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Improving Local Government
National
The Local Government Improvement and Development weekly bulletin provides you with links to:
* the latest improvement news from across the public sector
* case studies from councils in England and Wales
* government guidance and research
* feature articles on key issues
* interviews with key figures
Click here if you are interested in registering to receive this bulletin.
Hoaxslayer
National
Hoax-Slayer is dedicated to debunking email hoaxes, thwarting Internet scammers, combating spam, and educating web users about email and Internet security issues. Hoax-Slayer allows Internet users to check the veracity of common email hoaxes and aims to counteract criminal activity by publishing information about common types of Internet scams. Hoax-Slayer also includes anti-spam tips, computer and email security information, articles about true email forwards, and much more. New articles are added to the Hoax-Slayer website every week.
Counselling Directory
National
This site helps to enable those in distress to find a counsellor close to them and appropriate for their needs. This is a free, confidential service that will hopefully encourage people to seek help. The website also contains a number of sections on emotional disorders ('Types of Distress' section) and provides some useful statistics.
Every counsellor on the site who has submitted their profile has either submitted a copy of their qualifications and insurance cover, or is registered with a professional body online with recognised codes of ethics and practice, in order to be assured of their professionalism.
Walk to School
National
The Walk to School Campaign is run by the charity Living Streets with funding from the Department for Transport. It asks parents, pupils and teachers to think about their journey to and from school and the many benefits of making it on foot.
About 50% of children don't walk to school regularly and more and more pupils are being driven to school in a car. This trend is contributing to reduced physical activity and increased childhood obesity, urban congestion and air pollution.
To find out more, please visit the Walk to School website. Walk to School Week takes place in May every year. You can also order resources for the forthcoming autumn term Walk to School campaign here.
Staying Safe From Scams
National
The Safe From Scams website (www.safefromscams.co.uk/) contains over 110 regularly updated articles about how you can help to protect yourself from scams.
Our Bobby
Wales
Find out about policing in South Wales on www.ourbobby.com. Here you can find your local contact and Partnerships And Communities Together (PACT) meetings.
The Big Lunch
National
Imagine a summer’s day on which millions of us, throughout the UK, sit down to have lunch together – in the middle of our streets, around our tower blocks and on every patch of common ground. The food, entertainment and decorations we will have grown, cooked or created ourselves. It’ll be a day to break bread with our neighbours, to put a smile on Britain’s face.
Well, imagine no more. It’s called The Big Lunch and this is your invitation to join the fun!
The Neighbourhood and Home Watch Network is pleased to be supporting The Big Lunch, an Eden Project initiative, again this year. Please visit www.thebiglunch.com for more information and to find out how you can get involved.
You can download Big Lunch posters specifically for Neighbourhood and Home Watch groups from the Big Lunch Toolkit webpage.
Immobilise is the world's largest free register of possession ownership details and an effective tool in helping to reduce crime and return property to its rightful owners. Immobilise can be used by members of the public and businesses to register their valued items or company assets. The online database checking service is used by all UK Police forces to trace owners of lost or stolen property. During the past six years the Immobilise service has grown to service over 22 million members in the UK alone. For more information please visit www.immobilise.com
Do you have a non-emergency question you would like to ask the police? Visit www.askthepolice.co.uk
You can search a huge range of frequently asked questions. You can also customise the answers by where you live or by your local police force.
Volunteering and Neighbourliness – Helping Out in Severe Weather
National
Communities Secretary John Denham today praised the tremendous efforts of local people who are pulling together to help deal with the challenges of the severe weather. Mr Denham said the response showed Britain's community spirit in action with many people volunteering their support where needed, from lending vehicles to help transport food to vulnerable people, to digging clear paths to re-open schools, or coming out of homes with shovels to get stranded emergency vehicles moving. With the cold spell set to continue in many parts of the country, the Government is joining forces with local government and the Health and Safety Executive to bust the myth that people who volunteer to undertake a civic duty could be at risk of facing legal action under health and safety laws. For example, there is nothing in health and safety legislation to prevent a person taking sensible steps to clear a pathway to improve the situation, or volunteer to do shopping for a neighbour in need. Nor should anybody who volunteers to support their community feel they are in danger of being sued and be put off wanting to help others. Mr Denham stressed the Government would be stepping up its support for those who wished to volunteer. While recognising that volunteering by its very nature is spontaneous and generous, the Government is working with councils to find the best ways to ensure people have all the information they need to get involved and will be issuing practical advice following a meeting with voluntary groups.
Oneplace - view how your public services are operating
National
A powerful new website to help you understand how well your local services are working together to improve the problems affecting your community.
Read more about the purpose of Oneplace
Together we can end violence against Women and Girls
National
This cross-government strategy sets out a coordinated approach to ending violence against women and girls. It includes a range of actions for the police, councils, the NHS and government departments across three areas: prevention, provision and protection. It was informed by your views, gathered in a public consultation, which ran over three months between March and May 2009.
The prevention work addresses social attitudes and myths about violence, changing attitudes over the long-term and stopping violence happening in the first place. Part of this work will include an awareness raising campaign for teenagers aged 13 - 18.
The provision work focuses on ensuring women and girls have access to the right help and support for example counselling and access to specialist services, when violence does occur.
The protection work looks at how we can provide end-to-end support for all victims through the criminal and civil justice systems, from reporting the crime to going to court. It will also focus on bringing more offenders to justice by improving reporting and conviction rates, as well as working to rehabilitate offenders and manage the risk they may present to women and girls.
We have also developed a tool to aid those who work in this field. The violence against women and girls ready reckoner (new window) is available on the Crime Reduction website.
Fix My Street.com
National
Report, view, or discuss local problems
(like graffiti, fly tipping, broken paving slabs, or street lighting)
It really is that simple, go to www.fixmystreet.com to report issues to your local council.
Welcome to CrimeMapper.
National
It also enables you to access and compare the latest information on a range of crime types with other neighbourhoods.
You will also be able to access the details of your local neighbourhood policing team, policing priorities and information on the policing pledge.
Swine flu - contingency planning
National
With increasing numbers of people contracting swine flu on a daily basis, have you thought how this might impact on your organisation? Have you thought about developing a contingency plan if any of your staff get swine flu? And how would you deliver your services should key individuals of your organisation be off sick with it?
General information on contingency planning
Business Link - swine flu advice
For general advice on swine flu visit NHS Choices or call the swine flu information line on 0800 1 513 513
The government has produced a detailed plan for dealing with an influenza pandemic. It outlines the roles of various government and public bodies as well as the contribution of the voluntary sector and community networks.
Frontline voluntary organisations, such as the British Red Cross, are developing plans for dealing with any outbreak. We will continue to provide links to the most up to date and reliable sources of information on pandemic flu (swine flu) in the coming days and weeks.
A letter to voluntary and community organisations from Professor Lindsay Davies, National Director of Pandemic Influenza preparedness
Report A Scam
National
Consumer Direct receives many reports of scams. The information is passed to our colleagues at Trading Standards and the Office of Fair Trading for action.
If you want advice about how to deal with a scam, please call us on 08454 040506. However, if you just want to make us aware of a scam you have encountered, please complete the form below with as much detail as you can.
If we need more details, we will try to get in touch with you. However, if we don’t, please be assured that we do register each scam and pass it to the relevant authorities for action.
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Find Crime & Disorder Reduction Partnerships by map
National
Crime is tackled in every local area by Crime & Disorder Reduction Partnerships (CDRPs) - a combination of police, local authorities and other organisations and businesses who have banded together to develop and implement strategies for tackling crime and disorder on a local level.
For each of the 370 partnerships in England and Wales we list the most recent Audit and Strategy (where these are available electronically).
These documents have been made available one of three formats: either a Microsoft Word document, an Adobe Acrobat (PDF) file, or as an HTML file of the partnerships own website. Please note that some of these documents are very large and may take some time to download. Where a document is more that 5Mb we have not placed it on the site, but the file can be requested by email, and we'll send it out to you.
You can also find a CDRP by using our complete A-Z listing.
Lost Your Dog?
National
Lost Your Dog?
Please register and then log in to add a lost dog to our database (look for 'Add a missing dog' on the red 'Dogs Lost' page) and to get assistance with your search from our national network of helpers.
Suzy Lamplugh Trust
National
The following web links are provided for your interest and convenience. Suzy Lamplugh Trust has gone to great effort to ensure the links used are of good quality, however we cannot be responsible for their entire content nor do we endorse them.
Free Public Liability Insurance for Neighbourhood Watches
National
Neighbourhood Watches can now get free Public Liability Insurance (PLI) provided by CaSE Insurance and underwritten by Ansvar Insurance Company Ltd.
Meet the New Homeguard
National
York Community Watch & Crime Prevention.
Yorkshire and Humberside
Welcome to York Community Watch & Crime Prevention.
We provide support, advice and information to residents and businesses in the York area on all aspects of community safety and crime prevention. Through a range of practical measures we aim to prevent crime, assist the Police in detecting crime and reduce the fear of crime.
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The London Neighbourhood Watch Association (LNWA)
London
The London Neighbourhood Watch Association (LNWA) has been established for over three years and already represents the interests of more than three quarters of the London Boroughs.
The aim of the LNWA is to make the community a safer, better and more enjoyable place to live, work and play.
NEW Interactive site- ‘How secure is your home?
National
The Home Secretary today launched new home security web pages which include a new online personalised home security self assessment questionnaire - ‘How secure is your home?'
This allows people to grade the security of their home in a few minutes. It then provides simple advice about how they can improve it and who they can contact for help. Use this link to go directly to the site.
LOOKOUT - the NHW Newsletter for Harrogate
Yorkshire and Humberside
The Harrogate & District Neighbourhood Watch Association produce this newsletter for over 10,000 homes which they support.
Find out more at www.nwatchharrogate.org.uk
Crime Maps for Your Area
National
Crime in England & Wales
National
Use this link to view or download the Home Office Statistical Bulletin 01/09 - Crime in England and Wales: Quarterly update to September 2008
(22.01.09)
Casey Review - A Summary
National
The Criminal Justice sytem relies on active, committed individuals in local communities to stand up against crime and anti social behaviour, or give their time free to help make their community safer.
Louise Casey in her review has recognised this, and put forward a number of measures which the Government are implementing to help us all.
Neighbourhood Watch are recognised by Louise Casey for their existing work within their communities, linking into this scheme will provide us with training to help us further.
Using this link you can download a review of those measures,
Marion Lewis
Chair
NHWN
A Guide to Home Security - Home Office publication
National
Find out how you can try to ensure that your home will not become a burglary statistic by downloading 'A Guide to Home Security' using this link.
'A Guide to Home Security' in Welsh
Wales
Find out how you can try to ensure that your home will not become a burglary statistic by downloading 'A Guide to Home Security' using this link.
New Neighbourhood & Home Watch Leaflet
National
The new Neighbourhood & HomeWatch leaflet 'COMMUNITY ACTION AGAINST CRIME'' is available to download here:
The complete range of Home Office crime reduction publicity materials are outlined in the Crime Reduction Publicity Catalogue. The materials, which include leaflets, posters and stickers are user-friendly and can be used in both national campaigns and local initiatives.
Warwickshire Against Domestic Abuse
West Midlands
We are working together as Warwickshire Against Domestic Abuse with over 30 other public services and voluntary organisations to tackle the harm caused by domestic abuse. If you or someone you know is affected by emotional, financial, physical or other forms of abuse in Warwickshire Freephone 0800 408 1552* or visit www.talk2someone.org.uk. In an emergency, dial 999.
ResponsibleCitizen.co.uk
National
This is a very comprehensive public interest website, focused on how to beat anti-social behaviour and promote good citizenship.
Consumer Direct
National
Consumer Direct is the government-funded telephone and online service offering information and advice on consumer issues. Consumer Direct is funded by the Office of Fair Trading and delivered in partnership with Local Authority Trading Standards Services.
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Stop Unwanted Telephone Calls
National
Under government legislation introduced on 1st May 1999 it is unlawful to make direct marketing calls to individuals who have indicated that they do not want to receive them. Use this link to find out how to stop unwanted calls.
Neighbourhood Watch publicity materials
National
The Home Office has produced a range of Neighbourhood Watch publicity materials to aid practitioners carry out their work.
Crime Reduction Partnership News
National
The aim of CRP News is to improve the exchange of ideas and opinions among the growing number of people professionally involved in Crime Reduction Partnerships throughout the UK. Apart from news and articles on Good Practice, the site hosts an on-line library of reference documents, classified links to other web-resources and listings of up-coming events. The site also publishes a free weekly eNewsletter.
Litteraction website
National
Litteraction.org.uk is an online community of volunteer groups and individuals coming together to take action on litter problems locally.
