Keep Children Safe This Summer
The summer school holidays are almost upon us and we all have our fingers crossed for a lovely, long, hot summer – especially for our children.
Children love playing outside during the long summer days and nights. And it's natural for parents to relax their rules for children over the summer holidays.
However, it is a time when parents need to stay vigilant. Children are out playing longer, maybe discovering new levels of independence, meeting new people and trying new things.
This means parents need to continue to keep a close eye on their children – parental responsibility doesn't stop when the sun comes out!
As a parent you should still know where your children are, what they are doing and who they are with and making sure they aren't out later than is safe for their age.
Similarly, if you see other children who are not being well looked after - for example very young children who are left unsupervised - you have a responsibility to report these concerns
If you have any concerns about the safety or well being of a child, please pass this information on to someone who can help. The contact numbers for Social Services in North Ayrshire are:
Irvine 01294 324800
Kilbirnie 01505 684551
Saltcoats 01294 605261
Arran 01770 600742
If you are phoning out of office hours, weekends or on a public holiday you can contact Standby Social Services on 0800 811505
You can also talk to any professional you know such as your health visitor, a youth worker or child care worker.
If a child is in immediate danger it is best to contact the police directly. This can be done at any police office, or by contacting Irvine police station on 01294 404400.
Here are some useful numbers and some common sense tips:
If you are a parent in need of support you can contact ParentLine Scotland on 0808 800 2222.
If you are a child or young person in need of support you can contact ChildLine Scotland on 0800 1111.
Women and children affected by domestic abuse can seek support by contacting North Ayrshire Women's Aid on 01294 602424 or by contacting the National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0800 027 1234
For more information on child safety please visit the North Ayrshire Child Protection Committee website