Anti SocialBehaviour

Shropshire Housing Group finds any form of anti social behaviour and harassment unacceptable, and will investigate every complaint made. If you feel you are the victim of anti social behaviour or harassment, then you may find the information contained within this leaflet useful.

Our PolicyWe are committed to tackling all forms of anti social behaviour and harassment. Whether it is nuisance caused by music, domestic arguments, noise, intimidation or harassment, we will offer advice and assistance to try to resolve the problem.

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When a complaint involves criminal activity or assault you must contact the police immediately.

Reports of anti social behaviour can be made verbally or in writing. Full details of our approach can be found in our anti social behaviour policy, which can be found on our website, or can be requested from the customer services team.

What is anti social behaviour?Anti social behaviour includes nuisance and harassment. It is any behaviour which harms the quality of life of residents in an area, causing distress or alarm.

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The table below outlines the response times you can expect when you report different types of anti social behaviour.

All other anti social behaviour incidents will receive a response within 5 working days – the following are examples of the type of actions that could fall into this category

Noise nuisance

Drug/alcohol related activity

Graffiti

Verbal abuse

Vandalism and damage to property

Pets and animal nuisance

Nuisance from vehicles

Litter/rubbish and fly tipping

Untidy/overgrown gardens

Misuse of communal areas

Where an incident is very serious we will respond within 1 working day – the following are examples of the type of actions that could fall into this category

Hate crime

Serious harassment

Violence to a person or property

Threats of violence to a person or property

Offensive graffiti

Domestic abuse

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Please be realisticWe will not be able to solve every dispute you may have, for example, where there may be a clash of life styles. You should be prepared to compromise and to accept differences.

If we do take legal action, this can sometimes be a lengthy process and we might not be successful. We might need you to attend court as a witness but we will support you through this process.

We understand that sometimes every day living noise can be annoying, but unless it is excessive or unreasonable we would not, under normal circumstances, consider it to be anti social.

Some examples are:

• Mowing lawns

• Vacuuming and noise from domestic appliances such as washing machines

• Children playing

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How to Report Anti Social BehaviourYou can report anti social behaviour to any employee of Shropshire Housing Group and they will forward it to both your tenancy management officer and your community housing officer. Reports can be made verbally or in writing.

What you can expect from usAlthough you may have concerns about reporting anti social behaviour, we will do all that we can to support you and we will tailor the support we provide to fit your particular needs. We will:

• Make clear our approach to anti social behaviour with all new tenants

• Investigate every report of anti social behaviour

• Arrange to contact you within 5 working days and the next working day for very serious incidents

• Where necessary, take appropriate action to try and resolve difficulties

• Agree an action plan with you

• Keep in regular contact with you

• Provide victims with support

• Contact other relevant agencies to resolve issues

An incident log sheet has been provided in the centre of this leaflet, for you to keep a record of on going anti social behaviour.

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Name

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Telephone No.

Date Time started Time fi nished Name of person causing nuisance

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Nature of noise/nuisance How did this make you feel?

I would/would not be prepared to give evidence in court should this be considered necessary. This statement is true to the best of my knowledge and belief, and I make it knowing that if it is tendered in evidence, I shall be liable to prosecution if I have wilfully stated in it anything which I know to be false or do not believe to be true.

Date

Signature

Address where noise/nuisance is situated

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Please seal w

ith clear sticky tape along open edge

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What you can do You can take the following actionOften people do not realise their actions may be upsetting you. In some cases the nuisance can be stopped if you speak to the person and talk about the problem.

DrugsIf you suspect drugs are either being used or supplied in your area, you should contact Crime Stoppers immediately on 0800 555 111.

Assault or criminal damageIt is very important that you contact the police and report serious incidents of assault, harassment or criminal damage immediately.

Noise nuisanceShropshire Housing Group has its own noise level monitoring equipment to help gather evidence. You can also contact the environmental health department to report noise nuisance, disruptive or rowdy dogs, pollution or similar sorts of anti social behaviour.

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What action can we take • Investigate the report and follow up with warning letters

and/or visits

• Mediation – in some cases it may be appropriate to refer your case to the mediation service. Mediation is a process in which an impartial mediator can help you and the people with whom you are in dispute to sort out your differences quickly, peacefully and confidentially

• Multi Agency Working – we will work closely with partner agencies such as the Police, social services and environmental health. This approach helps us to identify specialist support and assistance for victims

• Acceptable Behaviour Contracts (ABC) – are voluntary agreements between one or more agencies and an individual. The contract outlines what the perpetrator of the anti social behaviour should or should not do

• Demotion Orders – Social landlords can apply for these at court. They affect the security of a tenant’s tenure and can lead to possession of the property. The order removes a number of the tenant’s rights. Demoted tenancies last for a year and can be extended

• Professional Witnesses – We may use surveillance methods such as CCTV cameras and noise monitoring equipment to gather evidence. In serious cases it may be appropriate to use professional witnesses to support your own evidence.

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• Attendance at Court – If we need you to attend court we are able to arrange transport for you. A professional witness support service is available to accompany you to court and to support you through the hearing. We will work in conjunction with the witness support service in Shropshire to support you through this process.

Creating a Culture of RespectShropshire Housing Group has signed up to the Respect Standard for Housing Management. By doing so we have made a public commitment to deliver excellent services to help resolve anti social behaviour and create a culture of respect within the communities that we deliver our services.

What is respect?Respect is about all of us being considerate to the needs of others around us, caring about the community as well as our own individual concerns.

Useful tipsPlease keep communal areas free from obstruction and ensure that doors are locked at all times to prevent uninvited visitors.

If you are considering installing laminate flooring, you must obtain written permission first and please be aware of the impact that this could have for your neighbours. In order to reduce the noise we would recommend that you have some soft furnishings along with rugs on the floor in your flat.

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If you are intending to play music agree with your neighbours what is an acceptable level. This helps to prevent unnecessary complaints being made about loud music being played.

Frequently Asked QuestionsHow soon are you getting them out?Eviction is not always an appropriate remedy, this will just move the problem on. We will work with you to reach a resolution to the problems that you are experiencing.

Will I have to come to court?Direct evidence from a witness is the best form of evidence, however, if a person is too frightened to be named it is possible to give evidence via your community housing officer.

If I am a witness what will happen?You will be provided with 24 hour support, reimbursed for loss of earnings and travelling expenses will also be covered.

Will my neighbours know that I have reported them?We are discreet when dealing with your problems. However, on occasion we may have to reveal the source of the report.

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Working with Other Agencies Shropshire Housing Group will work with other agencies to produce an effective outcome to your report of anti social behaviour. Other agencies offer the skills and services we require to deal with all kinds of anti social behaviour.

Useful ContactsShropshire Council Environmental Health 0345 678 9000 www.shropshire.gov.uk

West Mercia Constabulary 0300 333 3000 www.westmerciapolice.uk

Shropshire Fire & Rescue Service 01743 260200 www.shropshirefire.gov.uk

Citizens Advice Bureau 08444 99 11 00 www.citizensadvice.co.uk

Victim Support 01743 362812

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Equal Opportunities statement We recognise the damage that disadvantage and discrimination can cause. We are committed to equal opportunities and will take positive steps to ensure that you will not be treated less favourably than anyone else in your dealings with us because of race, religion, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, disability, class or age.

Access for all...If you require this document in another format, for example Braille, large type, audio tape or another language please contact us.

Shropshire Housing Group consists of the following organisations

Shropshire Housing Group consists of the following organisations

Equal Opportunities statement

South Shropshire Housing AssociationThe Gateway, The Auction Yard, Craven Arms, Shropshire SY7 9BWTel: 0300 303 1190 Email: info@sshropsha.co.uk www.shropshirehousing.org.uk

Shropshire Council Anti Social Behaviour Reporting Line: 0345 678 9020