FAQs

Anyone considering starting up a watch must first be registered on our Neighbourhood Alert system. This is the most effective communication platform to share crime and personal safety information and will ensure that you have access to updates from NWS and our trusted partners. Register with Alert.

To get you started – find out if your neighbours are interested in the idea. NWS have a template letter which you can use to post through neighbours’ letterboxes to gauge reception. Please contact us if you would like a copy.

If there is not a Watch in your area, but you would like to start one, you can determine just how big or small you want to begin. This may include a block of flats, cul-de-sac, specific street(s), an estate or village. It is Your Watch – Your Way!

Your next step is to register the details by visiting the NWS website and selecting “Sign up for Alerts.” If you require assistance please contact us by phone, 01786 463732.

Please note that our approval process may take time to process as you will be contacted by a member of the NWS staff directly to confirm start-up and check the area parameters. Our staff work part-time so a short delay at this stage is perfectly normal, please be patient with us. Once approved you will receive confirmation from the Alert provider VisaV.

Finally, decide how you are going to share information with your members. Pick what works for your group. This could be sharing information on WhatsApp, Facebook, by email, note or a newsletter posted through the door and face to face meetings.

Running a Neighbourhood Watch Group/Scheme is a very effective way of sharing information quickly with your neighbours.

There are lots of ideas on the website on how to create community spirit. Click here. Communications and messaging make people feel connected and part of the community, but there are other things you could do including organising a litter pick, a meeting or a coffee event. Whatever you decide – if you need any help get in touch with us.

As the coordinator it is:’ Your Watch – Your way.’ It is for you to define the geographical community that you wish to cover. We suggest that you do not make it too large as it needs to be sustainable for you to manage. Attracting new members can be a challenge, especially those more vulnerable members of our communities.

Helpful hints:

• Circulate an introductory newsletter
• Have face-to-face chats with your neighbours
• Consider an initial meeting to bring people together
• Share messages from our key partners including Police, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and the Local Authority to keep the community informed.
• Carry out a Watch/Street survey to help identify people’s concerns.
• Engage with the community, consider arranging litter picking to highlight what can be achieved by working together, increasing community pride, resilience and wellbeing and potentially reducing ASB.
• Social events to bring people together such as a coffee morning, pub quiz, fundraiser etc.
  Remember to consider and encourage the more vulnerable members of your community too.

NWS have two documents that can help encourage people to join as follows:

• A template letter which explains that a Neighbourhood Watch has been set up in the area. It highlights who the coordinator is, the benefits of joining a Watch, issues the Watch will look at as well as details of how to join. This letter can be amended to suit each individual Watch as each area will have different issues.
• A sign-up flier that explains how to join a local Watch. This could be used on a social media page where the coordinator would explain a little about the Watch, then the flier would then be uploaded to accompany the text.

This is ‘Your watch – your way.’ There is no prescribed format and what suits one person may not suit another. It is whatever works best for you and your members. Examples include in person / zoom / Microsoft Teams calls.

If you intend to retain any personal information on other members, you must do this in accordance with the Data Protection Act and GDPR requirements.

The NWS Team are available to help with support and any questions you may have. Contact us.

The NWS Engagement Officers within the NWS Team are available to help with ongoing support and any questions you may have. They may even be able to help with an event that you are organising. Contact us.

Keeping in touch:

NWS will periodically circulate a Coordinator newsletter, known as our ‘Community Buzz.’

We will be introducing an online Coordinator’s Forum that will enable coordinators to come together and share information more readily. As well as access podcasts and training sessions. Watch this space!

The NWS Team are available to help with ongoing support and any questions you may have. Contact us.

There are many ways you can get involved. Opportunities include:

Case Studies: Let us know what you are doing, and we may feature you as one of our Case Studies to help and inspire other volunteers to get involved.

Mentor a new coordinator: Volunteer to act as a mentor for new coordinators to get started.
Attending local events: We are always on the lookout for any help at our events in which we try to increase NWS membership. If you would like to get involved and help us connect with your local community, please get in touch. click here

Member of the Independent Advisory Group (IAG): The Independent Advisory Group (IAG) is a small group of coordinators from throughout Scotland who:

• Provide a safe, friendly, and comfortable environment for ideas and concepts to flourish.
• Gain frontline volunteer validation on the development of operational policies affecting volunteers and members (not including Board members).
• Gain user end feedback on NWS external communications including the NWS website, Alert system, newsletters etc.

If you would like to get involved in the IAG get in touch.

Help the NWS Team: If you have any expertise/skills that you think would be beneficially, then please get in touch. This could be anything such as website design, creation of podcasts, fundraising or promotional work. We are always on the look out for help and support – please get in touch if you would like more information on this. 

In the first instance NWS would ask that you contact those already associated with your Watch and ask if anyone would like to take on the role as coordinator.

If they do, then they should sign up, if not already, to the Neighbourhood Alert system by visiting the website, and selecting “Sign up for Alerts”. Once they have completed registration, they should then drop an email to info@neighbourhoodwatchscotland.co.uk or telephone 01786 463732 and let us know. NWS will then manually amend the Watch record to display the new amendments and assign them as coordinator. A Volunteer agreement form will be issued to the new coordinator for completion and return.

If no one wishes to take on the coordinator role and the Watch folds – please contact NWS, by email info@neighbourhoodwatchscotland.co.uk or telephone 01786 463732, to let us know and we can remove the Watch from our systems.

You can contact Police Scotland through the contact form on its website, or call 101 and ask to speak to your local Community Police Officer.

You can contact Scottish Fire and Rescue Service by sending an email, stating your area, Watch name and a small introduction as to what you are looking for, to SFRS.CATSecureGroups@firescotland.gov.uk
Contact your local authority and ask to speak to your local Community Safety Lead.

If your area is experiencing antisocial behaviour (ASB) specifically, you can search your local authority website for ASB. The site will provide either an email address, phone number or reporting form where you can report and raise your concerns.

Please note that the ability for the blue light and local authority services to engage with coordinators directly will vary across Scotland depending on resourcing and funding in the area concerned. NWS staff cannot intervene to influence for those encountering any difficulties in acquiring local contacts but will strive to help support coordinators to become as resilient and self-sustaining as possible.

NWS approved signage and other related products are available for purchase from our online shop.

It is important that you contact your local authority prior to the erection of any signs on council owned infrastructure (e.g. lampposts) as there is no national approach and each local authority policy differs as to the permissions and conditions that they may apply at this time.

NWS has produced an initial contact form for you to send to your Local Authority in the first instance – click here. You will need to check as to which relevant department is responsible as this varies in different areas.

Quite simply it is ‘Your watch – your way.’ It depends on how you want to run your Watch. It can range from being free to costing as much as you wish to spend and your budget allows.

Some coordinators will seek a small initial donation from new members to contribute towards signage and other resources.

For example, if you share information electronically and have a buddy system, then it would not cost anything. If you choose to post appropriate information through your neighbours doors, then the cost would reflect the printing costs (paper and ink).

If you have perhaps raised funds through fetes, or bake sales, etc or sought funding, then perhaps you would like to purchase Neighbourhood Watch materials for your local area or street entrances. Please visit our online shop to view our products.

You can reach NWS by phone on 01786 463732, or by email info@neighbourhoodwatchscotland.co.uk

There can be a variety of reasons for a Neighbourhood Watch losing its momentum. Members may move away or the issues that led to the Watch being established in the first place may have been resolved.

If a group is considering stopping it would be worthwhile reviewing how the group is operating to see if there are any changes that could be considered first.

This could include:

• A change of Coordinator
• New ways to support the Coordinator
• New ways of engaging and communicating with members
• Events to bring members of the watch together
• Working with other community groups in the area.

If you are unsure if there is still a Coordinator for the group, contact the NWS team to check Click here: Contact us Neighbourhood Watch Scotland . They may have moved on or had to stop running the group for personal reasons.

If there is no longer a Coordinator and you are taking over the role you should try to establish what the group had hoped to achieve when it was set up – using the same four questions as if you are setting up a whole new group:

1. When the group was first set up, what were the expectations? What did people hope to gain from the group?
2. What activities were used to support the group?
3. What were the commitments in terms of time, resources, and finance?
4. Were the activities and commitments enough to meet the expectations that were identified?

The next stage is to look at each item and ask: ‘Did the group achieve it or not? If not, what can be done differently?’ Also, try to think of the good things that were achieved and work out how you can build on them to relaunch the group.

Tips…

• A change of image: While you obviously need to keep the title ‘Neighbourhood Watch’, you could slightly expand the group’s area and alter its name, even if it covers virtually the same area. You can also change the image by altering the design of your newsletter or publicity material. You could consider setting up a website or social media channel.
• Relaunch: Consider a relaunch and time it to take advantage of any local events involving other local community partners.
• Keep it going: Keep checking that you are still on course to achieve your objectives. Consider reviewing your position every three months, at least in the initial stages.
• Events: Consider having themed events to reconnect and reinvigorate interest e.g. litter picks, community gardening, or hosting social events, such as quiz night, coffee/Tea mornings, chit/chat groups, health and wellness events, training events, organised walks, treasure hunts, sightseeing trails, or a street party.
• Street survey: Consider carrying out a street survey to reengage your local community and establish what their concerns are, what they would like from their NW, what they hope to achieve, and what that looks like along with what their expectations are.
• Promote the benefits to your Watch: Promote the benefits to existing members (Reduction in home insurance, reduced cost of property marking Kits, SelectaDNA pack, which can mark up to 50 items of property including TVs, Smartphones, Laptops, Digital Cameras, Jewellery, sports equipment, DIY, and gardening tools etc. To purchase a pack members should contact their NW coordinator for a promotional code which can be redeemed at www.selectadna.co.uk/nhw

You can refer to our case studies on the Neighbourhood Watch Scotland Website for ideas and you could consult other coordinators for ideas. Contact the NWS team if you need a hand to do this.

Whether you live in a City, Town, Village or rural countryside you can sign up to receive Neighbourhood Alerts. For more information and to sign up visit www.neighbourhoodwatchscotland.co.uk, or www.ruralwatchscotland.co.uk, click “Sign up for Alerts” and follow the simple steps to sign up and complete the process.

Any issues please contact to NWS team for guidance and/or advice.

If you do not have internet access contact our friendly team at the office to find out if there is a Watch in existence in your area. If there is, NWS can pass your address and phone number, with your approval, onto the coordinator who may be able to support you through other ways such as printed copies, newsletter etc.

If there is not a Watch in your area, you could ask a family member to register with Alert on your behalf. Not only can the person registering sign up to receive Alerts for their area but can also select various areas around Scotland.

During the registration process and in your ‘administration’ area you will have the opportunity to review and select additional licensed information providers who will, if authorised by you, be able to see your data and send you messages directly.

Although all the information providers listed may not be actively using the system at this time, you will be notified as they come on board. You can remove the information provider at any time.

Yes, you can use the links at the bottom of a Neighbourhood Alert message or log into your account from the NWS website.

NWS uses Neighbourhood Alert, highly secure, GDPR compliant system operated by VisaV to store your details.

If you have any technical queries, contact VisaV on: support@neighbourhoodalert.co.uk.

We can receive suspicious correspondence/scams in many ways as follows (not exclusive):
In Scotland, report all scams to Advice Direct Scotland by calling 0808 164 6000 (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm) or online at www.consumeradvice.scot.

• Suspicious Emails: You can forward suspicious emails to report@phishing.gov.uk.
• Scam Websites: You can send links from websites, which you think are trying to scam the public, to the National Cyber Security Centre’s scam website
• • Suspicious Text Messages: If you receive a suspicious text message you can forward it to 7726. The free-of-charge ‘7726’ service enables your provider to investigate and take action if malicious content is found.
  Bogus callers/traders 
  Illegal money lending

In Scotland, report all scams to Advice Direct Scotland by calling 0808 164 6000 (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm) or online at www.consumeradvice.scot.

Please note the NWS Alert system will only contact you directly using the VisaV headed template/format and will never ask you to provide personal information.

• Call 101 to report non-emergency incidents to your local Police force

Call 999 if:

• you’re reporting a crime that’s in progress,
• there is a likelihood of the offender being apprehended if police officers respond immediately, or
• someone is in immediate danger.
• If the crime is financial contact and report the circumstances to your bank immediately
• Keep detailed notes of all communications for future reference
• Ensure cards are cancelled to prevent any further activity
• Call Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 to report crime completely anonymously.
• Call Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or report it online at www.actionfraud.police.uk to report all incidents of fraud.