As a leader there are numerous gaps in the safeguarding and complaints processes at scouts. We had concerns about one of the explorer scouts being neglected at home and vulnerable to abuse. Never any way to contact parents, never any response from them. Explorer would come with another friend. We flagged to safeguarding. They took the view there was no risk of harm and no need to report, but put all the expectation on us leaders to sort it out. They suggested we were wholly responsible for getting the parents engaged to give permission for their child to attend, but we could never see them or teach them. We didn’t want to turn the young person away as it was the only experience they had and we feared what would happen. Social services should have been contacted to check on the family. We never saw her again.