Words from Barry O’Shea
Barrie O’Shea is the Head of Duncombe Primary School in Islington and Schools representative on Islington’s Children’s Safeguarding Board, he asked MCN to work with a group of Duncombe’s pupils to explore “Home Alone” issues. Here is what he had to say:
“A couple of years ago the board asked me if I would look into children being left unattended. We started with our school at circle time and we took the message to the school councils.”
Barry also told us that they have a parents’ group which meets at the school on Friday mornings and the matter of leaving children home alone was discussed there. Barry said he had wanted to explore this issue in a meaningful way so that it would generate discussion. Laverne Hunt, founder of MCN approached Barry about making a film – many months later when they had attracted the funding the project was given the go ahead.
Barry said that the aim was to “Deliver a message to the three most important groups. We’re absolutely clear that some parents have a challenging time looking after children. They work and have little time for themselves.”
“Over 56 countries are represented in the school, many of those parents are alone and we’ve tried to sit down with parents and show where they can then help one another.”
Barry said that in North London such a mutually supportive system can be organized. Because of the diverse nature of London, and the school itself, many of our parents arrive at the school with no such support in place.
“We are encouraging them to work together,” he continued. “We are hopeful that we can deliver the message to stimulate conversation in our local schools.”
Barry also spoke of children who do worry about being left home alone and are aware of the problematic nature of this: “They will protect their parents, they are really quick,” he said.
Barry did not give an age at which he thinks it is appropriate for a child to be left home alone: “It doesn’t matter how old the child is that is looking after the child,” he explained. “It’s how responsible they are. I know 11 year-olds who will look after their brother in a sensible and mature way.”
He also pointed out that one must also take into consideration, “how sensible the children are that are being looked after.”
On completion of the project Barry realized that each family’s circumstances are different, and should be measured as such.
“We haven’t arrived at a figure or an age, we couldn’t do it because it wouldn’t work. There has to be an understanding that parents sometimes need to get out. More importantly, they have the reassurance that they can come to us and we can give some support to them.”
Barry talked about his childhood. When his mum went out to work she left the door open for the kids – ‘and the burglar’, he joked. At the Friday parent sessions, one parent said that she didn’t leave her son alone until he was 16 – and that her 15 year-old is more responsible than the 21 year-old. One lady admitted to leaving a three year-old alone for a few minutes. A mother who lives with her extended family said she can’t leave the children alone, because they fight!
“Generally families should help one another out,” said Barry. “The government are saying that should be a special check.” He talked about a Somali mother who helps out many families, but under the government ruling would need to be registered to make sure that she is safe. All this, yet the government want the age parents return to work back to work to be lowered from when their children are aged 10 to seven.
Words from Jeremy Corbyn MP
Jeremy Corbyn MP then gave a speech to those gathered for the launch.
“Thank you all for coming today, and to Chicken Shed. Duncombe Primary School in Islington is a fantastic local primary school that does such a great job for its parents.”
“It was interesting being interviewed by the children about being left home alone,” he continued, adding, that it was “much more interesting than being interviewed by adults. Children ask absolutely direct questions and want an answer.”
This made all the parents and teachers in the room smile. He went on to discuss some of the reasons why parents might leave a child home alone. What was refreshing is that rather than being full of PC talk, Jeremy seemed to take a realistic approach to the question.
“Lots of parents probably cut corners and nip out to the shop, all of it is understandable.” He went on to add that in some situations it can be “very, very dangerous and we have to get that message across.”
He did concede however than many parents need to work and have difficulty balancing a job and childcare. He suggested solutions to this could be parent friendly hours to children of under-elevens.
“We have to make sure that parents’ arrangements are effective and safe for the children.”
He spoke of a general sense of unwillingness to get involved in other people’s business:
“Too many children are often afraid of helping other children because of things such as anti-social behaviour. They don’t want to intervene because they don’t know where it will go. Adults are frightened of young people and don’t want to intervene.”
“If you see someone in trouble you don’t walk away you step in and do something.”
He was talking in this instance about the play just performed by Chicken Shed, in which the child had almost choked on a grape: a passerby had ignored him. In a wider sense, Jeremy had a point: community is the fabric of society, and families need the help of a community to thrive. The Ofsted regulations on childcare (no more than 2 hour sessions, more than 14 times a year for non-registered carers) seems to go against the idea of simply ‘helping one another out’.
Press Launch for Home Alone project today
The launch day of the Home Alone project was a great success!
I arrived at the Grand Committee Room at 1.15pm where I met with Mary Atito,a final year student at Roehampton University, who is studying psychology with criminology. Over the past few months Mary has provided support for MCN on a number of projects and is keenly developing ideas for projects of her own. The room quickly began to fill up and the children took pride of place on the front row seats.
There was a great buzz of excitement about the event as people found their places. It was wonderfully to see such a mixture of people from politicians to students and there was a great sense of goodwill in the room.
Our start time was 1.30pm but Jeremy Corbyn MP was running late. I did sneakily wonder if it was due to the cuts in MP expenses, had he been forced to walk rather than take the Tube?
On seeing his audience he commented: “It’s a great improvement on the usual crowd. Politicians are getting younger all the time.”
Which made everyone laugh.
First up were MCN’s friends from a theatre company called Chicken Shed, who set the scene for that afternoon’s topic of discussion: children being left: “Home Alone”
We watched a hilarious and captivating show that was expertly acted and made everybody in the room laugh.
Although the story itself was a little sad.
A father leaves his wife – and nor does he seem to like his children: “I like children when they are older quieter and pay rent,” he says.
Mum is left to raise her kids alone. One day, Mum needs to go to the hairdressers but the babysitter is very late, and then doesn’t turn up at all. And so, her 11 year-old son is left to look after his six-year old sibling. Mum heads off to the hairdressers, there is no sign of the babysitter, and the children are left alone. Things take a turn for the worse when the younger child almost chokes on a grape.
After the show the children were asked to give their thoughts on health and safety – they all knew how to help a child who is choking which was fabulous to see. St John’s Ambulance had visited the school when we were making the film. Those bright sparks were obviously paying lots of attention.
It seems that the tasty grape is the most common cause of choking in children – so, I’ve knocked that fruit off the shopping list.
Press Launch for Home Alone project today
It is the press launch for the Home Alone project today. All at MCN Ltd are really looking forward to showing everyone the wonderful work that the children have done. So I thought I’d take the opportunity to walk through the project with you.
Last year, I met with Barry the Head Teacher, who said he’d quite like to do something around the safety of children and kids being left home alone. This is because in circle time they had found out that children were scared of being left home alone. After the meeting with Barry, I went away and found funding for the project. A year later I was able to begin the project.
In the first lesson we introduced the kids to the idea and everybody contributed to a mind-map about their thoughts. Then I delivered 10 filmmaking workshops to a group of 10-12 children who had been chosen because it was thought that they would respond well to filmmaking.
The Home Alone project has gone really well and it’s been such a lot of fun. The kids were very excited about making a film. They’ve learnt how to be safe at home and had fun finding out facts, such as – the most common thing they can choke on is a grape. The children had the help of St John’s Ambulance and learnt how to identify whether someone is choking, and to administer first aid and stop someone choking.
We didn’t ask the children what age they thought a child should be left home alone; we simply asked what they would do if they were left home alone.
The pupils involved were aged between eight and 10. So it varied form wanting to play football, or having a friend around – to raiding the fridge! They discovered that there are different ages you can leave children at home alone, and that this depends on their own maturity and their own cultural background, and that why this happens sometimes varies upon the demands in a parent’s life.
As we researched the idea we discovered truths along the way. One of which was the confusion around Ofstead registration. We had a meeting with parents and saw that they are good people. It made me wonder why is it that Ofstead want to impose restrictions on these groups? Surely they would target it differently if it was just about security? Most parents were not English. It seemed that the Mediterranean parents are more Christian, if you like, than English families and so it became clear that English families faced more problems. Although, it is the non-English families who would be impacted more because of the fact of being an immigrant and having to deal with bureaucracy.
Now it’s time to get ready for the press launch today, which will take place at 1.30pm-3.30pm in the Grand Committee room at the House of Commons. As well as a screening of the Home Alone documentary, I’m looking forward to hearing some great speeches, and raising some money to fund future projects. More later!
Chap-a-lino (Part 2) In The Dog House
Press Launch Home Alone
(See the Press Release page for full information.)
Media Community Network Limited (“MCNLtd”) has been appointed by Barrie O’Shea, Head of Duncombe Primary School in Islington and Schools representative on Islington’s Children’s Safeguarding Board, to work with a group of Duncombe’s pupils to explore “Home Alone” issues.
The project is funded by the Big Lottery Fund’s “Awards for All” programme and features St. John’s Ambulance who are concerned about accidents to or caused by children being left on their own at home.
A press launch will be taking place at the House of Commons on November 6th 2009.
If you’d like to attend email Laverne Hunt at lavernehunt@mcnltd.org +44 (0)7947817733
mediacommunitynetworkltd
