Community Wardens work at the grass roots as the eyes and ears of the community, the Council and other partner agencies. Wardens have the power to issue Fixed Penalty Notices for dog fouling. This carries a £50 fine which can increase to £1000 for refusal to pay and an appearance at court. The effectiveness of wardens comes instead from working with, and adding value to, the work of local agencies.
Wardens are not a substitute for the Police or for other statutory services, but complement them. They do not, for example, operate an emergency or response service.
The role of the Community Warden
- To provide high profile presence in the community through daily patrols
- To deter anti-social behaviour in public areas
- To report environmental problems such as graffiti / abandoned vehicles
- To reassure local people and act as a recognised point of contact to make people feel safe
- To report suspicious behaviour to the police and other enforcement agencies
- To develop community spirit and foster civic pride
- To visit vulnerable members of the community
Our team of community wardens are deployed throughout the Borough in pairs. Each team is responsible for 4 main areas or neighbourhoods.
Day in the life
A Warden’s daily work might include:
- regular patrols of the hotspots in their areas
- problem solving of community issues
- visits to schools, day centres and local businesses
- attendance at Neighbourhood Action Groups, residents associations and public events
The Wardens also work closely with many other partner agencies like Police, Housing Associations, Youth Service, Older people’s services and Education, to name but a few.
