Staying safe and avoiding harm

Safe and Well Visits are available to those who are most vulnerable in our community. This may include those who smoke, have a disability or mental health problems and are prioritised according to individual risk.

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service visit residents in their homes, and they assess six key elements. Their visits usually last around one hour, and are completely free of charge.

1. Fire safety in the home - including cooking, general safety and escape plans.
2. Falls prevention - including simple remedial action such as replacing lightbulbs or taping down loose carpet.
3. Alcohol use - Alcohol related hospital admissions are steadily increasing. illness in the over 65s is on the increase. We can provide you with helpful information.
4. Stay well and warm - Can you afford to heat your home? Do you have access to a hot meal? Do you access the all the services available to you?
5. Crime reduction - We can provide advice on making your home more secure in addition to advice to make you less vulnerable to scams or fraud
6. Smoking - need a helping hand to quit? Our partners can offer you the help and advice you need to stop smoking.

They can also provide advice in relation to promoting the health and safety of individuals with hoarding concerns, as well as providing valuable information to care providers.

Find out more on Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service website.

AgeUK share some of the risks of using the internet and what to do if you think you've been a target of scams or fraud.

There are many different scams you need to be aware of and to know how to avoid.

Which Consumer Rights 

Provides an article about the following, and what to do about them:

• Doorstep selling
• Nuisance calls and texts
• Unwanted post and scams
• Staying safe on dating websites
• Pension scams
• Internet scams

If you have an enquiry relating to rogue traders, cowboy builders, telephone and mail scams please contact Trading Standards.

Friends Against Scams

Friends Against Scams is a National Trading Standards (NTS) Scams Team initiative, which aims to protect and prevent people from becoming victims of scams by empowering communities to "Take a Stand Against Scams".

Friends Against Scams has been created to tackle the lack of scams awareness by providing information about scams and those who fall victim to them. This information enables communities and organisations to understand scams, talk about scams and cascade messages throughout communities about scams prevention and protection.

Friends Against Scams encourages communities and organisations to take the knowledge learnt and turn it into action.

Anybody can join Friends Against Scams and make a difference in their own way. Take a look at their website to find out more information.

When you need to call 999 but can't talk - the Silent Solution can help. The Silent Solution is a system that filters out large numbers of accidental, or hoax 999 calls while ensuring people can alert police and get help when they are in genuine need but unable to speak.

A recorded message will instruct callers who can't talk to press 55 to be put through to police. Staying silent and not pressing 55 will lead to the call being terminated.

How does it work?

If you need urgent police help but cannot speak, you should:

1. Dial 999
2. Listen to the questions from the operator
3. Respond by coughing or tapping your device, if you can
4. If prompted, press 55 to let the operator know it's a genuine emergency and you'll be put through to police

The Pegasus scheme is for people who may find it hard to communicate with Cambridgeshire Police if they need to access help. They we keep your pre-registered information safe on there computer systems and they can access it quickly if you call them. You don't need to repeat all your details.

Who can register?

• Anyone who has a disability or illness that may make it hard to communicate with the police in an emergency or difficult situation. 
• Anyone who lives in the local area. 

Please note registration is free.

Through Pegasus, information which was previously difficult to provide in tough situations can be accessed immediately, meaning call takers can skip to why they need police. Each member is given a unique PIN on a card and key fob, and has their name, address and communication preference held on a secure database, which, with their consent, can be shared with other emergency services.

To sign up for the scheme, fill out the form on the Cambridgeshire Constabulary Pegasus scheme website.

Cuckooing is where people take over a person’s home and use the property for illegal activity - dealing and/or storing drugs, sex working - as well as somewhere for a group to live or financially exploit the tenant. It takes the name from cuckoos who take over the nests of other birds.

Who is most vulnerable to cuckooing

Exploiters establish a relationship with the vulnerable person to access their home. Once they gain control over the victim - whether through drug dependency, debt or as part of their relationship - larger groups will sometimes move in. Threats are often used to control the victim.

You can read more details on the council's Cuckooing webpage

You can also view our Cuckooing Easy Read leaflet

When a friend or family member with dementia goes missing it can be incredibly distressing.

The Herbert Protocol is a national initiative which encourages carers to keep a record of key information that could be useful to them in the event of a vulnerable person going missing. The Cambridgeshire Constabulary have set up the scheme locally, alongside partners including the Dementia Action Alliance.

Carers are being asked to download the form, fill it in and keep it updated so that it is ready to hand or send to them should it ever be needed. This will help to save vital time when locating the missing vulnerable person you care for. Helpful information includes phone numbers, places the person often goes, medication they are taking, a photograph of them and more. This form is not intended to replace existing safeguarding or security measures.

Download a copy of the Herbert Protocol form from Cambridgeshire Constabulary

As apart of this Cambridgeshire police have invested in 600 dementia wristbands which can be scanned with a smart phone and tell the person scanning it who the next of kin is. If a member of the public notices someone looking confused who is wearing a wristband, they will scan the wristband, contact the next of kin and reunite them with the person with dementia, potentially without the need to notify police. You can request a wristband, lanyard or hangtag when you email them the completed Herbert Protocol form.

Hate crimes are crimes against a person or property. The crime is motivated by prejudice towards a part of their identity. This could be:

• Disability
• Race or ethnicity
• Religion or belief
• Sexual Orientation
• Transgender Identity

A victim does not have to be a member of the group that the hostility was targeted at. In fact, anyone can be a victim of a hate crime.

Find out more on our Hate Crime page.

Avoiding Falls

Six out of ten falls happen in the home or garden. Improving safety in the home can help prevent you from having falls and injuring yourself, whilst allowing you to continue to live independently. It’s important to keep your home well-lit and clutter free to avoid falls.

Helping to prevent falls

Improving safety in the home can help prevent you from having falls and injuring yourself, whilst allowing you to continue to live independently.

Falls, slips and trips can lead to broken hips or wrists and other injuries, and are a leading cause of disability among the older population. Falls in the home can result in ill health, lengthy hospital stays, residential care, loss of independence, and can greatly affect your quality of life.

Various aspects of the home environment can be improved to reduce the risk of having a fall. Family, friends, neighbours and carers can help make things safer for you while allowing you to stay independent and self-sufficient. Following are some tips on avoiding falls:

• Make sure that the hallway and stairs have working lights - if possible replace the bulbs with low energy bulbs and keep light on overnight

• Wear slippers with an appropriate heel so that they stay firmly on the feet

• Regular gentle exercise can help reduce the risk and fear of falling. Strength and balance exercise and Tai Chi is particularly helpful for improving balance

• Have grab rails installed at key sites around the home or at the entrance to the home. (please refer to the Peterborough City Council Handy Person Scheme)

• Fasten down any torn bits of carpet or lino

• Avoid tripping over the edge of rugs by either removing them or fastening down the edges

• Review medication with your GP or pharmacist

• Ensure that you look after your feet and ask for a referral to a podiatrist if you are worried about your feet

• Speak to your occupational therapist who can give you lots of advice

For more personalised advice on how you can reduce your chances of falling, please call the Solutions4Health Falls Prevention Wellness Coach service on 01733 894 540 or email healthypeterborough@nhs.net. The service is for those aged 65+ who have had a fall or felt increasingly unsteady in the last year.

Visit our interactive Steady on Your Feet Home Safety checklist to help you identify hazards and improve safety in your home.

Falls are not an inevitable part of ageing and many can be prevented. Use our Steady on Your Feet self-assessment tool to help you understand what is putting you at risk of falling and the simple things you can do to help yourself stay steady, mobile and independent. The short, interactive risk checker will provide you with a personalised action plan at the end with helpful advice and action you can take to stay active and doing the things you enjoy.

Find out more about technology that can help you on our Technology Enabled Care page.