Child safety at home

There is no official age at which children can be left alone. This is because children mature at different rates and behave in different ways.

The law instead states that you shouldn’t leave a child or children alone if they’ll be at risk.

The NSPCC has a quiz to help determine if your child is ready to be home alone or not.

Infants and young children aged 0 to 3 years old should never be left alone and the NSPCC don’t recommend leaving any child under 12 years alone.

View the NSPCC’s advice and recommendations on safety for children home alone. This includes:

• Checking if your child feels safe at home
• Tips for keeping your child safe
• A handy checklist of things to discuss with your child