Is this worthy of a social services call? Or if not, what?

[Andoutcomethewolves]

I live in HA flat on a compound of blocks so you do obviously get some characters.

Our newest neighbour seems to be the local heroin dealer (I have actually checked - I called her via the buzzer and asked for it and she said to come right up - I have no interest in heroin so clearly didn't!)

However the addicts passed out on the floor and screaming in our hallway are getting too much. Having to step over someone comatose every time you leave the flat is too much tbh. And she is at least about 80 and seems vulnerable when I've spoken to
her. I genuinely worry for her but I don't really know what to do.

Any suggestions??

Try adult SS and raising a safeguarding concern. If you get no joy from official avenues try a local councillor if they're any good. Cuckooing is a huge growing problem and even if this 80 year old is deemed to have capacity, they are still vulnerable, and it should be flagged.

Alongside reporting to the police and HA, call your local authority and log an adult social services safeguarding concern. Describe as you have here and say you suspect cuckooing of a vulnerable adult. You can do it easily once you have the number from their website. If I was seeing unconscious people in hallways, I would also be calling 999 to get an ambulance for them

My first thought too.

There was. I just watched it!

OP I’m not police but I did some work with the local police drug team a few years ago and police take cuckooing very seriously. I think if you call them again expressing concern for an 80 year old neighbour being cuckooed they will have a very different attitude to ‘my neighbours a dealer’.

Hmmm I worked for many years in one of the areas of a city with the highest rates of drug use in the UK and I can say for definite that people lying comatose on a landing every single day just isn't a thing. 🤨

The police of course

Exactly this! Call the police.

That’s not for me to speculate.

The facts are that she’s elderly and her learning disability makes her vulnerable to exploitation.

The police and social services will make an assessment and a decision based on that assessment.

Try your local MP or councillor? Maybe they can escalate with the police and social services

@YesHonestly that’s exactly my point. Your post said “is” but that’s speculation. She might be being exploited but she might not be?

SS adult social care or safeguarding. Tell them you're concerned for her.

You're welcome to come around to visit me in Bristol if you don't believe me 😬 I'll take you on a tour of Stokes Croft and St Paul's and Easton, I'm sure you'd be enthralled at the number of passed out people on the street, people inhaling lighter gas, people staggering into the street in front of oncoming cars etc. I have no reason to make this up!

Most of my neighbours are lovely or just keep themselves to themselves. It's only since this woman has moved in we've had serious issues!

Yes I will try my local MP, she's amazing, thank you for the suggestion 🙂

Most HAs have teams to deal with this kind of thing, they can put partial or full closures on addresses via court application. Your best bet is to contact them and say you worry she is elderly and vulnerable and potentially being cuckooed but there is obvious class a drug dealing happening at the property

ETA
Sorry I missed your post when you said you tried and they were crap.
Police adult social care, the HA and local MP one email, emphasise the vulnerability of the lady and the lack of action when previously reported to police and HA

I was in Stokes Croft several times this year and saw many people high in the streets in the middle of the day. I also saw people openly shooting up and passed out on the street. Very sad.

No help to offer OP, I think you’ve had good advice. Just wanted to add my 2 cents for the person who seems to think you’ve invented the entire thing.

My DB has mental difficulties and was cuckooed. It was county lines. We are not in an inner city. The police took it very seriously and we managed to move them on. One thing they did to help was sending a PCSO regularly to do a welfare check on DB as a vulnerable adult.

However he had to be physically assaulted first, they gave him a BAR to put against his door. I said fuck that shit and let him move in with me temporarily while the dealers got bored.

Eventually he needed to be moved to a safer property.

So I would say social services as first point of call, she needs checks made.

Definitely social services if the police aren’t doing anything. I’d also look into making a complaint about the police. I get that they’re overworked, but this is not a minor thing and they need to address it.

It will be cuckooing I would imagine, I would report it but without sounding cynical not much will get done.
I work for a housing association and we have a lot of tenants being cuckooed and absolutely nothing happens with the police, they often treat the victim as they’re the one who’s committing the main crime.
very sad

I’ve lived in Bristol over 20 years, I absolutely believe you OP and can understand the worry.
It does sound like Cuckooing, and if you report that to Avon & Somerset they should reprioritize their interest !

MP also not a bad shout!

But it is also absolutely appropriate to refer a vulnerable adult to social services, have added links below if you haven’t found them online . Specifically referring to County Lines & Cuckooing.
Well done for caring about your neighbour and trying to help, it’s not always easy to do. I hope things improve.

https://bristolsafeguarding.org/media/aijcs5ju/cuckooing-protocol.pdf

https://www.avonandsomerset.police.uk/report/concerns-about-county-lines-and-cuckooing/

Nothing to add other than what people have already posted, but I just wanted to say I believe you. I used to hang out in Stokes Croft years ago, but went back a while ago to visit the old haunts and clearly St Paul's/Easton's influence had spread. Stokes Croft was always a tad "gritty" but it had properly gone downhill. Shame cause I have many fantastic memories of the area.

So can your organisation do anything about it or not? PPS seem to think the HA might be able to help.

Put in an anonymous call to the guards so you don't draw trouble on yourself

Yes we would obviously put safeguarding measures in place but tbh you’re stuck in a difficult position if the police and safeguarding aren’t interested.
it’s a HA’s role to put measures in place but only within their remit, for example visitor bans/daily visits from a housing officer. But realistically this will not stop someone being cuckoo’d
maybe in other areas this is different but I work within greater Manchester and thats my personal experience