Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) Awareness Week Series – Part 3
As part of ASB Awareness Week, our housing management team has curated a series of articles which give practical advice and insight into four core themes surrounding ASB, with a focus on making our communities safer. Part 3 focuses on: Removing Barriers to reporting ASB. Parts 1 and 2 were published earlier this week with Part 4 being published tomorrow.
The victims and witnesses of ASB can experience many barriers to reporting this behaviour to Registered Providers of Social Housing (“RPs”). Those barriers can make those people more reluctant to report ASB, potentially resulting in RPs being unable to take appropriate action against perpetrators due to a lack of evidence. In this article we consider some of the most common barriers and steps that RPs can take to remove those barriers as far as possible.
1. Lack of public confidence
A lack of public confidence can cause complainants to believe that their reporting or experiences are not taken seriously or, even if reported, a RP or partner agencies would not take action. It is important for RPs to take effective enforcement action wherever possible, investigating all reports of ASB and taking appropriate enforcement action where warranted. It is also important to ensure that the expectations of complainants are clearly managed, confirming the steps the RP can and, more importantly, cannot take. The process which is to be followed and the action which is to be taken should also be clearly set out in an easy to understand and easily accessible ASB policy or procedure.
2. Fear of reprisals
A fear of potential reprisals by the perpetrators of ASB is one of the main reasons we see given by complainants as to why they are unwilling to give evidence in legal proceedings. One option available to RPs would be to allow the reporting of ASB anonymously which could either be via a dedicated telephone contact or a page on the RPs website. Whilst care will of course be needed to try and corroborate any reports given anonymously and, furthermore, to ensure that legal action with anonymous reports is also supported by individuals willing to give witness statements and evidence, accepting and investigating reports made anonymously can be an effective tool in ensuring knowledge of what is happening within your communities and taking action to eradicate that behaviour.
3. Not knowing who to report ASB to
Not knowing who to report ASB to can have a significant impact on those experiencing it, leaving them feeling isolated and vulnerable. It is vitally important that RPs have a clear procedure of how victims and witnesses can report ASB. That procedure can involve multiple means of reporting, such as a dedicated telephone contact, webpage reporting function or the ability to report in person to their dedicated Housing or Neighbourhood Officer. That procedure could be communicated to new tenants when signing up for properties as well as being confirmed with existing tenants through tenancy audits or other interactions.
4. Lack of visibility
A lack of visibility can cause concern among residents that there is no one dealing with ASB in their local area and discourage them from making reports. Targeted ASB initiatives such as Community Impact Days, including housing officers making door-to-door enquiries with all tenants, will build rapport and allow them the opportunity to report issues in the neighborhood, especially if they may not have come forward otherwise. If people can visibly see that RPs are committed to making a difference in the area, this will reinforce to tenants that their reports matter.
5. Lack of recording
An issue that may arise when taking enforcement action against ASB may be the lack of accessibility to resources for tenants to report ASB in their area. Effective ways of reporting ASB may be diary sheets, noise monitoring equipment and, increasingly, the use of Ring and other video recording doorbells. RPs should have clear guidance published on their website as to what resources are available and provide templates for tenants to use. This will increase the reporting of ASB and provide better evidence in court when enforcement action is taken, making it more likely for issues to be resolved.
6. Enabling witnesses to give their best evidence
The key part of any enforcement action against a perpetrator is having strong evidence that ASB is being engaged in. If the case proceeds to court, witnesses should be advised that RPs will support them in making provisions for special measures. These measures may include giving evidence from behind a screen or even remotely which ensures they avoid having to face perpetrators in court. If witnesses feel supported by their RP and reassured that they will be protected if giving evidence against a perpetrator, this will encourage more people to come forward.
By adopting some of these measures, RPs can ensure that barriers to reporting ASB are removed and can help victims and witnesses of ASB feel confident in reporting that behaviour. Removing barriers would also assist RPs in being able to pursue legal action with best evidence and ensure their neighbourhoods are free from ASB.
If you would like to discuss further, please get in touch with our housing management team.
If you missed the first two parts of the series – you can still catch up:
Part 1: Universal support for victims of ASB – a practical outline
Part 2: Addressing delays in the civil justice system: A two-tier approach