Winter Wellbeing – nominated neighbour scheme

Cheshire East Council and its partners are offering a range of advice and support to residents on how to keep warm, well and safe this winter.

This week, we urge residents to consider joining the council’s trading standards’ ‘nominated neighbour’ scheme.

The nominated neighbour scheme has been developed to tackle bogus callers, rogue traders and other means of distraction thefts and burglaries.

The project enables people to be protected by someone they know and trust, such as a neighbour or relative.

The vulnerable person is given a card they hold up to a window or door, which advises any unidentified or unexpected caller to go to the address of a nominated neighbour or speak to them over the phone. This person will then check the caller’s identity.

If they are genuine, the nominated neighbour will return with them and supervise the visit to make sure that nothing untoward takes place and will remain there until the caller has left.

Councillor Janet Clowes, Cheshire East Council cabinet member for adult social care and integration, which includes responsibility for safer communities, said: “This scheme helps people within our communities feel safer in dealing with unwanted or unexpected people who call at their homes. In turn, it protects our residents and reduces incidents of doorstep crime.

“When the nominated neighbour card is shown to the caller, it replaces any need for the occupant to speak with that person.

“A genuine caller will not mind following the instructions and we believe that no criminal, who preys on the elderly or vulnerable, would like this type of scrutiny.”

While it is older and vulnerable adults who are more at risk from becoming victims of doorstep crime, anyone can be targeted. That’s why all Cheshire East residents are urged to consider joining the scheme.

If you would like a nominated neighbour scheme pack sent to you, or to a vulnerable relative or resident of Cheshire East, contact the Citizens Advice consumer service on 03454 040506. By calling that number, you can also report problems with doorstep callers or traders

For further winter wellbeing advice, visit: www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/livewell and scroll down to the winter wellbeing section.

Advice can also be found on the council’s Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/cheshireeastcouncil and on Twitter at: @CheshireEast

Residents can help friends and neighbours, who do not have internet access, by downloading and printing off information from the website and giving it to them.