Agenda item

Philip Aldis presented this 6 monthly report on the Board’s annual Action Plan. He summarised that good progress was being made on the Plan’s priorities. The financial report had been submitted to the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner and was on target.

Increase Resilience to Scams and Rogue Traders

Elaine Matthews updated the Group on the work of the Council Council’s Community Protection Team in protecting our residents from the financial harm caused by scams and Rogue Traders. She explained that the focus was on training those who come into regular contact with vulnerable residents including:

·         Library staff

·         Dementia Support Groups at Shelford and Cambourne

·         Carers

·         Community Navigators

·         Local post offices (on how to spot mail scams or rogue traders and to have leaflets on this available to customers.)

Work has also been carried out in partnership with the Police and the Fire and Rescue Service. Working with the Police we now have a shared Community Protection notice board in Histon Library.  We have been involved in the Police Cadets scheme, training young Police Cadets on how to spot and stop Scams, and what to look out for with regards Rogue Traders, so that they can in turn advise their peers and members of the community.   The Fire and Rescue Service ‘Safe and Well’ work now includes questions on scams, in particular mail scams which are often linked with hoarding.

There are 61 Library at Home service users (i.e. housebound residents) and approx. 145 mobile library stops  in South Cambs. Working with the volunteer coordinators and the volunteers who visit the housebound residents and the mobile library van drivers, we have increased their awareness of scams and rogue traders to enable them to share information and advice and look out for vulnerable residents.

We have a number of existing No Cold Calling Zones in South Cambs.  We have been working with Neighbourhood Watch and local residents in those areas who have agreed to be ‘Community Coordinators’, who with our support are now updating the door stickers, speaking to the residents who live in the zones to remind them of the signs of Rogue Traders and how to avoid them and now acting as a local point of contact. To date (November) 19 NCCZ were being successfully managed by Community Coordinators.

Our officers work on behalf of the National Trading Standards Scams Team, returning cash and cheques which have been seized by that team or their Police partners as part of their investigations.   We are supported by Police colleagues when returning cash and cheques, as it is often the first time someone can acknowledge they have indeed been caught up in a scam.   Our officers provide further support to the victim and their families.  One particular case in South Cambs has had our attention recently and involved work by Police community safety officer as County Council Community Protection officers.  The local post office identified a resident who they thought might be caught up in a mail scam.  When visited it was obviously mail scam letters had been arriving for some time and officers removed 7 bin bags full of letters, many of which had been replied to and monies sent off by the lady.    We are continuing to support this lady and her family.

Safe and Well

Paul Clarke updated about the Safe and Well scheme which involves Fire & Rescue Officers visiting homes.  As a result of the visits, fall prevention activity is the most frequent additional activity undertaken, and includes fixing external handrails.

Mark Freeman commented that an excellent data resource was emerging from the visits, and asked how it was planned to use the data.  Paul Clarke advised there were no plans to assess the data at the moment but that there is hope there would be opportunity to do so in the future.

ACTION:  Paul Clarke and Mark Freeman to discuss outside of the meeting