What non-geographical number do you have for them? They seem to use a small number of 0845 numbers for anything.

On this page:
http://www.laws.sandwell.gov.uk/ccm/navigation/contact-the-council/contact-sandw...
they have an out of hours "emergency duty service" for their Children's services. I don't suggest you call this, though, as it's intended for people to call if they are worried about the welfare of children.

How about this councillor's page:
http://www.councillor.info/sandwell/tcrumpton/19413/Default.aspx

It gives numbers:

Social Services - Adults
0121 544 6029

Social Services - Children
0121 569 5412

Try these and if you have any luck, please let us know!

Surely as  you work for the Council the council should supply you with the  alternative geographical numbers if their are any, on the grounds that it will cut the costs of your mobile calls,and cut their expenses claims if any of the costs are reclaimable.

Dave wrote on Oct 17^th, 2008 at 10:43pm:



Thanks for that
Im going to definately be raising the issue   workers are always complaining about it!

To us mere tax/Council tax payers, it sounds so easy - the council should supply its staff with the geographical numbers so as to cut down on its staff's mobile call costs and, hence, on their expenses claims.

Unfortunately, that sounds as though it needs just a tad of 'joined up thinking' - which is not likely to be present amongst the bean counters of such an organisation.  They probably don't realise that calls to 0845 numbers from mobiles are more expensive than calls to geographical numbers and, even if they do, it'll be a different department that deals with expenses claims - and, although that other department's staff might notice the high cost, they're the ones who don't know that calls to 0845 numbers from mobiles are more expensive than calls to geographical numbers.  Form a circle people.

In any case, it's only Council tax payers' money so why should they care - this is rip-off Britain, right?