Housing Associations and the ASB Case Review
Much of our work on the ASB Case Review has focused on councils and police, mainly because they represent the lead agency across England and Wales. However, housing associations are a key player in Community Safety and named as one of the relevant bodies in the ASB Case Review legislation. What are housing associations doing to promote it then?
Large Housing Associations
A sample of the really large housing associations brought in disappointing results. All of the following have no information on the ASB Case Review (also called the ASB Case Review):
- London and Quadrant Housing
- Clarion Housing
- Home Group Housing
- Sanctuary Housing
- Guinness Partnership
- Riverside Housing
- Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing (2 separate websites)
Clarion Housing claims on its website to be the largest housing association in the country, owning and managing 125,000 homes over 170 local authorities, representing 360,000. That is 360,000 tenants who are not being informed about the ASB Case Review. Housing association websites direct people to the police for some types of anti-social behaviour but miss an opportunity to let their tenants know what to do if the police do nothing about it (or the council or indeed the housing association itself). This is concerning.
Locally Led
Some housing associations tell me they cannot put information on the ASB Case Review on their website because they have houses in more than one local authority area and of course the way it is activated differs from one area to another. There are some easy ways around this:
Regenda Housing give information about the ASB Case Review and a link to the government website to find your nearest local authority. Unfortunately this will fall down at the last hurdle because where the police is the lead agency, the local council tends not to publish any information about the Trigger.
A much better way can be seen in One Housing who have been wonderfully proactive in setting up a specific ASB Case Review email address for victims, explaining that they will then forward it onto the relevant local authority. Some lead agencies don't even bother setting up a specific email address or giving a direct telephone number so this is impressive from One Housing.
An alternative would be to link into our ASB Case Review Directory so that victims can easily search for their local area and find the exact page they need on the council or police website. It is important that all tenants of registered providers of social housing know that this safety net is available to them. We encourage all housing associations to look at adding this important information to their website. Don't forget housing associations can also activate a ASB Case Review on the victim's behalf to push a case review and get something done about the anti-social behaviour.
How it Affects Me
Anti-social behaviour (ASB) can affect every area of your life especially when you live next-door to it.
When you report the ASB you need to clearly describe the impact it is having on your life. The more you can spell out how it is affecting your quality of life and your daily routine the more notice local agencies are going to take.
Example
Recently a victim asked me to take a look at their ASB Case Review application. They had summarised in just one sentence the fact that they had needed to move into different rooms to try and reduce the impact of the noise from the neighbour. My advice was to really spell out the impact.
The application mentioned disturbed sleep. I advised them to expand on how this affected their work as well as general health. They had a son studying for exams which was also definitely worth emphasising.
How is the Behaviour Affecting You?
Noise can simply be a nuisance, and council officers know that. Yet noise (and any anti-social behaviour) can also be so much more, impacting on health, employment, education, emotional wellbeing and relationships. A police officer told me recently about a victim who is on their final warning at work because the ASB is impacting on their ability to do their job.
So when reporting an incident of anti-social behaviour, and especially a ASB Case Review application, ask yourself:
- How has this behaviour affected by quality of life?
- How is it impacting on my health?
- Is it interfering with my work or my education?
- How has this behaviour impacted on my daily routine?
- How do I feel each day or each time it happens?
- Has it negatively impacted on my family or friends, for example meaning I cannot have people round to visit?
These questions should help you draw out all the ways you are being affected and the harm caused.
Be specific. Spell it out and do not let agencies belittle what is happening to you.
Police Distance
My last blog was about the Switchboard Stress of trying to contact local councils to find out some information about the ASB Case Review. A member of the public commented on the post on our Facebook page that they had been one of the people I was concerned about: trying to activate a ASB Case Review through the telephone number given, only to find it was the council's main switchboard and no-one knew what it was or who to put her through to!!
In the interest of a balanced argument, I want to follow this up with a blog about the distance we now feel from the police. I have documented before how calling the 101 number to activate a ASB Case Review can be just as frustrating as a council switchboard. Why? The same reason - the staff officer answering the call does not know what the ASB Case Review (or ASB Case Review) is!
Faceless Organisations
I believe there is a real problem when an organisation distances itself and essentially becomes faceless. We suffer from council and police distance - perhaps it is more common with the council, but we are used to being able to talk to the police aren't we? When I was overseas once, I lost my passport. I went to the local police station in a small town and was able to immediately report the missing passport (essential if I was to get an emergency one processed by the Embassy). I could not do that today in my home city as the local police station has very limited opening hours and outside of those no-one answers the doorbell (I suspect it doesn't work). Once a police car pulled up whilst I was looking to report something and the officer told me I could not report it to her because she didn't actually work there.
We know there are less bobbies on the beat and more stations are closed. So if it is not an emergency the 101 number becomes the main and sometimes only way to talk to the police. That would be particularly true for the house-bound, the sick, those with disabilities or scared to leave their home because of the anti-social behaviour of their neighbours.
The 101 Number
I make a lot of different phone calls and yet the only one I get billed for, which is not covered by my unlimited minutes, is when I need to make a call to the police's non-emergency 101 number. I personally think that is bizarre. If the police wants to minimise people wrongly using the free 999 emergency number, it might be a good start to make its alternative free! I can call a council anywhere in the country, I can call my bank and people on other mobile networks to me free of charge, but I cannot call the police. This immediately puts up a layer of police distance.
Cost aside, an important article about Crimestoppers caught my eye last month about why more people are using this free, anonymous service to report crime and anti-social behaviour. There are a number of reasons for this, including the fact that some people find it very difficult to talk to the police directly. The simpler reporting process that Crimestoppers offers is also significant. Then the article cites the fact that people have problems reaching the police non-emergency number, 101.
"There is in some parts of the country an element of frustration with 101," says Mr Hallas, Crimestoppers CEO. "They know if they call us they will be answered pretty quickly."
The issues are well known and it was referenced in a Westminster Hall discussion on anti-social behaviour in Hull and the East Riding of Yorkshire. Emma Hardy, MP for Hull West and Hessle stated that:
"I am sure she is as aware as I am of the number of dropped calls to the 101 service and the number of incidents that actually get reported. If she goes out and talks to people in the community, she will find that most of them never even bother ringing 101 to report antisocial behaviour, because they know they may be on hold for more than 40 minutes."
A BBC article in August gives further evidence of this for people in Wales with a staggering 135,389 of calls being abandoned or redirected last year.
Getting Someone to Act
In that same debate, I was delighted to see that the Minister responsible for anti-social behaviour, Victoria Atkins, highlighted the ASB Case Review as follows:
"If I may, I will let the hon. Lady know about the ability of victims of antisocial behaviour, or someone acting on their behalf, including a Member of Parliament, to request a formal antisocial behaviour case review - I do not know whether she is aware of this - which is called a "community trigger". I like talking about it, because colleagues should be aware of it and they can use it if requested by their constituents. It enables victims of antisocial behaviour to ensure that their voice is heard when they believe they have not had a satisfactory response to repeated complaints of antisocial behaviour, and it forces agencies to act. The relevant bodies in a local area must agree on and publish their case review procedures. Therefore, if she believes that the relevant agencies in her constituency, have not acted on reports of antisocial behaviour in Hull and East Riding, that is a possible solution for her constituents."
However, let's just reflect on both this blog and my Switchboard Stress blog. Ms Atkins, I am sorry to say that some people can only activate their ASB Case Review by calling 101 - that same number which some people have despaired of calling. Others have the option of calling their local council and getting lost in the deliberations of a switchboard operator who has no idea what they are talking about. Or there might be an unwieldy online form. A victim of persistent anti-social behaviour should not need to jump through so many hoops to shout out for help. Come on public servants - there is a real opportunity here to choose to NOT be a faceless organisation, reduce that police distance and let people who are suffering have access to help.
Is this not common sense? I have no idea why police websites do not give an email address to relieve pressure on their 101 number, nor why ASB Case Review webpages can't give a direct line number rather than switchboard. The ASB Case Review is for people who feel they have nowhere to turn, who need help and are desperate. It is so unfair to set them up like this and create such distance. Is it any wonder people give up?
And what is the risk of a victim of persistent anti-social behaviour giving up on reporting it and feeling like there is nowhere to turn? At one end of the scale, suicide like we saw with Fiona Pilkington. At the other end of the scale, a victim taking matters into their own hands and committing a crime in their desperation to stop the anti-social behaviour. In the 21st century when thanks to technology and the internet, we are more connected than ever, how is it that police distance is only widening?
How to Prepare for a Safe Halloween and Bonfire Night
For many people, Halloween and Bonfire night is an enjoyable, harmless few days to partake in activities with family and friends. However, for many it can be a frightening time, especially vulnerable people including the elderly, and those with physical and mental disabilities.
Halloween and Bonfire Night also sees a spike in anti-social behaviour, with people believing they can get away with bad behaviour just because it is Halloween. The police are aware of this and increase patrols around this time, particularly focusing on areas where trouble is well known, and where many vulnerable people live. As well as patrols, other plans are put into place, such as local shops not selling flour and eggs on the night of Halloween.
Despite these extra measures, it does not stop victims of anti-social behaviour becoming even more stressed and scared than they already are. Noises, such as fireworks can push people to the limit as to what they can cope with.
Preparation
Preparing for these events should help you to feel less frightened. Local police forces offer out ‘No Trick or Treaters’ posters which you can print out and stick on your door. In addition to this, we also have a list of tips on our website which can help if you are feeling frightened, including locking all your doors and windows, keeping your house well-lit and closing your curtains. These simple steps can help put you at ease. If you are struggling and need somebody to talk to for advice and reassurance, then The Samaritans are available 24/7 to ring or e-mail.
As difficult as it can be, it is important to remember that these events only happen once a year, so some tolerance is needed around fireworks and noise. However, if you are experiencing anti-social behaviour, do not suffer in silence and feel you must put up with it. Contact the police if you feel you are in danger or being targeted. Nobody should be made to feel unsafe in their own home, no matter what the occasion.
We hope that these events pass you without incident and you can have a safe and enjoyable time.
