We take reports of ASB very seriously and will make sure that they are thoroughly investigated. You need to let us know as many details of your issues as possible to help us resolve the problem.
The best way of recording this information is to complete an incident diary (pdf 895 kB) (pdf 895 kB).
Your case will be assigned to an officer who will carry out a detailed investigation and work out how to resolve the issue. Our officers may work together with other agencies including the Police, Environmental Health, Social Services, Community Mental Health and other voluntary agencies.
Action we can take
Here are some examples of possible action we can take:
- Early and informal interventions – Early intervention through an informal approach can be successful in stopping ASB committed by most perpetrators. These methods should be considered first as they can stop bad behaviour before it escalates.
- Verbal warnings / written warnings – Warnings are issued making it clear to the perpetrator what behaviour is causing the issue and what effect this is having on the victim or the community and the consequence of not adhering to the warning.
- Community Resolution – This is where a resolution is found for a less serious issue of ASB where an informal agreement is reached between the parties involved as opposed to progression through legal action. Often this resolution is used in partnership with the Police.
- Restorative Justice (RJ) – RJ gives a victim of ASB an opportunity to communicate with the perpetrator, to tell them how their behaviour is impacting on them, giving them a voice and it holds the perpetrator to account for what they have done. Often this resolution is used in partnership with the Police
- Mediation – Mediation can be an effective tool, solving the issues by bringing all parties together to talk through their concerns. All of our officers are trained mediators who offer a confidential, impartial service that can easily solve many incidences of misunderstanding or anti-social behaviour. An example of when mediation would be used is when two neighbours fall out over a minor difference, such as the position of a boundary fence.
- Acceptable Behaviour Agreements/Parenting Agreement – These are voluntary written agreements between an individual and SCH, though sometimes other agencies, like the Police, may be involved too. They contain pledges to behave in a certain manner or to stop doing certain things. ABA’s / PA’s are not legally enforceable but if they are broken it is usual to proceed to another level of action, such as court.
- Support and counselling – In many cases there are underlying causes of ASB. Substance misuse or alcohol dependency can drive ASB.
- Surveillance – As part of our response to dealing with ASB, SCH reserves the right to work with partner agencies to carry out both covert and overt surveillance. Surveillance may be visual or audio. Any surveillance will be proportionate and justified.
- Legal Actions – If a perpetrator is unwilling to change their behaviour following attempts along the informal intervention route then there are some formal tools that our Neighbourhood Services Team can use.
- Civil Injunction – The Civil Injunction is a court order to stop or prevent individuals engaging in ASB quickly. It nips the problems in the bud before they escalate and can help the perpetrator to address the underlying cause of the ASB. If the terms of an injunction are not adhered to it can result in mandatory eviction from any SCH tenancy.
- Closure Orders – This will be used to close a property of any tenure down when it is being used or likely to be used to commit nuisance or disorder. This is a fast and flexible power that can be used to protect victims and communities by quickly closing premises causing ASB.
- Community Protection Notices – The Community Protection Notice is intended to deal with particular, on-going problems or nuisances which negatively affect the community’s quality of life.
- Possession Proceedings – This is court action that can lead to Council tenants being evicted from their homes. Before this stage is reached the tenants involved will have had several warnings to stop their behaviour. Evicting someone, who may have family and children, from their home, is a very serious matter. SCH would have to prove to the court that on the ‘balance of probabilities’ the tenants have indeed broken the terms of their tenancy agreement and that it is reasonable for the court to evict the tenant.
- Demotion Orders – Demotion orders allow us to apply to the courts to reduce the security of tenure for tenants and can be a precursor to possession. These orders remove a number of rights including the right to buy and the right to exchange