Rogue Traders

Message from the Safer Neighbourhood Team:

Rogue Traders – That time of year is approaching when we all want to get our gardens looking presentable for the spring. Unfortunately, this sort of work often attracts undesirable and untrustworthy work men and women preying on the vulnerable people in our communities.

The Police and Trading Standards officers are already receiving reports of garden work, tree pruning, building work / roofing repairs etc being carried out by ‘a man in a van’ where residents have been massively overcharged for the work done, or that the work carried out was of a poor standard.

Advice from the Police….
If you require any gardening work, building work or roofing repairs etc to be carried out, only use a professional trades person that has been recommended to you by a neighbour, friend or family member, or someone you have used previously and were happy with their service.

Please avoid using someone that is going door to door touting for work – as honest, trustworthy and good quality professional trades people don’t usually need to obtain work this way.

Before any work is commenced on your property the professional trades person is ‘legally obliged’ to provide you with a ‘written contract’ outlining their full company details, contact details and total price agreed – it must also include a 14 day cooling off period.
If the person can’t or refuses to provide a written contract before work commences, then you should politely decline their services. Often, when a written contract has not been provided the trades person will give a cheap ‘verbal’ quote for the work to encourage you to agree to employing them – but once work has commenced and there’s seemingly no turning back, the original quote very often doubles or triples in price.

If a trades person is being pushy trying to get you agree to employ them, or you feel intimidated by their presence, then politely decline their services.

If you have unwanted callers at your door that are touting for work and they won’t take ‘No’ for an answer – then phone the Police on 101.

Community Reassurance update from Shropshire Council

Let’s get straight to the serious news.

We have been warned!

Numbers of positive Covid-19 cases have been on the rise for a few weeks now, and we’ve started to see restrictions coming in to play in some of Shropshire’s neighbouring urban areas such as Birmingham and Wolverhampton. The concerning rise initially seemed like it was affecting only the young but evidence from other countries now shows that infections are not staying just in the younger age groups, but are moving through the age bands.

Yesterday, the Government’s Chief Scientific Officer, Sir Patrick Valiance then warned that nationally we could “end up with something like 50 thousand cases in the middle of October per day”. Today the Prime Minister is due to announce further Government restrictions across the whole country.

The announcements are really an expression of concern. It’s not a time to panic. The important thing is to ask – what can we do about it and how can we avoid a further local lockdown in Shropshire?

There is a clear message here that we all have a part to play in limiting the spread of the coronavirus. We all have a role to play by following guidelines about hygiene and keeping safe. It’s always worth repeating:

  • HANDS – wash hands regularly and for 20 seconds,
  • FACE – wear a face covering within indoor settings where social distancing may be difficult, and where you will come into contact with people you do not normally meet.
  • SPACE – Stay 2 metres apart from people you do not live with where possible; or, if not possible, 1 metre with extra precautions in place.
  • ‘The Rule of 6’ – only meet socially in groups of a maximum of six people, indoors or outdoors, unless you are gathering as a ‘household’ or ‘support bubble’ which is larger than 6,
  • Get tested if you have any symptoms. As you know, the symptoms of coronavirus include a high temperature, new continuous cough, and/or a loss or change in your sense of taste and smell.

As many of you will be aware, the Prime Minister laid out new measures yesterday to help combat the spread of Covid-19. These include:

  • Pubs, bars and restaurants to close at 22:00 BST
  • Pubs, bars and restaurants restricted to table service only
  • People should work from home wherever possible
  • Face masks compulsory for bar staff and non-seated customers, shop workers, waiters and taxi drivers
  • Limit on guests at weddings reduced from 30 to 15
  • Plans to allow fans to return to sporting events paused
  • “Rule of six” now applies to indoor team sports
  • Fines for not wearing masks or following rules increased to £200 for first offence

The Prime Minister’s full speech to House of Commons can be found here

I know that there have been issues around testing highlighted in the media, but the message is still the same – If you have symptoms, isolate immediately and arrange for a test. Tests can be booked for yourself or any member of your household, if they have symptoms. All tests must be booked in advance. You can register by calling NHS Test and Trace on 119 or online.

Be prepared

I have attached a simple ‘self-isolation checklist to this email and you can read a guide to help you prepare yourself for self-isolation through this link http://newsroom.shropshire.gov.uk/2020/09/coronavirus-be-prepared-in-case-you-need-to-isolate/

Also attached is a poster giving guidance on staying safe while returning to pubs and bars, please share this widely in your local hostelries.

Please check that we have the right information about your community group – NOW!

It’s vital that as the number of cases increase, we are all well prepared. Your community group has been key to supporting people this far, so please, check that Shropshire Council has your group’s full and correct details logged on its interactive web page map https://www.shropshire.gov.uk/coronavirus/information-for-the-public/community-support-services/  Check here, then let me know by return if any details need to change, so we can keep the directory up-to-date for anyone who might need to make contact with your group.

Talking to people in our town centres

The Council’s Community Reassurance Team were out on the ground in Oswestry recently, talking with locals heading into the town’s pubs and bars, and handing out free hand gel while chatting about keeping safe.

We’re in Shrewsbury town centre this Friday 25th September, then in Bridgnorth the following week – Friday 2nd October. Further to these upcoming engagement events, there are plans underway to visit other market towns soon after.  Together we can get the messages about keeping safe out to all citizens in Shropshire.

Bereavement

If families and individuals have lost loved ones during the COVID-19 pandemic they can access free bereavement counselling.

Run by Shropshire Council with support from Samaritans, Severn Hospice, Cruse Bereavement Care and Crane Quality Counselling, the Bereavement Support Service offers one to one personalised counselling for people across the county.

People will be able to talk to a trained professional about how they are feeling and to seek advice. Experts from the charities can also suggest helpful ways to remember and pay tribute to loved ones.

To access the bereavement service, simply call the Shropshire Council COVID-19 Helpline number on 0345 678 9028.

The line is available for anyone with questions or queries or looking for support and guidance. By ringing you can find out about the free and confidential bereavement services available, and you will receive support to arrange an appointment or get in touch directly.

Dean Carroll, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for adult social care, public health and climate change, said:

“Bereavement is a difficult experience under any situation. Some families may not have had the opportunity to say goodbye to their loved ones before they died, which can be particularly upsetting. Those who experience loss during the pandemic may also be cut off from some of their usual support network. Having someone at the end of the phone to talk to can make a huge difference. You don’t have to deal with this alone.

“We urge anyone feeling sad, lonely, distressed, overwhelmed or unable to cope to pick up the phone. We have ensured that you can access a range of services on a free and confidential basis. We aim to ensure everyone requiring bereavement support and help can access it quickly, easily, in a way and time that suits them.”

Please pass on the messages and continue the excellent work of encouraging people to stay safe and well while looking after friends, family and neighbours.

 

Grounds Maintenance Contract

Llanyblodwel Parish Council is inviting businesses to submit quotations for a 5 year grounds maintenance contract running April 2021 – 2026. The contract involves grass cutting and spraying in two closed churchyards within the parish.

For a copy of the specification and further details, please contact the Parish Clerk on 01691 829571 or email llanyblodwelpc@gmail.com

Deadline for quotations is 1st December 2020.

Community Reassurance update from Shropshire Council

Let’s all play a part in reducing the spread of coronavirus

As our children are returning to school and more people are venturing into towns and workplaces, the Coronavirus crisis is at a critical stage. We all find ourselves trying to achieve a balance between some form of normal everyday life and protecting ourselves, loved ones, and those in our communities.

It’s to be expected that as people start to step out more frequently and actively socialise, we might see increasing numbers of outbreak spikes across the country and in fact the world. In Shropshire too, we’ve seen a small number of cases recently, generally amongst the younger population who have displayed milder symptoms.

As an example, in the last few days Shropshire Council and Public Health England (PHE) Midlands have been working with key partners to respond to cases of Covid-19 at a residential care home in Dorrington.

The care home is run by Consensus Support Services Limited and offers residential care for adults with a learning disability and complex needs. Consensus Support Services Limited have followed government advice and guidelines and they have been quick to put all necessary health and safety measures in place to help prevent further transmission of the virus.  As such risk to the public and to local businesses is low. Testing for staff and residents has identified 14 positive cases which represents a small number of both staff and residents at Consensus. Everyone who tested positive has been asked to self-isolate for 10 days in line with government guidance and those residents who have tested positive for coronavirus are being supported to self-isolate in their accommodation.

As always, the priority is to protect the health and wellbeing of all residents in our community and the risk to the wider community is very low at this stage. All local businesses are operating as normal and we’ll continue to work with everyone involved to provide health protection advice and guidance.

Local outbreaks such as this are not unexpected during a pandemic, and we have seen a number of cases across the county. As outbreaks arise it’s been important that everyone has pulled together and done their bit to help stop the further spread of the virus. This graph shows some of the small outbreaks that we’ve had recently in Shropshire.

The graph also shows what is called the 7-day rate of positive Covid cases. Simply put, this gives the total number of Covid positive cases in a 7-day period. As areas with larger populations may be expected to have higher numbers of positive cases, calculating the 7-day rate per 100,000 people, gives a level comparison of the infection rate between areas.

So, for example, if the total cases in Shropshire were 20, the rate per 100,000 of the population would be 6.15, whereas if Telford had 20 cases, their rate per 100,000 of the population would be 11.12 because they have a smaller population.

You can see that we are coping well in Shropshire, but the latest outbreak and the small trend of outbreak spikes come as an important reminder. They re-emphasise the fact that we need to stay vigilant. We need to repeat the messages about keeping safe and well to all ages of people in our communities.

It also reminds us that we all have a part to play in reducing the spread of the coronavirus. Keeping it simple, this means be vigilantkeep to small groupssocially distanceuse hand sanitiser and don’t share the stuff that friends often share without thinking. We can all do our part, however small. I’ve attached a poster to emphasise the point.  Please do share the poster with all those you know.

Stay at home if you have coronavirus symptoms

Do not leave your home if you have either:

  • a high temperature – this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)
  • a new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual)
  • a loss or changed sense of smell or taste (anosmia)

Most people with coronavirus have at least 1 of these symptoms.

You must

  • Stay at home (self-isolate) – do not leave your home or have visitors. Anyone you live with, and anyone in your support bubble, must also self-isolate. Read the guidance for households with possible or confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) infection here
  • Get a test – get a test to check if you have coronavirus as soon as possible. Anyone you live with, and anyone in your support bubble, should also get a test if they have symptoms. Testing is offered at different locations around the county. To find out where your nearest test site is, and to book, either go online https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/ or call 119 if no internet access.

An important new grant has been set up to help Shropshire residents affected by COVID-19 (Coronavirus)

Shropshire Council has been allocated a ‘Local Authority Emergency Assistance Grant for Food and Essential Supplies’ to support people who are struggling to afford food and other essentials due to COVID-19. It is really important that we get this money to those residents who have been financially impacted by Covid-19, especially if affected by job losses or financial insecurity.

If you know of someone who is finding it difficult to pay for some of their essential costs due to COVID-19, or if they have become homeless or are concerned about losing their home, please guide them to call 0345 678 9078.  We’ll help with an application and put people in touch with a specialist adviser.

Please encourage people affected to apply now as the funding is limited and once spent assistance will no-longer be available from this particular grant.  If you have any queries at all, please call 0345 678 9078. Further information is available on Gov.UK

You can find the latest Coronavirus news, developments and guidelines by visiting: https://www.shropshire.gov.uk/

And finally, a quick reminder about the Healthwatch survey that we mentioned in our last update. ‘Help improve the experience of anyone leaving hospital’ – this is the aim of a new survey launched by Shropshire Healthwatch. Running from 1st September to 31st October 2020, the survey aims to gather the views and experiences of anyone who has been in hospital and then left in the last 6 months, so that services can be improved during what could be difficult winter months ahead.  Your feedback and comments are invaluable, so help us to learn the important lessons from the pandemic and so improve services to people throughout Shropshire.

You can find the survey here …. https://www.healthwatch.co.uk/tell-us-about-your-experience-leaving-hospital-during-covid-19