Neighbourhood Helpline Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Neighbourhood Helpline?
0300 1000 101 - Neighbourhood Helpline is a number which people in Newcastle and Sunderland can use to report a range of issues that can affect their neighbourhoods and spoil their quality of life.

You can call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year to report issues associated with:

Abandoned vehicles
Dog fouling
Noise nuisance – for example, noisy neighbours or burglar alarms
Rubbish, litter or fly-tipping – including discarded needles or dead animals
Sale of alcohol to under 18s
Smoking in enclosed public places – for example at work or in a pub
Street lighting – including broken lights or badly lit areas
Vandalism, graffiti and other deliberate damage

The service is delivered by Newcastle and Sunderland City Councils working together and is only available in those cities.

Some services may not be delivered round-the-clock, but you can report a problem at any time and you’ll be told when it will be sorted out.

Why has Neighbourhood Helpline been introduced?
Newcastle and Sunderland City Councils want to make sure that local people have a round-the-clock service they can use to report problems, like noisy neighbours, litter or broken street lights.

They have introduced Neighbourhood Helpline to give people one, local rate number to call for reporting issues covered by the service which, research has shown, annoy and upset people the most.

The service helps the councils improve their response times and allows them to target those annoying problems and manage resources effectively and efficiently, making Newcastle and Sunderland greener, safer and cleaner.

What happens when I call?
A specially-trained Neighbourhood Helpline adviser will answer - you will not get a push button menu.

The adviser takes as much detail as possible to make sure that the right department gets all the information they need. You are given a unique reference code which you should keep and use if you want to track progress and find out what is happening after your call.

You don’t have to give your name and contact details but, in some cases, they may be needed to help you further. No one else can get your details. Neighbourhood Helpline advisers can’t give out information about you or what you called about without that reference code, so your personal details are safe.

If Neighbourhood Helpline does not cover what you are calling about, you’ll be directed to an organisation that can help.

How do I know what is happening after my call?
The adviser will tell you how long it will take the council to respond to your particular issue. For example, how long it will take them to move an abandoned vehicle.

The adviser also gives you a reference code you should keep. If you have any more queries or want to track the progress of the work, you can redial 0300 1000 101, quote the code and the adviser will give you an update.

The adviser won’t be able to help if you don’t have your reference code. Because your personal data is securely protected, the adviser cannot search for your name, address or other details of a previous call. This is to protect your personal security.

Calls are also recorded for training, monitoring and public safety purposes.

Accessibility and different communities – how can they use the service?
There is a telephone translation service for people who don’t speak English.

When someone dials 0300 1000 101 the adviser will get a translator to interpret questions and answers over the phone.

There is also a minicom service for people who are hard of hearing: Please dial 0191 525 0075.

What do calls cost?
The new ‘0300’ number – 0300 1000 101 – has been created specifically for public services to use to make sure customers are not charged too much when calling for help or information. It’s likely you will see more ‘0300’ numbers used for other public services soon.

Calls are charged at your local rate, which means the cost of the call may differ depending on the contract you have with your telephone supplier.

If you are unsure, you can check this with your supplier and they will tell you how much you pay for local calls, if you pay at all.

Finding out more
For more information about Neighbourhood Helpline you can visit either council website www.newcastle.gov.uk or www.sunderland.gov.uk or email: communications@sunderland.gov.uk
Or call 0300 1000 101 and someone will help answer your questions.

There is a telephone translation service for people who don’t speak English. When someone dials 0300 1000 101 the adviser will get a translator to interpret questions and answers over the phone. There is also a minicom service for people who are hard of hearing: Please dial 0191 525 0075.The new ‘0300’ number – 0300 1000 101 – has been created specifically for public services to use to make sure customers are not charged too much when calling for help or information. It’s likely you will see more ‘0300’ numbers used for other public services soon.Calls are charged at your local rate, which means the cost of the call may differ depending on the contract you have with your telephone supplier. If you are unsure, you can check this with your supplier and they will tell you how much you pay for local calls, if you pay at all.For more information about Neighbourhood Helpline you can visit either council website or or email: Or call 0300 1000 101 and someone will help answer your questions.