Ask Sam

Hi there,

Thank you very much for writing to me and letting me know about your concerns. It sounds as though you are a very caring young person.

You’re right to be concerned about this family. Not having a home and sleeping on the streets can be really risky, as well as not being very nice. Everyone has the right to be safe. It’s particularly worrying that two of them are children.

You haven’t told me how old you are, but it sounds like you have taken on a lot of responsibility by worrying about this family. It’s brilliant that you want to get them some help, but it would be really good if you could ask an adult that you trust to support you. This sounds like a really big thing to be worrying about on your own.

Social Services can protect children who are in unsafe situations, and if they are told about this family, they will want to investigate. You can find their number in the phone book, or by searching for it online. You could also contact the local police, by ringing 101 (this is a special number for getting help with problems that aren’t an emergency). If you have told an adult about this family, they could ring the NSPCC Helpline for some extra advice and support. The number is 0808 800 5000.

Thank you again for being so brave in writing to me about your concerns. If you want to talk about this situation a bit more, you can call ChildLine on 0800 1111 or log on for a 1-2-1 chat (like instant messaging)

Take care,

Sam