Gypsy and Traveller Liaison Service

Training Available

Gypsy, Roma, Travellers and Showpeople  – Inclusive Practice Training

Bolton Council has developed training to support officers in their work, when working with Gypsy, Roma, Traveller and Showpeople communities.

The training touches on the heritage and cultural aspects of the communities, and looks specifically on what steps are needed to ensure inclusive practice in our services

The training supports officers to understand the friction between the  nomadic life,  permanent or sporadic, carried out by the communities, and the historic and  current laws around land and land use.

The training looks at what is already available in Bolton to support inclusive practice and also what is still needed to occur, and it finishes with a form that asks the various officers to share ways of working which they use to support the communities, and also changes they will want to make going forward in the way they work.

This two-way communication will allow us to amend the training going forward so all good practice is shared amongst all officers.

The training is available on line through me learning for Bolton Council workers. 

We will also be offering in person training sessions on a regular basis for other services, such as NHS, GMPolice and GM Fire Service. This is free of charge.

For Bolton Council workers access training on Me Learning

For in person training contact: Learning and Development Team, Bolton Council or Dorothy Clare, Gypsy and Traveller Liaison Officer.

Learninganddevelopment@bolton.gov.uk

Dorothy.clare@bolton.gov.uk

Fixed Sites

The Gypsy and Traveller Liaison Service manages our registered caravan park, a site where gypsies and travellers can reside on a permanent basis under a tenancy agreement. The site can accommodate up to 14 families.

We are currently not taking on any new clients on this site.

Transit Sites

The nearest transit sites are in Lancashire and Yorkshire, there are none in Greater Manchester

Our Service also deals with enquiries, or reports of groups of gypsies, or travellers trespassing on public or private land within Bolton.  

Gypsies and travellers trespassing on council or private land

Gypsy and traveller communities lead a nomadic lifestyle moving around the country. From time to time, local communities find gypsies parking their caravans and vehicles in a nearby park, public places such as car parks or land where they should not. This is classed as an 'Unauthorised Encampment'.

Unauthorised encampments can be reported to the police or to the council. All encampments will be dealt with in accordance with legal processes.  Please see 'There is an unauthorised encampment on council land' for more details.

You can report encampments on council owned land by calling Housing Services on 01204 335218 or email housingservices@bolton.gov.uk.  Any complaints of trespassers out of hours should be reported to the police on the 101 number.

All unauthorised encampments on council land will be issued with A code of Conduct for Unauthorised Encampments.

For unauthorised encampments on private land, please see 'There is an unauthorised encampment on private land' for guidance, or contact the Gypsy Liaison Officer for advice and information.

All unauthorised encampments will be issued with the Trading Standards Service Leaflet: 'Guidance for traders who visit a consumer’s home'.