Kirstie Allsopp has hit again towards Britain’s “risk-averse” tradition as she revealed she was reported to social providers for permitting her teenage son to go on an Interrailing journey.
The tv presenter stated that after sharing on-line that she had allowed her then 15-year-old son, Oscar, to go travelling throughout Europe, she was contacted by a social employee who knowledgeable her a file had been opened after youngster safety considerations raised.
She stated her son was younger for his yr and was travelling after his GCSEs with a 16-year-old good friend.
Posting on Instagram on Sunday morning, the Location, Location, Location presenter, 52, stated: “I assumed his journey was inspiring, and it by no means occurred to me in one million years {that a} name from kids providers can be concerned, it’s been an enormous shock, not least for Oscar.”
Allsopp stated a social employee from the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC) wouldn’t inform her how the referral was made or by whom and stated officers didn’t seem to know she was most likely focused by somebody falsely alleging neglect.
She stated the social employee advised her each referral should be appeared into and questioned what safeguards have been put in place for her son’s journey.
Talking concerning the dealing with of the referral, Allsopp advised the Mail on Sunday: “I simply felt sick – completely sick. Then I used to be cross. I used to be very, very cross. It was simply so extraordinary. I used to be in a parallel universe the place they have been truly taking this severely. I’ve damaged no legislation and nothing about permitting my youngster to journey round Europe is neglectful.”
A spokesperson for RBKC confirmed to the Guardian that an investigation into the allegation was ongoing they usually had a authorized obligation to look into all experiences.
Allsopp stated the social employee confirmed a file had been opened on Oscar and that they may preserve the file open “in case there was one other referral and we wanted to return to your home and look into this additional”.
She advised the Mail on Sunday: “For me, that was the sucker punch – the concept this file may proceed current. What [the official] stated to me was: ‘If in six months there was one other referral and we wanted to return to your home and look into this additional, it might be essential that we had saved a be aware of the primary referral.’
“That was the Orwellian second. The actual fact it was maliciously performed wasn’t coming dwelling to her.”
Allsopp had posted a thread on X about her son’s travels on Monday. He has since had his sixteenth birthday.
Posting an image on Instagram on Sunday of Welcombe seaside in north Devon, close to the vacation dwelling she owns, she wrote: “We purchased Meadowgate as a wreck simply earlier than Oscar was born, 16 years in the past, for nearly as lengthy we’ve spent each August financial institution vacation right here with many pals and their youngsters.
“That is the place a lot of them had their first style of independence, strolling to the seaside alone or going rock pooling and returning safely with their treasures, this yr there are solely 5 youngsters with us, they usually aren’t actually youngsters in any respect, the others are working, travelling or finding out, residing independently as they need to be. It’s our job to boost our kids to depart the nest, the large price of nests apart.”
Allsopp, who just lately returned from Switzerland, stated her expertise uncovered the extent of Britons’ cautiousness with kids in contrast with folks elsewhere in Europe. “I knew that we have been changing into a extra risk-averse tradition within the UK and the US. My time is Switzerland has taught me so much. There, as in Japan, kids stroll to high school alone and are inspired to be taught early to be self-sufficient, and trusted to make wise selections.
“I knew that wasn’t taking place as a lot at dwelling and I used to be inquisitive about the [work of the social psychologist Jonathan Haidt] and others who see a hyperlink between much less freedom & belief and extra psychological well being considerations amongst younger folks.
“So once I stated Oscar had performed what so many, many younger folks did after O-levels, and now after GCSEs, and gone Interrailing, regardless of being summer-born and subsequently younger for his faculty yr, I knew [what] some folks may suppose, however I assumed his journey was inspiring, and it by no means occurred to me in one million years {that a} name from kids providers can be concerned. It’s been an enormous shock, not least for Oscar.”
She stated she hoped the “silver lining” of her expertise can be “that everybody stops and thinks concerning the freedoms we had as kids, and ask what hurt may very well be performed, not by the freedoms, however by the restrictions and fears we’re imposing on our children”.
A RBKC spokesperson stated: “Safeguarding kids is an absolute precedence. We take any referral we obtain very severely and we’ve a statutory accountability for youngsters underneath 18 years of age.”
