Safety and security

This page aims to promote personal safety and security in the home.  Hopefully it will help you to feel more confident in your own home and local community and the links below will help you find help and advice or suggest things you can do for yourself.

Consumer protection information

Consumer Direct
This is a government funded site offering advice on various consumer issues, including Energy and Post.

Trading Standards Central  
This is a one stop shop for consumer protection information in the UK.

The Mailing Preference Service (MPS)
This is a free service set up 20 years ago and funded by the direct mail industry to enable consumers to have their names and home addresses in the UK removed from lists used by the industry. It is actively supported by the Royal Mail and all directly involved trade associations and fully supported by The Information Commissioners Office.

The Telephone Preference Service (TPS)
This is a free service and is the official central opt out register on which you can record your preference not to receive unsolicited sales or marketing calls. It is a legal requirement that all organisations (including charities, voluntary organisations and political parties) do not make such calls to numbers registered on the TPS unless they have your consent to do so.

General Safety Advice

Be Smart Be Safe   
These are factsheets that aim to promote personal safety, security, health and wellbeing. Hopefully they will help you to feel more confident in your own home and local community. They are organised under three main headings with contact details at the end of each sheet.

Getting out  
This is a link to the Be Smart Be Safe fact sheet which gives general safety advice for when you are out and about.

Safe in your garden  
This links to the Be Smart Be Safe fact sheet.

Crime Prevention

Advice Now
This links to a page about personal and home security.

Unwelcome visitors  
This links to the Be Smart Be Safe fact sheet.

Neighbourhood Watch
Here you can find out about how the scheme works, advice on tackling crime and how to get involved with your local Neighbourhood Watch. 
 
Immobilise
This can be used by members of the public and businesses to register their valued possessions or company assets and is used by all the UK Police forces to trace owners of lost and stolen property.

Handyvan scheme
This covers Chelmsford, Epping, Southend and a partnership scheme in Tendring. Fitters work to help ensure that homes are free from the risk of burglary, fitting security equipment such as door chains, viewers, window locks and installing safety features such as smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.

Fraud

Action Fraud
This is the UK's national fraud reporting centre. Here you can report fraud, access support and learn how to protect yourself and your information.

Nuisance Neighbours

Nuisance neighbours
This is a link to Be Smart Be Safe fact sheet

Hate Crime

Cut out hate crime leaflet
This leaflet gives advice on Hate crime and what you should do you or someone you know is involved in it.

Self reporting form
A form to report Hate Crime

Support groups webpage
A range of groups that can help with Hate Crime

Disability Hate Crime
This is an easy read guide to Disability Hate Crime 

Vulnerable People

ASK Sal  
This is designed to offer support to anybody concerned about an adult who is being treated badly, taken advantage of, or injured.

Action on Elder Abuse
This is a specialist organisation that focuses exclusively on the issue of elder abuse. They address abuse within people's own homes (whether by family, friends or paid staff), within sheltered housing, and within care homes and hospitals.

Telecare in Essex  (PDF)
This document provides details of how Telecare can be used to improve the lives of those who are at risk of falling and are vulnerable at home. It also lists details of who you can contact.

Victim Support
This is a national charity which gives free and confidential help to victims of any crime, witnesses, their family, friends and anyone else affected across England and Wales.

Emergency Services

999 Text Service
The emergency services are trialling a service that allows Deaf people and those with hearing or speech impairments in the UK to send an SMS text message to the UK 999 service where it will be passed to the police, ambulance, fire rescue, or coastguard. Simply by sending an SMS message to 999 you can request help and the emergency services will be able to reply to you. If this trial service is a success then the service will be launched during 2010. You will need to register your mobile phone before using the trial emergency SMS service, use the link above and then click on the 'Registering your phone' link at the top of the page for more information.

Preparing for emergencies  
This is general advice about what to do in an emergency; advice about specific types of emergency; preparations to make dealing with an emergency easier; advice on how schools and businesses handle emergencies; basic first aid advice; and details of where to find more advice.

Essex County Fire and Rescue  
This provides guidance for workplace and home fire safety, and the latest news and incidents in your area. To be involved yourself visit an open day at your local station.

Essex Police  
This provides information on how to contact the police in an emergency or non emergency. Also visit the website for your neighbourhood policing team, and current campaigns in your area.

Fire safety - Fire Kills  
This is a government information pages on how to protect yourself and your home.

Fire, electricity and gas
This links to the Be Smart Be Safe fact sheet

Flood Advice
This is advice from the Environment Agency on which areas are at risk from flooding and how you can be prepared.

Road safety

Road safety  
This provides news of the latest campaigns and road safety advice to keep everyone safer on the UK's roads. Leaflets, factsheets and posters to download for more information and links to other useful sites.