There are many local public services in the UK provided for you by your local council, also known as local authority. They provide all sorts of things that you might need - from necessities like education and housing to leisure activities such as theatres and sports centres.
 

Local council services

As well as providing the services they are responsible for, many councils are now trying to improve areas by having call centres to deal with day-to-day problems. Below is a list of things they can help you with - from noisy neighbours to recycling. If you have a problem with any of them where you live, you should give your local council a call.

·         Barking dogs 

·         Cleanliness problems in food premises
·         Faults on street lights or bollards
·         Graffiti on council property
·         Misleading advertising of goods and services
·         Missed rubbish collection
·         Noise from industry
·         Noisy neighbours
·         Overhanging vegetation onto road or footpath
·         Poor animal welfare at pet shops and kennels
·         Poor drinking water
·         Rubbish dumped
·         Recycling
·         Short measures at the pub!
·         Smoke pollution from houses, businesses, bonfires, fumes and smells
·         Stray dogs and dog fouling
·         Unfit food (in cafes and restaurants, not in your own home!)

There are also smaller councils e.g. district councils that usually deal with more local issues e.g. in a village. You should check their website or ask what their responsibilities are so you know where to direct your question or concern.  To find your local authority you can enter your address or postcode to find out in the search.

In case you were wondering what else you get for paying your taxes, the council is responsible for many other long-term duties as well as dealing with these everyday issues. Some services that might affect you during your time in the UK are explained below:

Environment - Refuse collection and recycling

You will get a bin collection on the same day every week (although some areas are now changing to every 2 weeks). Find out from your neighbours what day the collection is and then don’t forget to put the bin at the front of your house. (If you don’t then the ‘bin men’ will probably won’t empty your bin...)

Many councils of the UK now also offer a fortnightly recycling collection. So you can dispose of bottles, newspapers and magazines and do your part to save the planet at the same time.

If you don’t have a recycling collection, you can usually find recycling bins for cans, plastic, paper and bottles at many supermarkets around the UK.

Cleaning

The council is responsible for cleaning the streets and towns and keeping the whole area tidy. In the past, you used to see this done by a man with a bunch of brushes and a big yellow bin. But it’s much more likely now that you’ll see machines that suck up all the rubbish.

Social services

This service provides care for children, families, adults and elderly people in need of help.

For example - families that are not coping and where there may be some danger to the well-being of a child or the child is being neglected, social services have a duty to investigate when they are made aware of the situation. Older people who need help looking after themselves and adults with physical or mental disabilities are also assisted by social services.

Education

Councils are also responsible for education; they are in charge of local schools and colleges and ensure the quality of service they bring to the pupils is good. They are also responsible for providing adult education, play schemes and educational psychologists, amongst other services.

You will find that there are all sorts of courses available at your local college, with courses in the daytime as well as at night - from learning Spanish to flower-arranging. And if you don’t earn much money, they may offer financial assistance for the course.

Housing

Local councils have a stock of houses and flats called ‘social housing’, which are available so that they can help people who most need a home.

There is usually a waiting list for these houses, so priority is given to people who have nowhere to live, or have young children.

These homes are usually available at a low rent. And help with paying the rent is available to people who are unemployed or on low incomes.

Arts, sports and culture

There are different leisure activities provided in different areas around Britain, and some are better than others.

But most often you will find there are libraries, theatres, museums, sports centres and swimming pools. And as well as providing these sorts of resources, the council also organises sporting and cultural events in your area.

 

By Matt Taylor

 

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USEFUL WORDS

Sources of Information

local council/government = the organisation that provides services in a particular region
community centre = a place where people from the same area can meet for social events or sports or to take classes
library
 

Advice

Citizens Advice Bureau = an independent charity throughout the UK that gives free, confidential information and advice to help people sort out their money, legal, consumer and other problems
solicitor = a lawyer who prepares legal documents
estate agent = a person who sells/rents houses
job centre

Health & Safety

Doctor’s surgery
Police station
Fire station
Neighbour Watch Scheme = an organisation of local people who take specific actions to try to make their street and area a safer place
refuse/rubbish collection = collection of household waste materials
recycling facilities

 

Local Amenities

florist
newsagent
corner shop = a small shop very close to people’s homes
post office
church

Tradesmen

builder
plumber
electrician
carpenter
gardener

GRAMMAR SPOT

The + adjective

Use the + adjective to refer to some groups of people in society:

the blind, the dead, the deaf, the disabled, the elderly, the handicapped, the homeless, the hungry, the poor, the rich, the sick, the unemployed, the young

Part of the church’s role is to help the poor

Many of the unemployed find work through the job centre

The new community centre is very popular with the young

 In a few contexts, the + participle can be used to mean a specific group of people rather than people in general:

The injured were taken to hospital

The accused was not found guilty