc etc

    I didn't say anything just jotted down some notes about the job and ask to see the CU, kitchen honestly looks like something out of a horror movie.

    The couple living there are both stay at home carers for their 9yr old autistic son. (They told me their entire back story)

    This is a sad situation for anyone to live in, and having a disabled family member myself I passed a comment about the council helping my sister out with her child, they said they get no help and gave up 6y ears ago chasing social etc for help.

    My question is this, do we have a duty of care to report this?

    I would like to add, I don't think they honestly meant for it to get that bad or that they are bad parents, but maybe just overwhelmed or just need a bit of help to get back on track.
     
    Alan22 and Kingscurate like this.
  2. Ind spark

    Ind spark Screwfix Select

    Don't know the answer mate but it is sad when you see kids living like that, I look at mine and think they don't know they are born.
     
  3. masterdiy

    masterdiy Screwfix Select

    Lets be honest here.
    There is Zero excuse for that type of situation, especially with a child of 9 yrs old. (or any age child)
    It sounds like these people need help & urgently. They more than likely have given up & consider this is what they are supposed to do.
    If it were me, I would ask them would they mind if I got in touch with....
    I would then get the ball at least rolling for them.

    It great that you have seen this yourself & realise such a sad situation.
    So to answer your question Yes.

    This just might be the start of getting them sorted.
    Good on you.
     
  4. Truckcab79

    Truckcab79 Screwfix Select

    Report to social services. Might be a pain for them short term. Might even lose the kid short term but the greater good and all that.
     
    JamieC and DBCDIY like this.
  5. Denis6482

    Denis6482 Member

    Yes, social services are there for a situation like this. Where I live (South Glos) they are very proactive once they're aware of a problem.
     
  6. longboat

    longboat Screwfix Select

    I've been to a few bad places like that over the years, never with kids living there though and it does play on you a bit. You leave feeling depressed, wishing there was a meaningful way to give long term help for them.
    You don't have a legal duty of care, but a moral one, perhaps. Getting the authorities involved may cause the parents trouble and I can understand why you wouldn't want that. There is however an innocent child involved here so it's a tough one. :(
    They're obviously struggling, sometimes a kick up the arris can do wonders.
     
    Sparkielev likes this.
  7. adgjl

    adgjl Screwfix Select

    Yes, report to either social services or the local police, who will have all the contact numbers needed to resolve the situation.
     
  8. Severntrent

    Severntrent Screwfix Select

    Report, you do not know what may be happening behind the scenes, if nothing so be it, if something you may prevent some future newspaper headline story. Kids come 1st, ALWAYS
     
  9. fred812

    fred812 Screwfix Select

    Definitely report. How you going to feel if one day you find out something bad has happened? And from the sound of it they definitely need an intervention of some sort.
     
  10. bright_Spark

    bright_Spark Screwfix Select

    I would assume they will already be on someones radar, personally I would report it out of concern.
     
  11. fred812

    fred812 Screwfix Select

    Well if they are the radar's broken.
     
    WH55 likes this.
  12. Kingscurate

    Kingscurate Active Member

    When you phone social services, threaten them with telling the world of 6 years of neglect, they have given the 9yo rather than telling of the parents plight
     
  13. sled

    sled Member

    In my previous job I worked closely with social services.
    I’ve been in many a house where you wiped your feet on the way out.
    It’s my experience that social services and the authorities are probably fully aware and doing what little they can do, which unfortunately amount to nothing.
    It’s also my experience that if you do report it, you are just causing yourself problems.
    Nothing will change.
    But you never know. It might be the one in a thousand where you make a difference.
    You’ve got to do what your conscience lets you do.
    I’d personally leave well alone but maybe I’ve been hardened to the neglect, abuse and pure awful people out there.
     
  14. Sparkielev

    Sparkielev Screwfix Select

    Can see social services barging and making everything worse what they need is assistance to get them motivated for the childs benefit, they are obviously stuck in a rut
     
    longboat likes this.
  15. bright_Spark

    bright_Spark Screwfix Select

    It is a shame but some people just live like this and will probably see nothing wrong with it. Its like going to a third world country and seeing how they live. You cannot compare others to the way we all live.
     
    longboat likes this.
  16. Sparkielev

    Sparkielev Screwfix Select

    I see this daily, mainly drug use, seeing addicts doing day to day living, some I have sympathy for some I don't, men, women in their 50s been on drugs since forever its a awful existence for there isn't really a answer
     
  17. bright_Spark

    bright_Spark Screwfix Select

    Easy to say I know but I think if they just stopped buying the drugs in the first place the problem would go away.
     
  18. Sparkielev

    Sparkielev Screwfix Select

    If you could guarantee social services will go in and help them maybe clean the house remove rubbish and get these people motivated then I would inform them,
     
  19. Sparkielev

    Sparkielev Screwfix Select

    Not possible I'm afraid, maybe legalised drugs might help, would stop crime and get rid of evil drug barons
     
  20. Truckcab79

    Truckcab79 Screwfix Select

    Since the notable cases where social services haven’t intervened with tragic consequences it’s unlikely to be ignored if flagged up as concerns for the welfare of the child. Likewise the recent profile raising of the risk to health of mould. It’s much more likely they’ll over-react initially and then back off in time. Better that way.
     
    longboat likes this.

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