Bromley Council has worked with Age Concern, the London Fire Brigade and Met Police to launch a Safe as Houses information pack designed to help older people feel safer in their own homes.
One of the unique features of the pack is the ‘Nominated Neighbour’ card with instructions on a new scheme that enables older and more vulnerable people to tell unexpected callers to contact a nominated neighbour who lives nearby.
Completed in advance with a trustworthy neighbour, the card can be displayed through a window or letter box, so that the older person need not open the door. If the call is genuine, the nominated neighbour will agree to return with the caller and stay until their business is completed.
Other useful information in the pack covers topics such as advice from Bromley Council on avoiding rogue traders and staying put in your own home, fire prevention pointers from London Fire Brigade and advice on domiciliary care, general maintenance and home repairs from Age Concern.
Safer Bromley Partnership Chairman, Cllr Colin Bloom said: “The Safe as Houses pack demonstrates very well how members of the Safer Bromley Partnership come together to focus on the needs of a specific group of residents in the borough. We want older people to feel safe in their own homes and having a supportive community can often help this to be the case. The new Nominated Neighbour initiative in particular promotes an easy-to-set-up way in which the local community can look out for others in their neighbourhood.”
A thousand packs have already been distributed. Residents wanting one should contact Bromley Council on 020 8461 7777.
ENDS
The Safer Bromley Partnership is committed to continuously improving safety in Bromley. We want a borough where people can live, work, play and learn safely. Our members include Bromley Council, Bromley Police, Health, Probation, Fire and London Ambulance Services, the Metropolitan Police Authority and Broomleigh Housing Association.
Since the local elections in 2002, the council has been led by a Conservative administration. Full council is made up of 60 elected councillors – 49 Conservative, 7 Liberal Democrat and 4 Labour – representing 22 wards across the borough.
For media enquiries, please contact Susie Clark, Communications Officer, on 020 8461 7911 or email susie.clark@bromley.gov.uk
For party political comment please contact:
Conservative - michael.tickner@zip-mail.co.uk
Labour – john.getgood@bromley.gov.uk
Liberal Democrat – david.mcbride@bromley.gov.uk
Further information is available from the Community Safety Team on 020 8313 4395 or email community.safety@bromley.gov.uk
