safeguarding elderly and vulnerable adults in Bromley

A key priority for the Council is to safeguard elderly and vulnerable adults in the borough.

Part of this is making sure frontline staff are clear about what they should do and we have robust procedures to follow if they are at all worried or concerned about a person’s welfare or are contacted by a resident about their concerns.  To test these safeguarding arrangements the Council requested a formal peer review as part of a wider review of the Early Intervention Service. This was carried out by senior officers from other Councils, under the auspices of the Directors of Adult Social Services.  The review looked at what’s working well and what can be done better. 

If you have any concerns about an elderly or vulnerable adult’s safety call the Council on 020 8461 7777.  For an out of hour’s emergency call 020 8464 4848.

The Council’s trading standards are also urging people to call their rapid response team if they suspect an older person is the victim of a rogue trader or scam on 07903 852090.

Bogus Builders and distraction scams

Neighbourhood watch have been asked to forward the following message from Trading Standards at Bromley Council and will be grateful if you could give it the widest circulation among your membership.

Trading Standards are warning residents to be on their guard for bogus builders following 2 attempts to scam older residents.  

A 70 year old man reported he was cold called by a male who he described as aged about 40, overweight, over 5’9” tall who said he was from a company which was an off shoot of Dynorod. The man told the consumer there was a problem with sewers at the rear of his property and gained access to the back ​garden to check a manhole.

The man then produced a mobile phone and told the resident to speak to “the boss”.  A man named David Pearce told him to check his toilets.  On doing so, the consumer found one of the toilets was almost overflowing with clean water and there was a lot of toilet paper round the top of the bowl.  At this point, the resident realised he was being scammed and told the man to leave.  It was evident someone had gained access to his home while he was in the garden.

A second report came from Natwest in Bromley when a 78 year old Shortlands woman went into the branch looking to withdraw £5,800 for building work.  When bank staff asked her about the work, the customer said she was stopped in the street by a man who said he was digging up the pavement in her street and needed to check her drains.  She allowed him into her house to check the drains and on being asked to check her toilet she discovered it was blocked.  The man said he needed to hire a machine to clear the blockage and asked for £5,800 in cash, which he said, would be refunded when the work was complete.

These two reports are similar to ones reported in October 2015 and can be seen by clicking on this link October trading-standards-scam-warning.

Trading Standards are urging residents to report any incidents of cold calling for property repairs and to keep a look out for any vulnerable neighbours.

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Referrals may be made via the Trading Standards Rapid response Number on 07903 852090.
Kind regards,

Bromley Neighbourhood Watch Association

Find us on the Web at: www.bnwa.co.uk

Plaistow and Sundridge Newsletter February 2016

           Welcome to the Plaistow and Sundridge Newsletter for the Month of February 2016.

Burglary

There were 7 burglaries in February, Gladwell Road, Cambridge Road, Southover, Morgan Road, Lansdowne Road, Valeswood Road and Garden Road. There were also 3 Non dwelling burglaries, 2 on a building site and 1 on business premises.

Always keep your shed and garage locked and tidy away your garden tools as burglars use then to break in through patio doors and windows. Please visit www.metbumblebee.org for more information

Why might your home be targeted? Most burglaries tend to be opportunistic, rather than planned. Burglars usually choose houses that have little or no visible security. So if your home does not look secure, seems unlived in or provides unobserved access, it could be at risk. Understanding what burglars look for when choosing their target will help you indentify weak spots in your home’s security

WHAT MAKES YOUR HOME ATTRACTIVE TO BURGLARS

1.   A high front boundary

2.   Low side and rear boundaries

3.   Accessible wheelie bins

4.   No visible intruder alarm

5.   No security lighting

6.   Valuables on display

7.   Open or unsecured windows

8.   Unsecured garage or shed door

9.   Unlocked back or side gate

10. Paved path or driveway

VEHICLE CRIME 

In February there were 4 theft of motor vehicle and 4 thefts from motor vehicle offences.

Vehicle crime continues to be one of our top priorities and various operations continued in February across the Borough.

 

Car Key Theft

Modern immobilizer systems mean that thieves now aim to steal your keys and your vehicle at the same time. You can help stop them by following these tips:

Never leave keys in the ignition

Never leave your house or car keys near a door or window

Fit a tracker device

Use your garage if you have one

You may not be insured if your vehicle is stolen having been left unsecured

Visit www.secureyourmotor.gov.uk

Useful links www.soldsecure.com , www.thatcham.org , www.immobilise.com 

ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR

 We have had no other reported Anti-social behaviour on the ward however if you have experienced any please let us know or if you prefer via www.crimestoppers-uk.org or call on 0800555 111 all calls are treated anonymously.

SCAMS 

Scams are happening all the time if you want to stay on top of the latest scams visit WWW.met.police.uk/fraudalert which contains current information on different scams targeting consumers. It also provides you with tips on guarding yourself against scams, new scams stories, scam alerts and advice on reporting scams.

Other News

While out on routine patrol in Alexander Crescent officers from the team were stopped by a member of public who told them that his transit van had been stolen earlier in the day and had just been seen driving around the local area, while the team conducted an area search the van was circulated over the met radio. A police unit who was in the area spotted the van and followed it in to Lewisham after a short pursuit the driver decamped and was eventually arrested after a foot chase through residential gardens.  

The team has been visiting various licensed premises as part of an initiative to identify victims of child sexual exploitation. This is a met wide initiative and we will be visiting businesses through March.

The on-line survey is being worked on at the moment with updated questions after receiving feedback and will be available to complete towards the end of the month, I will send out notification when you can access it via http://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/0EC6W/ 

Community Meeting

The next Police drop in surgery will be held at The Lavender Cafe, Plaistow Lane on Thursday 31st March 2016 at 15:00 - 16:00 hours.

Please come and visit us if you have any concerns you have about the area you live in we’re there to talk to you not just to drink coffee.

www.met.police.uk/saferneighbourhoods

Contact Details

In an Emergency always ring 999

Non-emergency ring 101

www.met.police.uk/crimeprevention for crime prevention advice

E-mail Plaistow.sundridge.snt.@met.police.uk

Burnt Ash Drama Association's Next Presentation

BADAs - 2016 entry in BTGs full length play festival - 

Public adjudication on Saturday 9th April - 

Book Now - 07482952550 or bookings@burntashdrama.co.uk - Tickets Only £8

European Tree of the year 2016

Vote for the European Tree of the Year onhttp://www.treeoftheyear.org/Uvod.aspx

You can choose from English, Welsh, Scottish, Northern Ireland and others. The English tree for 2016 is the Cubbington Pear Tree. Closing date 29th April.

The European Tree of the Year contest originated in 2011. It was inspired by the popular Tree of the Year contest, which has been organised in the Czech Republic by the Czech Environmental Partnership Foundation for many years. The European round is a finale consisting of the winners of the national rounds.

The purpose of the European Tree of the Year is to highlight the significance of old trees in the natural and cultural heritage that deserves our care and protection. Unlike other contests, the European Tree of the Year doesn't focus on beauty, size or age but rather on the tree's story and its connection to people. We are looking for trees that have become a part of the wider community.

Every year dozens or rather hundreds of thousands of people participate in the contest. The number of countries participating has increased from 5 to 15. We are always looking for new partners in European countries, so that the protection of trees – bearers of genius loci – becomes a topic of international debate.

Bogus Charity Collections for TackleAfrica

This 

​​

message was sent to us via the 

​

Bromley Neighbourhood Watch Association mailing service.   

​Dear Coordinator,

We 

​

draw your attention to some information we have been asked to circulate by TackleAfrica – a charity that uses the power and popularity of football to deliver HIV education to young people on football pitches across the African continent. 

Bogus Charity Collections

It has come to the charity’s attention that some groups of young people have been approaching members of the public 

​​

for cash donations in TackleAfrica’s name on

​ Bromley​

 streets and doorsteps. These people are not

​ ​

representing TackleAfrica and money they raise does not go to the charity.

The charity TackleAfrica trains African coaches to use fun, interactive football drills with the young people in their clubs and communities. The charity does this because many young people in Africa love football, but their location and their age means they’re most at risk of contracting HIV.

Please note that TackleAfrica never advises or condones public, street or doorstep cash-collecting from fundraisers taking part in Football Marathons or other TackleAfrica events/fundraising activity.

Cash-collecting from the public is a licensable activity, and the charity would never advise or condone that young people approach strangers for sponsorship for ethical and safety reasons.

If you are approached in this way, please report the activity through the Action Fraud website: http://www.actionfraud.police.uk/ or helpline 0300 123 2040, inform your local police or community support officer, or call the police non-emergency number 101.

If you have concerns or would like more information please contact info@tackleafrica.org.

Kind regards,

Bromley Neighbourhood Watch Association ​

More information about TackleAfrica is available on their website at http://tackleafrica.org/

Street Party Celebrations for Queen's Birthday

From: Rogers, Andrew

Sent: Friday, February 19, 2016 4:54 PM

Subject: Street party celebrations

Dear Resident Association or Group representative

Councillor Colin Smith, the Deputy Leader of the Council, has asked me to draw the news about street parties to your attention.

In anticipation that many Resident Associations will be want to celebrate the Queen’s official birthday in June, on the weekend of the 11^th and 12^th of June, the Council is waiving the fees for the associated road closure that may be required to hold a street party.

Please do feel to discuss this with your members or committee and then apply by 1^st April which will give time for legal process to take place if required.  Further information is contained in the short article below. 

Click on the picture to enlarge

Kind regards

Andrew Rogers

Communications Executive

London Borough of Bromley 

Tel: 0208 461 7670

www.bromley.gov.uk

Editor's Note. The weblink given in the picture takes you to a page which is about street cleaning. Information about organising a street party is available at Generic street parties page. The page does not mention the special arrangements for the Queen's birthday but has a link to a downloadable form. I have asked Mr Rogers for clarification.