PARENTS thinking of leaving their children at home while they head out are being urged to read the latest NSPCC advice.

Managing work and childcare in the six-week summer holiday can present challenges for parents, so the organisation has offered its advice on what can and should be done.

There is no legal age a child can be left home alone as every child matures differently, but it is against the law to leave a child alone if it puts them at risk.

During the pandemic, the charity saw a big increase in the number of adults contacting its helpline about children left alone, receiving 6,017 contacts in 2020/21.

This was an increase of a fifth when compared to the previous year. 

A spokesperson said: "We would advise a child who doesn’t feel comfortable shouldn’t be left alone.

"Children under the age of 12 are rarely mature enough to cope in an emergency and should not be left at home alone for a long period of time.

"And children under the age of 16 should not be left alone overnight."

Last summer, the NSPCC and SPAR store operator Blakemore Retail teamed up to help families keep their children safe, as part of the ‘Home or Out Alone’ campaign.

This campaign aims to help parents and carers decide if their child is ready to stay home, or go out alone unsupervised, by giving them access to information, guidance and a quiz; all of which can be found by visiting the ‘Home or Out Alone’ section of the NSPCC website at nspcc.org.uk/homealone.

The NSPCC Helpline is also available for any parent who needs help or support about any concern.

If you are worried about a child, even if you are unsure, contact the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000 or email help@nspcc.org.uk.