Introduction
Definition of
anti social behaviour
Legal framework
Prevention of
anti social behaviour
Early intervention
Response times
Reporting anti social
behaviour
Supporting complainants
Multi agency partnerships
Rehabilitation of
perpetrators and support for vulnerable groups
Staff resources for dealing with anti
social behaviour
Designing out crime
Publicity
Monitoring
Reviews
Further copies of this Summary and the Information pack and leaflet 'Anti Social Behaviour - Together we will tackle it!' are available from United Welsh upon request. Please contact our Customer Services team for copies or for further advice or help on anti social behaviour.
This summary is also available in large print or on tape. It will also be made available in alternative languages to English, where possible. Please ask for further details.
Call 0800 294 0195 or e-mail tellmemore@uwha.co.uk
This statement lays down in summary the policy and procedure of United Welsh Housing Association in dealing with Anti-social behaviour following the introduction of the Anti Social Behaviour Act 2003. The detailed policy and procedures are available upon request.
Anti Social Behaviour is not acceptable. It can destroy people’s lives and cause misery to communities. Anti social behaviour cannot be dealt with by any one organisation or agency working in isolation and United Welsh aims to work with partner agencies and residents to prevent and tackle anti social behaviour in whatever form it manifests itself.
Definition of anti social behaviour
Anti social behaviour includes any behaviour by residents, members of their household or their visitors, which is capable of causing, or causes annoyance, nuisance or disturbance to anyone else in the area. Anti social behaviour includes any conduct of persecution or intimidation by residents, members of their household or their visitors, of a person or group of people because of their race, colour, religion, nationality, sex, sexuality, mental health or disability.
Some examples of behaviour that would be treated as anti-social behaviour include:
· Noise nuisance
· Intimidation and harassment
· The fouling of public areas, graffiti, fly tipping & nuisance vehicles
· Aggressive and threatening language and behaviour
· Poorly maintained property or garden
· Actual violence against people and property
· Hate behaviour that targets members of identified groups because of their perceived difference e.g. racial harassment.
· Domestic violence
· Using or threatening to use housing accommodations to sell drugs, or for other unlawful purposes.
United Welsh is required by law to meet its contractual obligations as set down in the tenancy agreement and is committed to taking legal action to solve problems of serious and persistent anti social behaviour when every other type of action has failed. It will make use of legal remedies to do so where this is the most appropriate means of addressing the problem.
Prevention of anti social behaviour
United Welsh
aims to develop and support measures which prevent, deter or
tackle the underlying causes of anti social behaviour, including
supporting community safety initiatives, target hardening
schemes, floating support provision and youth inclusion
projects. Through direct community support, United Welsh will
encourage a social approach to preventing anti social behaviour
including education and information initiatives, Neighbourhood
Watch schemes, etc. to discourage anti social behaviour.
United Welsh will work with partner agencies to ensure early intervention in all reported cases of anti-social behaviour and will use a range of early intervention strategies to identify, tackle and resolve problems of anti-social behaviour, including referrals to mediation, challenges to alleged perpetrators, the use of acceptable behaviour contracts and formal warnings.
In response to all emergency cases (cases involving serious threat or actual violence, domestic violence or hate behaviour), United Welsh will contact complainants within 24 hours to arrange for an initial interview to take place. Wherever possible this will take place within two days.
In all other
cases United Welsh will contact the complainant within two
working days. If a face to face interview is required the
Housing Officer will arrange this within five working days of
the initial report.
Reporting anti social behaviour can be made by telephone, in writing or in person. A leaflet called ‘Anti social behaviour - Together we will tackle it!’ and an information pack is available upon request. This explains how to report anti social behaviour, what tenants can do, what other agencies can do and what United Welsh can do. To obtain a pack, please contact our Customer Services team on 02920 858100. Where complaints are made against those who are not tenants of United Welsh the case will be investigated and a decision made as to whether it is appropriate for United Welsh to act. It may be necessary to pass the details on to another agency, such as the police, for further action.
United Welsh will encourage and support complainants and others affected by anti-social behaviour to continue to live at home and work with us to resolve the problem. Action will be taken against the perpetrators of the anti social behaviour and the complainant will be encouraged not to give up their tenancy or to move.
In order to support people who complain of anti-social behaviour United Welsh will:
· keep the complainant and witnesses informed of the progress of the case
· review security measures on their home, if appropriate
· ensure that witnesses are well prepared for court
· provide transport and escort at court
· provide follow up support if required either directly or through a support agency
· arrange access to telephone and or face to face interpreters if required.
United Welsh will work with relevant agencies to tackle anti-social behaviour and agree to take part in appropriate information sharing protocols with its partners in the areas of operation. This will include tackling anti-social behaviour with residents and other agencies including the Police, Probation, Local Authorities, Youth Services, Youth Offending Teams, Social Services, Education, Health Services and Drug Action Teams etc.
Rehabilitation of perpetrators and support for vulnerable groups
United Welsh will support rehabilitation initiatives which seek to have a positive impact on the behaviour of perpetrators, particularly where anti social behaviour is perpetrated by a member of a vulnerable group and is a consequence of drug abuse, alcohol abuse mental health or disability.
United Welsh will work with other agencies such as Mental Health Teams, Drug Action Teams and community based organisations such as drug and alcohol support and mental health services in seeking to establish support packages.
Staff resources for dealing with anti social behaviour
United Welsh
will ensure that any staff dealing with anti-social behaviour
are fully trained in order to be able to deal with and
investigate properly all reports. All staff will have access to
up to date policies and procedures for dealing with anti social
behaviour.
In undertaking estate improvements and developments United Welsh will endeavour to support improvements which seek to design out crime.
United Welsh may use publicity in successful legal action cases in order to increase community confidence and awareness, to deter offenders and to provide the community with the information they require to enable them to report any breaches of orders such as Anti Social Behaviour Orders and Injunctions which may be served on perpetrators.
United Welsh will record all cases of anti-social behaviour and harassment on the estates they are responsible for. Cases are recorded in separate categories of anti social behaviour and held centrally on the Anti Social Behaviour Log. Reports will be produced for the Board of Management for United Welsh, which include information on the progress and outcome of cases and also records information on ethnicity, gender and disability.
United Welsh will ensure that policies and procedures for dealing with anti-social behaviour are reviewed annually and updated to reflect best practice and changes in the law and regulatory requirements.
Following action on an anti social behaviour case, United Welsh will contact the complainant and witnesses and obtain feedback on the process.