Christmas is nearly here and decorating our homes is a great way to get into the holiday spirit. However, when decorations are not displayed properly, these can become a safety or fire hazard. The holiday season also usually means extra cooking and gatherings in your home, therefore by taking proper precautions this Christmas, will help keep you and your loved ones safe this season.

Here are some tips we have put together:

• Never overload electrical sockets and always switch off your Christmas lights when you go to bed or leave the house.
• Never place candles near your Christmas tree, garlands or decorations.
• Keep candles out of reach from children and pets, and never leave candles unattended.
• Most fires start in the kitchen. Many Christmas dishes require a longer period of time in the oven, therefore avoid leaving the oven on unattended and don’t leave your oven on when you leave the house.
• Avoid cooking under the influence of alcohol.
• Do not light cigarettes or leave ashtrays near decorations.
• Don’t attach decorations to lights or heaters, as they can get hot and start a fire.
• If you have an open fire, take care when decorating the fireplace and have nothing hanging over the edge.
• When wrapping gifts, make sure you are not near any open flames or lit cigarettes.
• Do not burn wrapping paper in the fireplace, as it burns very quickly and could cause a chimney fire.
• Make sure guests visiting your home know the emergency exits.
• Check in on older and vulnerable relatives and neighbours, to ensure their homes are safe.
• Test your smoke alarms.
• Always blow out candles.
• And finally, check your Christmas lights have the British Safety Standard sign either on the battery pack or on the plug.

British Safety Standard sign

Our Community Safety Team have recently helped two of our residents relocate into supportive housing after a difficult period.

For a short time, residents in Mitcham, Merton, had reported a mother and daughter causing anti-social behaviour (ASB) within the local community. Customers reported shouting, screaming, verbal abuse, loud music, rubbish dumping, fires and witnessed domestic abuse between the mother and daughter.

Our Community Safety Team checked in with our two residents and it became clear they were both suffering with severe mental health conditions, and this was a contributing factor to the behaviour they were displaying.

We worked with our partners which included the police, social services and the mental health team to move our residents into better suited accommodation. We helped move the mother and daughter into supportive housing where they are now receiving the care and support they need.

We will always try and support our tenants to remain in their current tenancy, but at times the best solution is to find them a better suited home.

If you need to report ASB, please contact us here.

Wandle’s Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) team have successfully restored peace to one community who were witnessing drug use and drug dealing in their shared carpark.

We received an ASB report from one of our customers who is a single mother with a young family. She advised there was anti-social behaviour taking place outside her home in the shared carpark, with people taking and dealing drugs. Of course, this made her feel very unsafe and worried for her family, as at times she would have to walk past these people to get to and from her home.

Our Community Safety Officer, Claudette Stewart, visited our customer and inspected the site. Claudette found the unlocked gate that led to the carpark, could be made more secure for our customers as it was currently being used not just by our residents, but by anyone in the local area.

Therefore, we made the gate more secure by changing the lock and giving keys to our residents only, ensuring only they would have access to the block.

Our customers were happy with our decision and told us it has now made them feel safer. However, this did not solve the problem of people misusing the carpark and engaging in drug activity.

Therefore, we are still working on this case, and we are working with the local authority, and the police who are currently patrolling the carpark to catch those engaging in illegal activity and drug use. Once the perpetrators have been identified, all agencies involved, including Wandle, will take join action and prevent them from continuing to cause anti-social behaviour and criminal activity in the future.

If you need to report ASB, please click here.

Customers in Raynes Park, Merton, can now rest easy after one resident has now received an anti-social behaviour (ASB) injunction due to their persistent disruptive behaviour.

We had been contacted by several of our customers after the resident continuously banged on their walls, shouted in his home, played loud music until 5am and made verbal threats to his neighbours which was impacting their quality of life. The resident had also severely damaged their home which unfortunately led to the flooding of his neighbours home below.  

Our ASB team worked with our external partners and the police to resolve the matter, however they too experienced verbal abuse from the resident. Our partners served the resident with several warnings but unfortunately the tenant refused to comply, therefore it was decided we would apply for an ASB injunction to stop the loud music, verbal abuse and disruptive behaviour. This means the resident’s neighbours can now relax and feel safe within their homes.

We always try and work with any resident who is causing ASB without legal action, however at times it is our only option to resolve the matter. In this case we had a greater duty of care to our other residents, staff and the police.

During colder months, more of us will spend more time in our homes, therefore if you ever need to check what we class as ASB, please visit our webpage here.

If you are experiencing any anti-social behaviour, please report it here.

Our Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) Team recently helped one family who were enduring anti-social behaviour outside of their home.

Our residents contacted us regarding the alleyway outside of their home which was being used by members of the public who were engaging in drug activity, which had been causing our residents stress for some time.

The resident who lived alone with her young daughter contacted us as they felt very unsafe both in and out of their home, as day to day activities became increasingly stressful.

Our Community Safety Officer Lee Dennehy contacted the resident to raise a visit to investigate the issue further. Upon the visit Lee discovered the alleyway by the resident’s home was a dead-end and not a public right of way, therefore after discussing options with the resident, they both agreed installing a gate would be the best solution.

Using our Estate Improvement Fund our repairs team installed a metal locking gate, in which only our residents had access to. Our residents were delighted with their new gate and now feel safer in their home and local area.

If you need to report ASB in your local area, please report it to us here.

Wandle is supporting Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) Awareness Week. It takes place from Monday 18 – Sunday 24 November and this year’s theme is ‘Making communities safer’. Its aim is to raise awareness and encourage local communities to come together against ASB so they can take action by understanding what help is available.

This week, we will be sharing some of our ASB cases and highlighting the great work our ASB team do.

ASB is defined by a person who causes, or is likely to cause, harassment, alarm or distress to someone who is from a different household.

ASB can include verbal abuse, harassment, drug and alcohol abuse and unacceptable levels of noise, such as shouting or loud music. 

There are three types of ASB:

• Personal ASB: This is when a person targets a specific group or individual.
• Nuisance ASB: This is when a person causes trouble, suffering or annoyance to a community.
• Environmental ASB: This is when a person’s actions affect the community, such as in buildings or public spaces.

What are some examples of ASB?

• Defacing communal or public spaces. Examples include graffiti, fly tipping or abandoned vehicles.
• Hate speech or behaviour to identified households or communities.
• Violence against people or property.
• Intimidation or harassment.
• Using a home or communal area to sell drugs or other illegal substances.

What would we not consider as ASB?

• Family disputes.
• Children playing or crying.
• Food smells.
• Putting the bin or rubbish bags out on the wrong day.
• A one off party, such as a birthday or special occasion.
• Clashes of lifestyle or cultural differences.
• Parking in the wrong parking spot.
• Day to day sounds such as doors opening, lights being switched on/off or toilet flushes.

Wandle is committed to resolving and preventing ASB for our residents and communities. We understand if ASB is not addressed it can have a significant affect on people’s lives and the local community, therefore if you spot or are aware of any ASB issues, please report it.

You can read more about how to report ASB to Wandle here.

If you experience ASB and it is urgent as a crime is taking place, please call the police on 999.

You can also report a crime anonymously to Crimestoppers at crimestoppers-uk.org.

On Saturday 2 November, residents and staff came together for our community day in Wandle Fields.

Thank you to all our residents who braved the chilly weather to enjoy a fun filled afternoon, including facepainting and jerk chicken.

Our residents got to meet with our staff to discuss any issues they may have, with staff also attending residents’ homes to investigate any issue further. This was a great opportunity for staff to introduce themselves, whilst also ensuring any issue a resident raised was logged so we could begin to resolve any queries or concerns they had.

At the community day some of our residents pointed us in the direction of one property, in which we were unaware the resident was vulnerable and in need of repairs within her home. Thanks to the kindness of the local community who informed us of her situation, we were able to visit the resident to investigate the concern further and now arrangements are under way to carry out much needed repairs within her home.

The community day was a great success, and we will be hosting another event at Wandle Fields next year in the summer months. In the meantime, we will continue to work with our residents at Wandle Fields and we will be arranging community meetings with them listen to their thoughts and ideas to create a stronger relationship and space for everyone to enjoy.

Every November is men’s health awareness month, which is dedicated to raising awareness of men’s health issues, primarily focusing on mental health and suicide prevention, prostate cancer and testicular cancer.

In England 12.5% of men have a mental health disorder (NHS) and are three times more likely to commit suicide than women (Samaritans). It doesn’t have to be this way, and we can all take action to help with those who are suffering to live healthier, happier and longer lives.

Some men don’t like asking for help or like talking about their feelings, but we are encouraging men to reach out to a friend, family member, colleague or their GP if you need to. There are also organisations you can speak to for free:

• Mind: 0300 102 1234
• Samaritans: 116 123
• NHS: 111 – If it is urgent or you are in danger, please call 999 immediately.

In the UK prostate cancer kills 10,000 men every year and is the most common cancer for men over the age of 45. The prostate is a gland and sits beneath the bladder and early detection is key. You can read more about the symptoms and your risk of prostate cancer here.

Testicular cancer is the number one cancer in young men, but it is highly curable when caught early. Know how to check yourself at home and know the facts about testicular cancer here.

If you need further information, please contact your GP or visit the NHS website.

As part of a groupwide rebrand, our partner K&T Heating have changed their name to Sureserve Compliance South.

K&T Heating service our gas boilers, radiators, water heaters and fires for our residents, as well as carry out annual gas safety inspections to more than 6000 homes.  

What does this mean for you?

You will continue to receive high quality service, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Sureserve will also send you a text to confirm your appointment as before. For a short while Sureserve employees will continue to wear their old K&T Heating unforms and will continue to use their K&T Heating vans while they move over to the Sureserve Compliance logo and branding.

All operatives will have information cards explaining about the brand change, but if you are unsure or want to check, please ask for the operative’s ID and call 0208 269 4500.

For further, please visit their website.

On Tuesday 5 November it is Bonfire Night, also known as Guy Fawkes Night, and it is celebrated every year across the UK.

Bonfire night is to be enjoyed by all the family, however for many the noise can be distressing, therefore it is important to respect your elderly and vulnerable neighbours, as well as those with young children and pets.

We have put together some tips to keep you, your loved ones and your neighbours safe.

Bonfire and firework safety

• If you are hosting a fireworks party, please tell your neighbours, especially those who are elderly, vulnerable or have young children or pets beforehand.
• Never have a bonfire or let off fireworks on your balcony or in communal areas.
• Don’t set off fireworks after 10:30pm.
• Please avoid using drink or drugs before or when using fireworks. This also includes when using sparklers.
• Never return to a lit firework.
• Never throw fireworks and never have fireworks in your pocket.
• Children should never play or light fireworks.
• Sparklers should be lit at arm’s length and at one at a time. Children under five should not handle sparklers, and children over five should be always supervised by an adult. Wear gloves when handling sparklers and dispose of them in a bucket of water.
• Keep your pets indoors this weekend and on Bonfire Night. Close the curtains and play some gentle music or pop the television on to mask the sound. For more information on keeping your pets safe during fireworks night, please visit the RSPCA website.
• The safest way to enjoy fireworks is by going to an organised event. Check your local council’s website for displays near you.

For more information, visit the London Fire Brigade website.