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Newsletter of the Social Landlords Crime and Nuisance Group
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nuisance newsThe quarterly newsletter of the Social Landlords Crime and Nuisance Group Issue 42 June 2007
This issue includes articles from
the following members:-
Aspire Housing
Bowlee Park Housing
Chelmer Housing Partnership
Harvest Housing Group
Hounslow Homes
Hyde HA
Kingfisher HA
Knightstone HA
Mid Devon DC
New Progress HA
Poplar HARCA
Redditch BC
Richmond Housing Partnership
South Liverpool Housing
Stoke on Trent CC
Sunderland Housing Group
Sutton Housing Partnership
Three Valleys Housing
Twin Valley Home
Wales &West HA
Waterloo HA
West Kent HA
This issue
ocial LandlordsCrime and Nuisance Group
A new partnership
Wednesday 16th May 2007 was a day of very mixed feelings for everyone
connected to the Social Landlords Crime and Nuisance Group.
It was with deep regret and great sadness that we announced the untimely
death of TimWinter, our National Organiser. As many people will be aware
Tim had been off work for sometime and was recuperating in Barbados.
On Friday 4th May Tim suffered a stroke and was admitted to hospital
however his condition deteriorated and sadly he passed away on the 9th May.
Delegates at the Conference were shocked at the news but everyone agreed
that the SLCNG Conference had to go ahead in the ‘sprit’ that Tim would have
wanted, i.e. lively, vibrant and noisy. Delegates at the conference did exactly
that, there was a real ‘buzz’ all day.
Our largest ever conferenceA tribute to Tim
Our largest ever conference
At our conference, we were very
pleased to announce a new
partnership with Whiteheads
solicitors.
The arrangement will entitle our
members to top quality legal
services fromWhiteheads and will
mean that we will work in
partnership with a well established
and highly regarded firm.
Peter Jackson said “Given the
complexity of the laws governing
anti-social behaviour, it is
important for us to have a
productive relationship with a firm
of solicitors which provides such
high quality legal advice.“
Pictured (left to right) Peter Whitehead,
Paul Lloyd, Neil Whitehead (all
Whiteheads solicitors], Peter Jackson
continued on inside page....
A tribute
This year we had more organisations
attending,more exhibitors and more
people attending their first conference
for the first time.
We would like to thank Joe Tuke, Director
of the Respect Task Force,The Home
Office and David Butler Chief Executive
Chartered Institute of Housing who
chaired the conference, as well as all the
exhibitors, delegates, speakers,
workshops leaders and conference staff
for making this years conference the
‘Best Yet’.
Tim would have loved every minute of it.
Tim’s sudden and tragic death has come as a great
shock to all of us in the SLCNG, and SLCNG has lost its
great advocate and worker.
Tim joined us in 1996 having previously been in the
Housing Service at Birmingham City Council. He was
involved in the growth of the group from its early
lobbying days in 1995 when no one took ASB seriously,
and when almost no remedies were available, through
to the present day when ASB is part of landlords’ core
business. Over those 11 years, Tim became well known
to most people on a personal basis, and over that time
he helped develop literally thousands of practitioners.
He made SLCNG one of the few organisations who can
really say its networking works . He visited and revisited
conferences and events to spread the word and to
represent SLCNG and attract members.
Tim saw the intense work on Housing Act 1996, the
Crime and Disorder Act and theWoolf report which in
effect put ASB on the legislative and judicial maps. He
worked since those days on ASB in partnership
structures that now reflect the political and profes-
sional broadening of the ASB issue. His own highlight
was probably his evidence to the Home Office Select
Committee on ASB in 2005.
Over the years Tim maintained his enthusiasm for
tackling ASB and relished the debate and interactions
on policy issues putting the SLCNG position forcefully.
Tim attended and was responsible for organising every
SLCNG Conference, and he particularly liked the buzz of
the Standing Conference. Last month’s conference was
a fitting testament to the legacy that Tim has left us.
All of us at the SLCNG send our condolences to Tim’s
family at this sad time.
Directors of the SLCNG
I had the privilege of knowing Tim for ten
years or more – virtually the whole life of
the Social Landlords Crime and Nuisance Group.To say
that he blossomed in the role of National Organiser would
be an understatement. If anyone gripped an organisation
and helped it grow to one of national importance,Tim did.
Tim was SLCNG.
Peter Jackson,Managing Director, SLCNG
Tim came into my life when I applied for the administrator
role with the company. Even in that stressful situation Tim
put me at my ease and made the process much less
traumatic by his easy manner and gentle questioning.
There were even some light hearted moments, and though
I didn’t know at that point Tim would be my boss, I knew I
liked this man in front of me.
After the first week I was left alone with Tim and that was
when the relationship really started to grow. He became
my guide in this new world I had not worked in before. I
quickly realised he would be my mentor and confidant.
Through tough times and happy times at work he was
always there to talk to, never to busy to sit down and listen
to concerns as well as achievements. To have a boss who
was so approachable and available was something I had
not experienced before and it made for a happy office,
even when things were going wrong around us.We always
found the answers between us.
Right from the start it was obvious that Tim was
passionate about his work and this has been obvious from
the messages I have received from across the country.
There is so much more I could write but it is enough to say
Tim was more than a boss to me. He was my guide,my
mentor,my rock and my friend
Sharon Mackley
TimWinter
A tribute to Tim
Our largest ever conference (continued)
Making progress on the
Group’s Development
StrategyA priority for me and my fellow Directors over the last
eighteen months or so has been to ensure that the
SLCNG continues to provide quality services to, and on
behalf of all members and that it is capable of doing so
in the future as the ASB agenda and its delivery
structures continue to diversify.
Last year we carried out a review of the Group’s business
development in conjunction with members. In brief, the
key recommendations from the review were that we
should:
� Grow the membership
� Develop the regional structure
� Start a Policy Advisory Group
� Re-design our website
� Work in partnership with other like-minded
organisations
� Develop our training for practitioners
� Review our fee structure
At the Group’s AGM in March I was pleased to report that
are making significant progress in implementing those
recommendations.
Membership
We have established a new category of membership
[Associate] which we believe will be attractive to a range
of organisations, including Universities, CDRPs and
Solicitors, that are keen to be associated with the work of
the Group.The annual fee for Associate membership is
£400.
Regional Structure
The first round of revived regional meetings has taken
place and the dates of future meetings can be found
elsewhere in this edition.
Policy Advisory Group
The Policy Advisory Group (PAG) has also been
established with Affiliate members identified as Regional
representatives.The PAG has already identified a number
of key issues for development over the coming months. It
is important that SLCNG is able to draw on the
experience of the PAG members if we are to continue to
influence the national agenda and to speak from a
position of authority.
Website
SLCNG members want a better website than the one we
currently have. Detailed work with web designers should
bear fruit ahead of the CIH conference at which we
expect to showcase the new web site.The new website
will be more attractive, easier to use and provide compre-
hensive access to the good practice information that
members need.
Training
We aim to finance these and other service improvements
through sponsorship arrangements with reputable
organisations and to expand our training services,
probably in partnership with one or more significant
players in the field.
Finances
Financial prudence means that, for the first time in over
ten years, we have increased our fees to Associates, rising
from £500 to £600 for 2007/08. Fees for Company
members remains at £1000.
Finally I am pleased to report that the Group’s standing
remains as high as it has ever been.We continue to enjoy
an excellent working relationship with Communities and
Local Government and the Respect Task Force. SLCNG
and its members continue to be key players in
implementing the Government’s Respect Agenda and we
have been pleased to be able to work with Housemark in
developing the ASB Toolkit at the request of
Communities and Local Government.
Clearly the SLCNG is continuing to make progress and
remains THE organisation to join for those whose aim is
to tackle not tolerate anti-social
behaviour.
Roger Griffiths
Director
SLCNG
Editorial
Is there alinkbetweenASBOs andmentalhealth?
A survey undertaken on behalf of the BBC by the British Institute
for Brain Injured Children (BIBIC), claims that over 30% of under
17 year old youths receiving ASBOs have a diagnosed mental
health disorder or an accepted learning difficulty.
Our managing director, Peter Jackson said,“We have requested
more information about the full research study in order that we
can see what lessons might be learned about any failings in the
consultation process prior to ASBOs being sought.”
The survey claims that there was a huge difference in
recognition of the youths' learning difficulties between anti-
social behaviour officers and youth offending teams. BIBIC claim
that “anti-social behaviour officers” reported 5% of their youth
cases had special needs or a learning difficulty.This compared
with 38% reported by youth offending team officers who had
seen conditions that included autism, ADHD,moderate learning
difficulties, and emerging personality disorders, depression and
self harming.They estimated that 6% had a mental age of less
than 10 years old.
Julie Spencer-Cingoz, chief executive of BIBIC says "Not
understanding the underlying difficulties of so many of the
young people has meant they have been given orders that they
do not understand and cannot keep.Without specialist help
they are being set up to fail, and a breach of an ASBO is a
criminal offence.”
She added.“This is the wrong way to be treating vulnerable
young people. Early intervention' is a more sensible approach to
prevent major problems emerging. ASBOs are failing both the
young offenders and the communities they are supposed to
protect.”
More details of the research summary and of the work of
BIBIC can be found on: www.bibic.org.uk
Our views
We welcomethe Government’scommitment toFamily InterventionProjectsAnother substantial element of the Respect
Action Plan was put in place when it was
announced in April that 53 Family Intervention
Projects (FIP) had been established.
A total of £15 million (£13 million of which is
from the Respect Task Force) has been
committed by Government over two years to
kick start the projects.
Additionally, £13 million is coming from DfES
for practitioner training in parenting
programmes.
Intending to “troubleshoot” around 1,500
families across England in a year, the FIPs have
been set up in a pragmatic way.
Predominantly in urban areas,management is
not just by local authorities but ALMOs, RSLs
and even a consortium of Housing
Associations centred on Southampton and
managed by SHAARP.
The majority of the projects provide an
outreach service for families who are
responsible for anti-social behaviour and who
are at risk of eviction. Some of the projects
also include a residential core unit.
Mandi Watson, Anti-Social Behaviour Co-
ordinator who oversees one of the FIPs for the
Coventry Community Safety Partnership, said “
the FIP will make a real difference to those
families that we are trying to help . It will also
offer some long lasting relief to the
communities that have suffered as a result of
bad behaviour over a long period of time.”
PolicyAdvisory Group upand runningAs part of our strategy to increase our
capacity to be more policy orientated
and have a more proactive stance, the
first meeting of the Policy Advisory
Group (PAG) took place in March.
This group comprises the Company
Members and will be expanded to
include two representatives from each of
the four regions once the regional
meetings nominations have been
considered.
The first meeting saw a lively discussion
about the future with representatives
from 11 organisations present.
Essentially identifying issues for the next
year, the first PAG meeting thought that
it was important to be able to influence
the agendas of major partner
organisations, such as Adult services,
the Department for Education and Skills
and the Police. It also saw the need to
consider a range of issues that impacted
on social landlords, such as RIPA,
committal proceedings, the role of the
Crown Prosecution Service and judicial
inconsistency.
We need your support
PAG will have a crucial role to play in
advising on the way that we deliver our
services into the future. So if you or your
organisation have the chance to get
involved, either as company members or
regional representatives, please take the
opportunity. We need your support.
For further information contact:
Peter Jackson [email protected]
Sharon Mackley [email protected]
Tel : 024 7623 1748
Housing associations given more
powers to tackle crime and disorderA good practice note on partnership working that details the
change in the legal status for housing associations in terms of local
Crime and Disorder Partnerships (CDRPs) has been published by the
Housing Corporation.The change in legal status means that housing
associations now have an enhanced duty to work alongside CDRPs
to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour in their communities.
To reinforce the important role of housing providers, the Home
Office is implementing changes to the status of housing associ-
ations in relation to these local partnerships. Housing associations
will now be elevated from Tier 3 status - invited to participate in a
CDRP, to Tier 2 status - Duty to Co-operate.
It is hoped that this change will lead to more consistent practices
across the country. As co-operating bodies, associations will be
placed at the heart of decision making and delivery and have the
potential to strengthen information sharing, and to use their voices
in deciding local priorities around crime and disorder.
The guidance has been produced to assist associations in working
more closely with their local partners to tackle anti-social behaviour
and promote Respect in their neighbourhoods. It contains
information and tips on how to work more closely with local CDRPs
as well as detailing the imminent change to housing associations'
status in relation to CDRPs from summer 2007.
Housing Corporation Chief Executive, Jon Rouse said, "Engagement
between CDRPs and housing associations has previously been
variable - whilst some play a very active role in the local CDRP, some
may not have even come into contact.This could be for reasons
including associations feeling that there is no need for them to get
involved, or geographical issues - there may be a large number of
housing associations operating in one area.
"By housing associations now having more ability to engage in
CDRPs locally, it will mean real results for our neighbourhoods.More
effective partnership working means reassurance for communities -
more effective joint initiatives and better information sharing.With
local authorities, housing associations, the police and other agencies
all working together, it should make a real impact on the safety of
local people."
The good practice note is available on the Housing Corporation
website:-
www.housingcorp.gov.uk
ocial LandlordsCrime and Nuisance Group
News
Respect launch eventpulls the crowds
Geoff Thompson MBE - former world karate champion -
and hundreds of Langley residents helped Bowlee Park
Housing embrace the Government's Respect Agenda in a
special fun packed day.The launch day was organised as
a commitment to go broader, deeper and further in to
restoring respect on Langley. Other agencies involved
included Greater Manchester Fire Service, Greater
Manchester Police and Community Safety, The Queen
Elizabeth School pupils and Middleton Youth Inclusion
Project.
Aspiring pop stars turned up to take part in a music
competition and other wannabe actors took part in
theatre workshops. As well as this,many were lured by
the health and fitness options and had a go at football
skills and amateur boxing training sessions.
Jeff Allen, Neighbourhood Manager, for Bowlee Park
Housing said "The aim of
the day was to encourage
self discipline, self esteem,
self confidence and respect
throughout the community
and we think we did that.
We know that young
people often get involved
in anti-social behaviour out
of boredom so we hope by
providing opportunities for
them to try new activities, some of them will think twice
before going down that road. It was encouraging to see
so many young people having so much fun on the day
and we hope some of them at least keep up the activities
they tried."
Geoff Thompson MBE is the five times winner of the
World Karate Champion and founder of the Youth
Charter for Sport, Culture and Arts. He gave an inspira-
tional speech on his journey from social disaffection and
explained how sport had helped him overcome social
and cultural adversity to achieve personal and team
success as
well as
personal
excellence.
Member’s News
Like to know more then contact:
Janine Goodison Communications Officer
New funding for NottinghamFunding of £205,000 for Nottingham’s drive to promote
respect was confirmed by Louise Casey, the Government
Coordinator for Respect, when she visited the city.
Louise Casey visited the Meadows Estate where she met
local residents who have been involved in efforts to
tackle anti-social behaviour and bring respect to their
community. Ms Casey also met with housing officers,
members of the anti-social behaviour team and
neighbourhood police officers at the Meadows Estate
one stop shop to discuss plans to regenerate the area.
Louise Casey said “I am very pleased to confirm that
Nottingham will have £205,000 of funding to, not only
keep up the action needed to tackle anti-social
behaviour but also get to its root causes and stop it
happening in the first place.” She added,“ Nottingham
has already made excellent progress which is why we
recently recognised it as one of the government’s
flagship Respect Areas. The new funding includes money
to fund parenting programmes and to find a designated
parenting expert to ensure we get to problems in the
home before they spill out into the community.”
Alan Gibbon, Chief Executive of Nottingham’s Crime and
Drugs Partnership said “Throughout the ‘weeks of action’
programme we have worked with the national Respect
team and we are delighted that Louise Casey is able to
spend time with us to see some of the developments, of
which we are very proud.” He added “We are committed
to providing services which meet the needs of our
communities and to be accountable to them.”
The City of Nottingham was named in February as one of
forty Respect Areas across the country that have earned
the right to be an exemplar of the Respect programme
through its strong track record in tackling anti-social
behaviour and the willingness and capacity to do more.
Am I bovvered?Noise, dogs, rubbish - having problems with
anti-social behaviour can be bad enough, but
trying to do something about it can be even
harder.
So Knightstone Housing Association held an
event - 'Am I Bovvered?' - for its residents in
March at theWinter Gardens,Weston-super-
Mare. For more than 60 tenants who came
along to the event, it was an opportunity to
say exactly what bothers them on their estate,
what they would like to see done and what
steps could be taken to stop it happening.
Residents spoke to housing officers about
their concerns, and discussed the best way to
deal with different problems. Not surprisingly, residents main concerns
centred around noise, problem neighbours, children and vandalism. Ann
Tyler, a resident in Taunton said, "We've had a couple of problems with
neighbours, but never really knew how to handle it.We really enjoyed today
- it was all done in a really entertaining way, and I think we've got a better
idea of the things we can do to help make things better."
Throughout the day, residents discovered different ways of dealing with
anti-social behaviour - from legal routes to mediation and dreamschemes.
They also heard residents' stories of how they'd come together to sort out
problems on their estate. Angela Gascoigne, the Director of Housing Services
said,“This is the first time we've done anything quite like this. Neighbour
nuisance can be a problem for
everyone and we wanted to help
residents tackle it in a fun and
positive way.”
Like to know more then contact:
Adrian Oldman
Members NewsHeroinCrackdown!Wales &West Housing Association
(WWHA) obtained a Possession Order for
a property in Hillfort Close, Caerau, Cardiff,
after the resident had allowed her partner
to store Class A drugs in the bedrooms.
When Police raided the property in 2006
they found heroin stored in nappy bags
hidden under the beds and drug related
paraphernalia, including weighing scales.
The resident did nothing to discourage
her visitors, who regularly carried out acts
of anti-social behaviour causing her
neighbours harassment, alarm and
distress.
The eviction order was granted by Cardiff
County Court after it examined evidence
provided byWWHA staff and local Police
Officers.
The Association demonstrated to the
Court the devastating effect that the anti-
social behaviour had had upon other
residents, who were too terrified to
appear in court as witnesses.
Police Officers were present and
explained in detail how the effects of
drug dealing lead to increased crime rates
and anti-social behaviour within
communities.
The resident's partner is currently serving
a three year prison sentence for
possession with intent to supply Heroin.
The resident had 14 days to find
alternative accommodation for herself
and her three young children.
Anne Hinchey, Chief Executive of WWHA,
said "We take the issue of drug dealing
very seriously and are determined to
eradicate such acts from the communities
in which we work.This is a good example
of partnerships achieving positive results
and enhancing the lives of residents and
the wider community".
Like to know more then contact:
Sharon Lee,Wales &West Ass. Director
(Support Services) 0800 052 2526
The Tunstall Local Centre has been successful in securing the first Demoted
Tenancy in Stoke on Trent, at a property on the Stanfield Estate. The case
involved a tenant being found guilty of possession and cultivation of
cannabis at his home address.
This reduces the tenant’s security of tenure, acts as a final offer of support
and a final warning that if their conduct does not alter, they will be evicted.
Demoted tenants lose a number of rights including
� Right to buy � Right to take in lodgers
� Right to sub let � Right to mutually exchange
� Right to improve � Right to vote (transfer to a new landlord)
� Right to claim compensation for
improvements
Like to know more then contact:
Paul Robinson, Stoke on Trent CC
Tel 01782 233061
First demoted tenancy
Respect Awards
Respect Awards forTaking a Stand 2006/7
The Respect Awards for Taking a Stand (RAFTAS) are all
about recognising the commitment, energy and
courage of members of the public who have made real
improvements in their communities, and inspiring those
who want to do more to tackle anti-social behaviour.?
271 winners were chosen out of the 740 nominations
received for the 2006/7 Respect Awards for Taking a
Stand, each receiving £1,000 to be spent on improving
their local community.
Over 100 winners were presented with their awards by
the Home Secretary John Reid and the Government’s
Co-ordinator for Respect, Louise Casey at a ceremony in
London in March 2007.
Louise Casey said: “Our RAFTAS award winners are truly
ambassadors for the Respect drive. It is not easy to
stand up to those doing wrong the winners of these
awards have been deservedly recognised for working
with the police and local authorities to challenge the
minority of people who think it is acceptable to
intimidate, harass and blight our communities.
“They have cleaned up graffiti, set up residents groups,
given evidence in court and organised activities for
young people.They have proved, yet again, that
determined members of the public are the most
effective weapon in tackling, not tolerating, anti-social
behaviour. They have shown commitment, drive and
courage and are an inspiration to us all.
“We all have the right to live our lives free from
harassment, yet with those rights come responsibilities.
I urge people not to suffer in silence but to work
alongside the police and local authorities to create a
more respectful society.”
For the third year running residents of West Kent
Housing Association have scooped a prestigious
Respect Awards For Taking A Stand against anti-social
behaviour in their neighbourhoods.
That’s why four residents from the Shenden Close
area of Sevenoaks were delighted to be named
among the winners nationwide, only two of which
were from the Kent.
Ms Reeves,Ms Jennings and Mr and Mrs.Malins were
nominated by the Sevenoaks Community Safety
Partnership after taking positive action to stop a local
man from causing continuous anti-social behaviour
including threats, harassment and assault.
The group approachedWest Kent Housing
Association in June 2006 about the problems that
were blighting their neighbourhood.
Despite fears of reprisals, the group agreed to provide
evidence and written statements to highlight the
issues they were facing. Their input was invaluable.
Thanks to this evidence, and by working in
partnership with the residents, Community Constable
Intelligence Unit and Anti-Social Behaviour Officers of
West Kent Police,West Kent Housing Association was
later able to take the offender,Mr Hickmott, to court
to face the consequences of his actions.
“The welfare of our staff and residents is paramount”,
says West Kent Housing Association’s Community
Support Co-ordinator, Phil Dey. “We were delighted
that our residents have received this reward and have
been recognised for taking a stand. It shows that the
community has the power to tackle individuals
causing a problem and we hope this will inspire other
people to come forward and work with us to take
action against anti-social behaviour in the future.
Three council residents from Sutton
have just been recognised for their
efforts in tackling anti-social behaviour
and working to create safer
communities at a special awards
ceremony in London.
The winning residents each received a
Respect Award For Taking A Stand
(RAFTAS) for their commitment, energy
and courage in standing up to vandals,
thugs and nuisance neighbours.
Sutton Housing Partnership nominated three tenants
from Sutton andWorcester Park areas, in recognition
of the part they played in coming forward to provide
evidence and put a stop to anti-social behaviour.
Sutton Housing Partnership’s anti-social behaviour
team worked closely with neighbours who came
forward to provide evidence and helped the
partnership gain authority to evict the nuisance
family.
In December 2006, a 36 year old tenant and her adult
son were evicted from their home, after putting
neighbours through two years of intimidation, noise,
vehicle nuisance and theft.
The actions of these residents and neighbours who
helped have had a real impact on the whole
community with residents telling us “We had a light
covering of snow in our road recently and it bought
young children into the street to play together,
something that would not have happened before!
There is no more noise it is so quiet.”
Mother-of-two Carol Williams, aged 40, stood up to physical and
verbal abuse from neighbours in Garston, Liverpool, and won a
court ruling allowing South Liverpool Housing to take possession
of the perpetrators’ property.
South Liverpool Housing Community Safety Manager Sharon
Marsh said:.“This is a tribute to the personal courage of Carol, but
means much more than that.”
“Her advice and encouragement for people on theWitness
Support Forum has given others the confidence to come forward
in similar cases and it is therefore a victory for the whole
community.”
Carol suffered from a catalogue of problems including everything
from car and living room windows
being smashed, drunken and
rowdy behaviour in the street and
even an attempt to run over her
teenage child.
Like to know more then contact:
Alexa Loukas
Communications and Marketing Manager
Like to know more then contact:
Sharon Marsh
South Liverpool Housing
0151 285 5632
Respect Awards
Family from Hellevicted
One of the most serious ASB cases undertaken on
behalf of Richmond Housing Partnership (RHP) by Scott
Greenwood of Coffin Mew & Clover Solicitors saw a
successful conclusion after the eviction of what
residents described as ‘the family from hell’ from Butts
Farm Estate in Hanworth.
This estate is part of a major regeneration project and is
the subject of a local lettings plan in the area to prevent
ASB on the estate. RHP moved to evict the Eastwood
family after three members were jailed for violence
against people on the estate during 2006.
In March and April 2006,Mark Eastwood, his son Mark
Jnr and his nephew Noah Eastwood assaulted and
threatened to kill a number of residents on the Butts
Farm Estate. The assaults and threats were unprovoked
and one of the assaults involved Mark Jnr setting his pit
bull terrier on a resident.
Scott says:“Because of the serious nature of their
criminal actions, the police had advised RHP that they
could not rely on this evidence for civil proceedings
until after the criminal proceedings had been
successfully concluded.“
“There were a number of residents who gave
statements to the police and who agreed to provide
evidence in the Crown court. As the Eastwoods had a
track record for witness intimidation, the police were
concerned that the witnesses would pull out if civil
proceedings came first.”
“These concerns were very real, as the police had
previously tried to bring an action against the Eastwood
family - but because people were fearful of coming
forward the police were unable to pursue the charges.
In this case the witnesses had to be permanently re-
housed.”
Once the criminal proceedings had concluded Scott
issued possession proceedings on behalf of RHP.
Because of the successful outcome of the criminal
convictions. the witnesses were arranged to attend the
Court. The evidence was so compelling the judge dealt
with the case in half a day and obtained an outright
order, which was served by Bailiffs acting for RHP.
They discovered the house and garden was in a
shambolic state and estimate at least £25,000 worth of
damage has been done to the terraced house.
“Anti-social behaviour is not acceptable in any form, but
this was an extreme case that needed extreme
measures.Without local people, aided by RHP and the
police, taking a stand against very serious intimidation
this case could not
have seen a successful
conclusion,” concludes
Scott.
First DIY possession
orderNew Progress Housing Association is celebrating after
obtaining its first Do-It-Yourself Possession Order. The
Association's Tenancy Enforcement team successfully
obtained a possession order against a nuisance tenant
without employing the services of solicitors, saving the
organisation and its tenants around £4,500 in legal costs.
The Leyland-based Association was forced to serve
notice of seeking possession on a tenant, Catherine
Hughes, after repeated incidents of excessive noise,
threatening and abusive behaviour, and violent assaults
made neighbours' lives a misery. The 29-year-old mother
of one also operated an 'open house' and allowed
intoxicated youths and adults to gather in and around
her property and engage in anti-social behaviour.
Working with evidence provided by local residents and
the Community Beat Manager, the association was
granted possession of her home.
Sgt Neil Sladen of Leyland Police said “We fully support
this action taken by New Progress and will continue to
work with them to reduce anti-social behaviour.”
Says Bernie Keenan,Managing Director, “We always offer
support to any tenant who is at risk of losing their
tenancy. However, when a tenant refuses our support
and continues to threaten the quality of life for people in
the surrounding area, we will enforce their tenancy
conditions. We will take whatever steps are necessary to
maintain peaceful communities and protect the rights of
tenants to feel safe in
their homes.”
Like to know more then contact:
Scott Greenwood Association
CMC 02380574410
Like to know more then contact:
Tim Frier
Member’s News
Victim of ASB? -who you gonnacall??
Harvest Housing Group put its customer’s needs at the
very forefront when it embarked on its out of hour’s anti-
social behaviour service. It already used the company
Orbis to manage it’s out of hour’s emergency repairs calls
and realised that this need stretched to deal with issues
surrounding ASB.
The Group takes a strong stance again anti-social
behaviour. As a member of the Respect Standard, its 10
strong Community Safety Team, deal with issues
surrounding anti-social behaviour, crime and domestic
violence on a daily basis.
In November 2005 it set up it’s new out of hours anti-
social behaviour service and immediately saw the
benefits. Most calls receive support from Orbis’ operators
who write up the incident in a digital diary that is posted
immediately on-line for the Community Safety Team.
Where incidents are more serious, operators ask one of
eight officers within the group’s Community Safety Team
to contact the caller. Where the case is an emergency,
calls are immediately transferred to the relevant officer.
The service is geared towards being easy to use and
accessible.The telephone number is publicised in all anti-
social behaviour literature and operators do the written
work and provide callers with step-by-step guidance.
Audio recordings of telephone conversations can be used
in court as evidence to convey the full force of the
violence and Language Line and Type Talk make the
service accessible to diverse communities.
The service is also unique in the way that you can text the
number. For example if they are in a situation where they
are in danger if they call, victims can instead text details
to the service which are instantly recorded.
This also helps victims and witnesses to understand that
they can remain anonymous – they simply need to tell us
who,where and when?
The service also uses a coded contact system whereby
customers with existing cases receive a special code to
release information about their case history and needs to
operators.
Ultimately, the service provides a seamless service 24
hours a day for both victims and witnesses of anti-social
behaviour, alongside emergency repairs.
Twin Valley Homessigns up to Respect
Ian Bell, Head of Housing, said "Signing up to the
Respect Standard signals our commitment to tackling
anti-social behaviour. We want to reassure our tenants
that there will be no let up in our drive to create
decent and safe places to live."
Member’s News
New Neighbourhoodpolicing scheme
A new neighbourhood policing
scheme in west London is the first
in the country to provide round-
the-clock police patrols in parts of
its borough. Hammersmith &
Fulham will spend £1.5m for the
teams covering Fulham Broadway
and Shepherds Bush town centres.More than 30 hand-
picked police officers will be on patrol from next month
tackling anti-social behaviour.
It follows the murder of Kodjo Yenga, 16, who was
stabbed to death in Hammersmith.
Michael Wallace from the Oswald Stoll Mansions
Residents Association in Fulham said: "We get a lot of
problems around here in the early hours of the
morning. Some people are frightened to leave their
homes because of the gangs and drunks around the
place. Hopefully the 24/7 neighbourhood policing will
stop the rowdiness."
Each town centre will have its own team made up of a
dedicated and accountable police inspector managing
five sergeants, 10 police constables and 15 police
community support officers.
Book Review
Housing Managers arefromMars, socialworkers are fromVenus.... So reads one of the 15 chapter headings from this interesting
new book “Supporting safer communities: Housing crime and
neighbourhoods”. Edited by Alan Dearling,Tim Newburn and
Peter Somerville, contributors are predominantly lecturers and
researchers in housing, criminal justice and social policy.
“Not another academic thesis!” I hear you cry.While it’s true that
dealing with anti-social behaviour has become a growth industry
in the world of academia, this book was commissioned by CIH
and so retains its grounding in housing policy and practice.
The book addresses the four themes of
� disorder and regeneration
� policing crime and disorder
� service provider approaches to safer communities
� social inclusion and community safety.
In setting the scene, the editors emphasise the difficulties caused
when professional cultures and practices get in the way of
effective joint working, and this is an issue that runs through the
book. As well as giving an overview of the historical context of
tackling anti-social behaviour, the book contains examples of
good practice, comments on the impact of the Respect Agenda
and makes reference to the work of SLCNG.
All in all a worthwhile addition to your team’s library.
For further reading, the book complements the volume published
in July 2006 by The Policy Press “Housing, urban governance and
anti-social behaviour” edited by John Flint - one of our colleagues
from Sheffield Hallam University.
“Supporting safer communities: Housing crime and
neighbourhoods”CIH Housing Policy and Practice Series –
published November 2006 in collaboration with the Housing
Studies Association. Available for £25 from
www.cih.org/publications or by calling 02476 851700
This is one of an occasional series of book reviews. If you would
like to contribute a review of an anti-social behaviour related
publication, please let us know at Nuisance News.
Peter Jackson
Faculty of Health & Social Care
INVOLVED IN MANAGINGANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR?ANGLIA RUSKIN UNIVERSITY OFFERS THREE RELEVANT QUALIFICATIONS:
• UNDERGRADUATE DIPLOMA IN THE MANAGEMENT OF ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR
• POSTGRADUATE CERTIFICATE IN THE MANAGEMENT OF ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR
• MASTERS IN NEIGHBOURHOOD MANAGEMENT AND ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR
Three ground-breaking courses, entirelydedicated to the exploration of anti-socialbehaviour issues with additional skillsin neighbourhood management availablein the MA. Assessment is based onreflection of practical experiences in theworkplace (no traditional examinations).Specialist, individual tutorial support is available to prepare you for yourassessments. Entry at different levels for non graduates and graduates with theopportunity of continuing to a masters degree in anti-social behaviour andneighbourhood management.
PROVIDED BY ANGLIA RUSKIN UNIVERSITY IN COLLABORATION WITH THE GOVERNMENT OFFICE FOR THE EAST OF ENGLAND.
www.anglia.ac.uk/fhsc
Injunction againsta takeaway
Aspire Housing has worked in partnership with local resi-
dents, the Police and Environmental Health Officers to
secure an injunction order against the leaseholder of one
of its commercial properties – a takeaway in Silverdale,
Staffordshire.
The premises were previously licensed to open until
12.30am Sunday to Thursday and 1.00am on Friday and
Saturday.
Local residents contacted Aspire to complain about noise
nuisance by the proprietor who played loud music and
an extractor fan that was louder than good practice
allows.
Aspire contacted other residents to establish the scale of
the problem, as well as the Police and Environmental
Health Officers. A case was prepared and presented in
Court when the Injunction was granted.
In addition to combating the noise nuisance, the
Injunction covers music from visitors’ cars as well as anti-
social behaviour by customers.
Kathryn Harvey, Aspire’s Solicitor explains “We are keen
to publicise this case as it clearly demonstrates that we
will not tolerate anti social behaviour in any form. With
evidence provided by local residents, and by working in
partnership with the Police and Environmental Health,
we are able to work quickly to stop nuisance that
impacts on the lives of local residents.”
She added,“Since the Injunction was granted we are
delighted to report that the leaseholder appears to be
abiding by the order, and we have not received any fur-
ther complaints from local residents.”
Like to know more then contact:
Kate Boundy ,Marketing and
Communications Manager 01782 854863
Resident’sson sentto prison
Three Valleys Housing, which is
based in Sandiacre, has had a
resident’s son sent to prison for
breach of an injunction.The
injunction was obtained in August
2006 due to Mr Moores behaviour
towards staff and the police. Mr
Moore broke the terms of the
injunction by verbally abusing
carelink staff and the Police who
attended an incident. He was
subsequently jailed for 21 days for
breach of the injunction order. Nick
Lees, Anti-Social Behaviour Officer
said “At no time will we allow any of
our staff or our fellow partnership
staff be abused or physically
attacked .This sentence sends out a
clear message that any such
incidents will be put before the
courts and the appropriate action
taken.”
Like to know more then contact:
Nick Lees Tel : 0115 968 4054
Industry First - Section222 injunction to closeNight Club
Hackney homes has been granted injunctions against the Passing Clouds
Night Time venue
The injunctions were granted to Hackney Homes due to the noise and
nuisance being caused to our residents by events being held at the above
premises, and the fact that the premises were unfit to be used for these
purpose's, without licences being granted to sell alcohol, or to perform Music.
So serious was the danger to persons visiting the venue due to lack of
facilities, fire precautions equipment, inadequate fire protection, inadequate
Fire Exit signs, unsafe facilities, and no emergency lighting therein.
All the statutory agencies came together to act as one team, led by Brian
Doran manager of the Mouchel Parkman Anti-Social Behaviour Team.
It is believed that this is the first time that a local government section 222 has
been used in the United Kingdom to stop nuisance emanating from a night
time entertainment venue.
The terms of the injunction have made it uneconomical for the night club to
continue to open.
This was achieved by the working together of local residents, Hackney
Homes, the Police, London Fire
Brigade, Environmental Health, and
the London Borough of Hackney legal
services.
Like to know more then contact:
Brian Doran, Neighbourhood
Relations Manager 020-8356-5951
Member’s News
Closureorderondrugden
Poplar HARCA and the Police Safer Neighbourhood
Team were granted a Drugs Closure Order in Tower
Hamlets.This property was a major concern for
residents because of the drug dealing, noise
nuisance and intimidation by visitors to the flat.
Foluke Ajaye, Poplar HARCA tenancy enforcement
officer, said,“This is a victory for the community
who reported the problems they were experi-
encing to us. Their information has been vital to
help us and the police take this case forward.This
closure notice sends a clear message that we will
not tolerate crime or anti-social behaviour on our
estates.We will not hesitate to take legal action to
make Poplar a safer place to live”.
Three more ASBO’sTwo young people from the Burdett estate in
Tower Hamlets and one other youth from Forest
Gate area have been issued with anti-social
behaviour orders. The youths were involved in
various acts of anti social behaviour, which
included the carrying of offensive weapons.
Jamie Lock, Senior Tenancy Enforcement Officer,
said;“These three individuals were responsible for
a considerable amount of anti social behaviour.
These latest ASBO’s and the four that were granted
in November 2006 highlight the good work that
has been done by Poplar HARCA, local Police Safer
Neighbourhood Team but most of all the residents
that have come forward to report these incidents”.
Like to know more then contact:
Kathryn Bydawell
020 7510 0535
Domestic abusecourt opens
Portsmouth’s first ever specialist domestic abuse court (SDAC)
was launched by Solicitor General Mike O’Brien in March.
The SDAC is more than just a court. It is a community
response to domestic abuse and will have a new service to
support those witnesses who are attending court.
Between April 2006 and January 2007, there were 3,301
reported domestic abuse incidents in Portsmouth. More than
55% of domestic violence cases reported nationally are taken
to court. Of these, nearly 70% result in conviction.
Portsmouth’s new court hopes to improve that conviction
rate.
Tonia Earey, Preventing Youth Offending Project Team
Manager, was seconded to co-ordinate the court set-up since
last September. She said “This is a massive step forward for
people experiencing domestic abuse being able to fast-track
justice as well as offer support during the criminal justice
process and beyond.”
ASBO for HounslowTenant
A Hounslow tenant has been made the subject
of a two years and eight months anti-social
behaviour order.
He risks arrest and could be jailed if he breaches
this order and must not act in any anti-social way
anywhere in England or Wales.
Details of the the tenant’s actions and the consequences are
given in a booklet
produced by
Hounslow Homes.
Like to know more then contact:
The ASB team at Hounslow Homes
on 0800 085 6575
Member’s News
Possession of
property at first time
of askingWaterloo Housing Association has
obtained the possession of a property at
the first time of asking against the
defendant who had been causing problems
in the area where she resided for some time.
However, neighbours were too scared of
repercussions to come forward and give
evidence. Complaints included visitors to
the property arriving at all hours of the
night and day,mopeds begin driven up and
down the road and a number of drug raids
were carried out by the Police.
One neighbour said that she had to prevent
her children playing with the defendant’s
children as they continually talked about
selling drugs.
Given the serious nature of the allegations,
the Judge had no hesitation in making an
Outright Possession Order in 14 days.
Dot Pawlowski of Cobbetts LLP said “This
case highlights that, if a situation is serious
enough, the Courts will support social
landlords in the fights against anti social
behaviour and will not hesitate in making
Possession Orders, even at the first time of
asking”.
Village VictoryOver ASBO BulliesThe tiny village of Mattersey Thorpe decided they'd had enough of
two families causing them misery and their action has led to a Respect
Award for Taking a Stand.
Fed up with being physically assaulted, verbally abused and their
houses and cars damaged, tenants from Nottingham Community
Housing Association and A1 Housing asked their landlords to send in
some support. Their Anti-Social Behaviour teams joined up with
Bassetlaw District Council to obtain evidence using CCTV and sound
equipment, and armed with this they went to the local police.
Despite threats from the culprits, eight residents stayed strong and
with heavy police protection and support from the ASB teams, their
evidence was used at a two-day hearing at Worksop County Court in
December 2006.
As a result an immediate Possession Order was given against the
NCHA family and Anti-Social Behaviour Injunctions were given against
the father and son excluding them from the village. The father of the
A1 Housing family accepted a court undertaking for 12 months and
his son received a 12-month injunction. They also received a
suspended possession order for a period of 12 months.
With the village restored to calm, it was decided that their action
deserved some reward and they were put forward for the Respect
Awards. Run in partnership with Crime Concern and the Co-op, these
awards recognise individuals and groups who have transformed their
communities by tackling problems such as anti-social behaviour.
Mattersey Thorpe has now won £1,000 from the Taking a Stand
awards to ensure the village remains a happy place to live. At a
ceremony in Birmingham in April tenant Penny Jackson accepted the
Award on behalf of the villagers who stood together.
Member’s News
Important changes
to Section 26 and 27Amendments to anti-social
behaviour injunctions (ASBIs) have
been introduced by Sections 26, 27
and Schedule 10 of the Police and
Justice Act 2006 which came into
force on 6 April 2007.
Anti-social behaviour injunctions
enable social landlords to apply for
injunctions to prohibit anti-social
behaviour that affect the
management of their housing stock.
In particular, the section 26
amendment means that members
of the community for whom an
ASBI is designed to protect, need
not always be named on the face of
the order.
� Section 26 is intended to confirm
that injunctions should be
available to protect the wider
community including those who
do not wish to be identified.
� Section 27 and Schedule 10
strengthen the powers available
in relation to injunctions that are
available to local authorities
under section 222 (Local
Government Act 1972).
The Department for Communities
and Local Government has issued a
letter to practitioners drawing
attention to these changes and
providing more information for
legal teams and advisors.
Your ChoiceConferences
The Your Choice conferences have been
successfully delivered to schools across
Merseyside for the past 3 years. From
September 2006 to April 2007 it has been
delivered to 3550 year 6 pupils from 72 primary
schools. The conferences support and meet the
PHSE schools citizenship criteria and are now
linked with and support the governments
Respect Agenda.
The main objective is to make young people
aware that they alone are responsible for their
choice of behaviour and the possible
consequences of those choices. This idea that
has grown into the major theme and
conference title Your Choice.
The event is co-ordinated by Merseytravel and
Liverpool Anti-Social Behaviour Unit and is
supported by many local organisations. The
conferences are delivered in specialised City
Learning Centres which have the capacity for
150 children and have excellent theatre space.
The one day interactive project utilises theatre,
drama, rap and IT within its workshops to
convey a powerful message to pupils regarding
what can happen when engaging in acts of
anti-social behaviour. The event can be tailored
to address specific issues which are affecting
communities or schools such as criminal
damage, gang culture, dangerous dogs, etc.
Bill Morris, Head of Liverpool's Anti-Social
Behaviour Unit said: "The aim of this conference
is to bring home to young people what can
actually constitute anti-social behaviour. This
type of behaviour can take many forms and the
effect that this behaviour can have, not only on
the community in which they live, but also the
environment. The message aims to reinforce to
pupils that acts of anti-social behaviour can
affect the quality of life not only for themselves
but for their families as well. "
Star quality in tackling ASBA Cheshire housing provider, that in 2005 had a no-star rating and
“uncertain prospects for improvement”, has now been rated by
the Audit Commission as being one of the NorthWest’s best
social landlords.
The Commission highlighted Chester & District Housing Trust’s
tackling of anti-social behaviour through its Community
Contracts initiative has been as key to its achieving a “2 star,
excellent” rating. The Trust now stands as one of only eight
registered social landlords in the country to have been
recognised as offering an ‘excellent’ service.
The Community Contracts initiative is an innovative approach to
neighbourhood management and community empowerment
that aims to tackle occurrences of anti-social behaviour such as
vandalism, youth nuisance and speeding traffic.
The scheme has been introduced following the Trust’s largest
ever community consultation exercise, where each of its 6,500
residents were consulted on contracts detailing improvements
that will be made to their homes and neighbourhoods, and asked
to identify specific local concerns that could be tackled through
locally controlled neighbourhood budgets.
The Audit Commission said:“Community Contracts are an
innovative and effective way to ensure Trust activities reflect
customer priorities. Tenants we met at a focus group spoke
highly of the way in which the contracts had given tenants a real
say on service priorities and the way in which they were kept up
to date with developments.”
John Denny, Chief Executive at the Trust says:“With our residents’
help, the new Community Contracts scheme has been more of a
success than we thought possible. We have had lots of extremely
useful feedback about what measures residents would like to see
taken in order to improve the safety and quality of their
neighbourhoods, and many of those are being tackled through
local Community Intervention Budgets.
Skip days, giving
residents the chance to
dispose of unwanted
items free of charge have
also been great success
in clearing up Trust
neighbourhoods and
tackling fly-tipping,
whilst engendering a real
community atmosphere in
the process.
Like to know more then contact:
Bill Morris 0151 225 4892
Like to know more then contact:
Alexandra Bogin 0151 236 2323
Member’s News
First Community HouseFor Basingstoke
Kingfisher Housing
Association has
opened
Basingstoke’s first
Community House.
A community house
is a house in the
community for the
community and as
such is cited as good practice in the tackling of anti-
social behaviour. The aim of the Kingfisher Community
House is to be used as a base where various agencies can
be present in the area.
The three bedroom empty house will allow the Police,
the Community Wardens and Kingfisher staff to have an
office from where they can work with the local
community. Also the lounge and kitchen area can be
used for local resident groups to meet for coffee
mornings and other events. It is envisaged that in the
future, the Kingfisher Community House could also be
used as a ‘drop-in’ health centre.
Situated in the heart of a South Ham estate close to
shops and on a public thoroughfare, the Community
House is in an ideal location to help tackle anti-social
behaviour. Due to the shopping facilities and layout of
this area, incidents of criminal activity are higher than
they would be in a non-commercial area as local youths
congregate here. Dedicated Police and Community
Warden presence should reduce incidents of anti-social
behaviour in the area.The Kingfisher Community House
will enable various agencies to have a base in the area
where they can be on hand and approachable to
residents.
Kingfisher HA will be responsible for its rent, repairs and
maintenance, allowing it to be used free of charge by
many agencies as a vital community resource.
Carol Williams, Kingfisher’s Managing Director said ,“We
are very proud to be working with Basingstoke and
Deane, the Police, Community Wardens and other
agencies on the Community House Project, the first of its
kind for Basingstoke.We take dealing with anti-social
behaviour extremely seriously and this project should
have a very positive
impact on the area
around Burnaby
Close.”
Like to know more then contact:
Mel Purves, Tenancy Enforcement
Officer 01256 302406
Brandishing afirearm on the
internetTwo brothers, aged 12 and 13 from
Halewood,Merseyside have received
two year ASBO’s. They also received
6 month ISO’s and their mother was
issued with a Parenting Order.
The orders banned them from
entering an estate where they had
been instrumental in terrorising
residents. Further clauses that were
granted prohibited throwing stones,
driving off road motorbikes,
threatening people and generally
causing nuisance.
The mother’s property was a site for
regular parties and anti-social
behaviour.
A complaint was received after the
house was fired at by masked
gunmen.
The family would not engage with
Arena but initial warnings reduced
the problems. It became apparent
that the boys were causing problems
elsewhere in Halewood.
Partner agencies worked closely
together to address this and
identified two witnesses willing to
go to court. One witness had been
fired at with a pellet gun by the
younger brother. The witnesses
received a support package at the
request of Arena from their landlord
KHT,which included a camera instal-
lation.
The summons served by the Police
was thrown on the floor by their
mother and then posted back to the
Police station. As a result they did
not attend the hearing and interim
orders were granted. They also failed
to turn up for two subsequent
hearing.
Arenas ASB Team served a NSP and
started Possession proceedings.
A resident reported that the younger
brother was on an internet site
brandishing a gun. An inspection of
the site showed it to be a rifle style
paint gun.
The video clip also contained
footage of dangerous dogs, off roads
bikes, samurai swords and even a
handgun. Images from the site were
printed off and exhibited with the
evidence.
Member’s News
Helping familiesto get back on trackCommunities with anti-social behaviour
problems are set to benefit from a new service
to help families change their behaviour. Servite
Houses has been funded by The Housing
Corporation to set up a Family Support Project.
It will be working in partnership with Thames,
Threshold andWandle Housing Associations,
covering an area of more than 4,000 homes in
Wandsworth and Lambeth.
Mary Langston, the family intervention project
leader, said “We want to help families engaging
in ASB to change their behaviour and live
respectfully in the communities they’ve
disrupted. The reasons behind ASB are often
complex and varied, but we think that with a
combination of support, sanctions and
enforcement we can make dramatic
differences.”
The project began in April with families who
live in Servite homes. Each family takes part in
the project for six months. It is hoped to
support a further six families from September
and a further six from April 2008.
The project will target families who are at risk
of legal action regarding their home as a result
of persistent anti-social behaviour and will
focus on those with one or more children under
18.
By using contracts to set out standards of
behaviour, support plans and weekly reviews
with the families, it is hoped to address
underlying issues affecting their behaviour and
prevent any future nuisance behaviour.
At the end of the six months it is hoped to have
changed the families’ perceptions of
themselves and also their behaviour. This, in
turn, will free up the time and resources of
public services such as the police and social
services who may have been involved with the
family before the project.
Anti-social behaviourbeacon status award
Last month Portsmouth CC was awarded a prestigious “beacon
status” award for its excellent, hard-working anti-social behaviour
unit. It is one of four local authorities handed the Preventing and
Tackling Anti-Social Behaviour beacon status.
The beacon status assessment included a rigorous series of
inspections, senior management presentations, tours of the city
and its services and visits from Home Office and Improvement and
Development Agency officials.
A major part of the short-listing process saw local residents give
honest opinions, to assessors, about the anti-social behaviour unit’s
achievements and areas they needed to work on.
Roy Goulding, anti-social behaviour unit manager, said:“We are all
extremely proud about this news.To be nationally recognised in
this way, to be one of just four local authorities in the country
given an award for tackling anti-social behaviour, just confirms our
team’s commitment to partnership work and to making
Portsmouth a safer city for all our residents.”
The anti-social behaviour unit achieved beacon status because of
its:
� close and highly professional working relationship with
Hampshire Constabulary;
� engaging the community in local issues such as crack house
closures;
� delivery of community training programmes for community
wardens across the South East;
� witness and victim support services;
� creation of Safer Neighbourhood Teams with police, police
community support officers and community wardens working
together with residents;
� sharing information amongst services, especially those for
young people such as the Preventing Young Offenders Project
(PYOP);
� clear vision and
leadership of all
partners in tackling
anti-social
behaviour;
Pictured are Rachel
Dalby (Head of
Community Safety) and
Roy Goulding with the
Beacon Status award.
Like to know more then contact:
Ali Oxborrow 020 8307 7996
Member’s News
ASBInjunctionbreached
AWashington youth has been
sentenced to 14 days detention for
breaching his Anti-Social Behaviour
Injunction.
Mark Phelps, 19 of Usworth,
Washington was sentenced to seven
days detention after being arrested
in an area he is excluded from in the
early hours of Saturday morning.
A seven day suspended sentence
for a previous breach of the
injunction was also enforced.
Scott Richardson, Neighbourhood
Nuisance Enforcement Officer for
Sunderland Housing Group said:
“Phelps was identified by SHG and
Northumbria Police as being part of
a group of youths involved in anti
social behaviour in the Concord
area of Washington. SHG applied
for and obtained the injunction in
August last year which prevents him
from entering a large part of
Concord between the hours of 6pm
and 6am.”
Scott added that “While we regret
that this youth has been detained it
should serve as a warning to those
involved that Washington Housing
Company will use all the powers
available to tackle anti social
behaviour.”
Like to know more then contact:
Sarah Todd, PR Manager
Community SafetyAccreditation
Community Safety Accreditation has been awarded by Lancashire Police to
Twin Valley Homes and the Anti-Social Behaviour Team.
The accreditation scheme strengthens the links between the Police and Twin
Valley Homes and grants recognised staff with limited powers to help them
in their work within the local community.
Six staff gained accreditation after a strict selection and can be identified by
their Twin Valley Homes jackets bearing the special ‘Community Safety
Scheme Accredited’ badge.
They will also carry an identification card, which confirms what powers they
have to:-
� access and share information and intelligence with Lancashire
Constabulary.
� request name and address for a range of reasons
Community Safety Accreditation allows the Chief Constable to accredit non-
police employees, working in a community safety role, with a limited range of
police powers. It benefits both the organisation and the police by enabling
information sharing between the two groups enhancing the service to the
community.
Assistant Chief Constable Michael Cunningham who awarded the accredi-
tation said: "It is a pleasure to award these accreditations. I feel they serve to
extend the policing family adding another
string to our bow,which we use to better
serve and protect the community.
Like to know more then contact:
Martin Jackson
Tel : 01254 269099
Member’s News
Respectand Responsibility
ProjectEver had the feeling that you’re just reacting to
anti-social behaviour instead of trying to
prevent it. So did Warren Stone and Tracy
Beech, Anti-Social Behaviour Co-ordinators for
Redditch Borough Council. So in November
2005 they decided they would try to do
something about it and brain stormed
possible solutions and the front runner was …
schools.
They put together the project which was aimed at
children aged between 7 and 11. This age was chosen as
Warren and Tracy considered that children would be
more receptive and would spread the word to other
family members.
After a pilot of a single session, it was apparent that this
was insufficient time to get the message across. As a
result, they developed a two session package for years 5
to 7 and a five session package for years 3 and 4.
The two session package
consists of two 55 minute
sessions presented to the
children in their own class during
their PHSE lessons. These
sessions are fun but still hard
hitting. For extra emphasis on the sanctions that can be
used, cases that Warren and Tracy have dealt with are
discussed, from ABC’s to eviction, of course no names are
mentioned.
The package for years 3 and 4 is
over 5 individual sessions of 45
minutes and includes subjects
such as ‘playing outside’. These
sessions are presented with a
softer approach and no mention is made of the words
‘anti-social behaviour,’ just positive behaviours for the
community.
The feedback from pupils and teachers has been very
positive and has shown that the information has been
aimed at the correct level.
Warren or Tracy are
now fully booked
until June 2008.!!!
Like to know more then contact:
Warren or Tracy 01527 534194
Member’s News
‘I enjoyed this project
and would like to do
it in an assembly’
Pupil (Year 6)
Crack House
closuresHampshire Police has closed down two homes in
Aldershot which were notorious for drug dealing.
Hyde Housing Association and Pavilion Housing
Association which own the properties worked alongside
the police through the organisation SHAARP which was
set up to deal with anti-social behaviour in Hampshire.
The property closures follow a number of high profile
drugs raids by police across Hampshire, Surrey and
London earlier this month. At Aldershot County Court
evidence was presented by police on drug dealing and
other anti-social behaviour at the properties.
SHAARP project manager Thalia Ali said “The anti-social
behaviour at the property on the High Street included
visitors urinating in communal areas, excessive noise
and rubbish. SHAARP has worked in partnership with
the police on these year-long cases and we are
delighted that
there is now a
positive resolution
for all concerned.”
Like to know more then contact:
Emma Tedman
‘I enjoyed this project
and would like to do
it in an assembly’
Pupil (Year 6)
Family intervention at workNottingham Family Intervention Project and Nottingham
Community Housing Association (NCHA) have teamed
together to help one of their families.
The mother, Susan, suffers depression and following a
break up with her husband let matters get out of hand.
She fell behind with the rent, the house began to fall into
disrepair and her five children were left to their own
devices.
Neighbours complained to the Police who notified
Nottingham Community Housing Association. Despite
frequent phone calls, letters and personal visits, no-one
could gain entry to the house.
Following a suspected burglary, the Police gained access
to find bare walls and floors and the house not fit to live
in. Holes in the plaster, bare wiring, ceilings caving in, no
cooking facilities and water running down the staircase
meant the property was uninhabitable.
NCHA’s Senior Anti-Social Behaviour Officer Geoff
Pittham contacted the Family Intervention Project to try
and work out a way for the family to move on, and
hopefully turn themselves around.
The family signed up to an agreement which gave them
another NCHA house in a
different part of the city.
For the first time in many
years they have carpet on
the floor and something
to wash their clothes in.
In return, they have to
agree to engage with
support on education,
parenting and family skills
and entry into
employment.
To help them keep these
good intentions will be a
team of support workers.
NCHA Senior Anti-Social
Behaviour Officer Geoff
Pittham said, "This is Last Chance Saloon time for this
family. They've lost the way but we think that with
support we can turn them round. But make no mistake -
the only people who can help the family are themselves.
It's early days yet, but after just a week after they've
moved, the whole family look better and they are excited
about growing their own vegetables in their new garden.
The boys are keen to start courses in plumbing and
electrical engineering.”
Member’s News
Action on anti-socialbehaviourMid Devon District Council’s housing service has
chalked up two recent successes in dealing with anti-
social behaviour that was affecting Council tenants.
They are both good examples that show that the
council take their responsibility to tenants seriously,
and will not hesitate to take any necessary action
against people causing problems through anti-social
behaviour.
Demotion of tenancy
Following the conviction on drug offences of a Council
tenant in Tiverton, the Council was granted its first ever
‘Demotion of Tenancy’ in the County Court in Exeter in
April 2007.
This means that the tenant concerned has his previous
rights of secure tenancy withdrawn for one year, and
that if he is found guilty of any further breaches of his
tenancy within the next 12 months, they will
commence possession proceedings against him.
Injunction with a Power of Arrest
In a separate case, the council were successful in
obtaining a two-year Injunction with a Power of Arrest
attached to it against a woman.
The woman was causing repeated distress to residents
when she visited her father – a council tenant – in The
Newcombes area of Crediton.
The terms of the Injunction include that the woman
concerned cannot come within a certain prescribed
distance of her father’s home, that she cannot cause
any harassment, alarm or distress to local residents and
that she cannot
abuse, threaten or
use violence
towards them.
Like to know more then contact:
Marian Axtell, Tenancy Officer
(ASB Team)
[email protected] Landlords
Crime and Nuisance Group
Please tell us
what you
think about
the new
style of
Nuisance News
As you can see we have given
Nuisance News a new brighter look
with colour used throughout. This
is what our members requested
when we consulted with them.
Your opinion matters to us. What
do you think of the new look and
are there any other regular features
that you would like to see
included?
Please email or write to us.
SLCNG, c/oWhitefriars Housing
Group Ltd,
Givens House,Thomas Street,
Coventry CV1 3HL
The information, opinions and conclusions expressed in Nuisance News are those of the contributors and do not necessarily represent those of the Social Landlords Crime and Nuisance Group Ltd
Make sure that you shareyour news with us
This is your newsletter and why not ensure that you share your news on how
your organisation is handling many of the complex issues of anti social
behaviour. Why not tell us about your new innovations, your success stories,
feedback from your communities - just to name a few.
What we need is:-
� Articles, ideally around 200 to 300 words in length
� High quality copy of your logo (We can provide specifications if you are
not sure or speak to the person who handles your publicity)
� Photographs, where applicable, that support your articles. Any
photographs need to be high quality to ensure they can be reproduced.
� You contact details if you would like other members to be able to
contact you for more details.
Next Issue & Deadline
The next issue will to be distributed by the 1st September . The
deadline for all articles is 20th July. Due to space restrictions, articles
received early will take priority. Please email articles, logos and
photographs to:-
nuisance newsThe quarterly newsletter of the Social Landlords Crime and Nuisance Group
April 2007Is their a linkbetweenASBOs and
mental health?A survey undertaken on behalf of the
BBC by the British Institute for BrainInjured Children (BIBIC), claims that
over 30% of under 17 year oldyouths receiving ASBOs have adiagnosed mental health disorder oran accepted learning difficulty.Our managing director, Peter Jackson
said,“We have requested moreinformation about the full researchstudy in order that we can see what
lessons might be learned about anyfailings in the consultation process
prior to ASBOs being sought.”The survey claims that there was ahuge difference in recognition of the
youths' learning difficulties betweenanti-social behaviour officers and
youth offending teams. BIBIC claimthat “anti-social behaviour officers”
reported 5% of their youth cases hadspecial needs or a learning difficulty.
This compared with 38% reported byyouth offending team officers who
had seen conditions that includedautism, ADHD, moderate learning
difficulties, and emerging personalitydisorders, depression and selfharming. They estimated that 6% had
a mental age of less than 10 yearsold.
Julie Spencer-Cingoz, chief executiveof BIBIC says "Not understanding the
underlying difficulties of so many ofthe young people has meant they
have been given orders that they donot understand and cannot keep.
Without specialist help they arebeing set up to fail, and a breach ofan ASBO is a criminal offence.”She added.“This is the wrong way to
be treating vulnerable young people.Early intervention' is a more sensible
approach to prevent major problemsemerging. ASBOs are failing both the
young offenders and thecommunities they are supposed toprotect.”
More details of the researchsummary and of the work of BIBICcan be found on: www.bibic.org.uk
This issue includes articles fromthe following members:-Bowlee Park HousingHackney HomesHyde HAKnightstone HA
New Progress HANottingham Crime & Drug PshipRedditch BC
Stoke on Trent CCSunderland Housing GroupThree Valley HousingTwin Valley HomesWales & West HAWest Kent HA
This issue
WelcomeWelcome to the Birmingham NECconference edition of Nuisance
News.
This is the first edition of our newlook newsletter and includes some
of the items that will be in ouredition for the CIH AnnualConference and Exhibition in Juneat Harrogate.
If your organisation would like toshare its news with us, then we
want to hear from you.On the back page are details ofhow to contact us and the type of
information we are looking for.
ocial LandlordsCrime and Nuisance Group
Conference Special
Members New’s
£120,000 to localcommunity in just one
yearChelmer Housing Partnership’s (CHP) Charitable Trust
was set up in 2003 by gift aid.
During 2006 it gave almost £120,000 to Essex based
projects and charities that support the community and
help to improve quality of life for local residents.
The total was split between 19 different projects, all of
which were evaluated on strict criteria before the grants
were awarded.
The projects are diverse and include funding of
� the Respect programme at Essex Boys’ Clubs
� the support of Chelmsford Environment Partnership
to help safeguard wildlife and encourage community
allotments
� the purchase of play equipment at Boreham
Recreation Ground
� a grant for theWomen’s Aid Resource Centre in
Chelmsford.
Young offenders
An excellent demonstration of how the funding works
in practice is provided by the Chance 2 Change project.
This is an 8 week programme for young offenders in
Chelmsford aimed at reducing re offending and anti-
social behaviour by promoting positive change.
Said David Cotterill, New Business Director:“The
Chelmer Housing Partnership’s Charitable Trust has
been able to make a significant impact on the lives of
our tenants and other residents in Essex. Many of these
projects were struggling for funding and it has been
very rewarding to play a small part in helping them
achieve their
objectives.”
Like to know more then contact:
Victoria Norton: 01245 613111
Editorialservices
anddesignbyGlennMarke
ting01
2155
573
10
Our Sponsor
PeterWhitehead writes on :-
Tenancy DemotionTenancy Demotion has, it appears, turned out to be a
bit of a white elephant since its introduction by the
Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003.
Few Applications have been made and there is little or
no evidence as to the effectiveness or otherwise of this
new“tool in the tool kit”. The suggestion that taking
away someone’s “Tenancy for Life” and replacing it
(albeit temporarily) with a Starter Tenancy would strike
fear into the hearts of those to whom it would be
applied was perhaps somewhat fanciful to begin with
and its lack of impact may have something to do with
this misconception.
No general consensus
In discussions with Housing Professionals there seems
to be no general consensus on where Demotion sits in
the range of responses to Anti-Social Behaviour. There
also appears to be a similar lack of agreement on what
to do with the Demotion when we have it.
If a Judge gives an Absolute Order for Possession at
least we know what to do with that – execute it.
A Demotion Order is a little more confusing, it is a bit
like getting the extra button on the remote which we
are told we need, but we are not sure exactly what it
does.
Obvious shortcoming
The first concern I would mention is that the Demotion
criteria are strictly limited to Anti-Social Behaviour
(someone engaging in conduct capable of causing
nuisance or annoyance or the use of Property for an
unlawful purpose). The obvious shortcoming is that
ASB is often only one of the issues that need to be
addressed when considering Court action – arrears,
access issues etc cannot be addressed in demotion
proceedings.
A further gap appears to arise in relation to the terms
of the Demoted Tenancy. If the Landlord wants any
terms to be comprised in the Demoted Tenancy, a
Statement of Terms has to be served. Court Rules
suggest that this should be served simultaneously with
the Notice of Intended Demotion proceedings.
Judicious tweaking?
One may have thought that this would be just the
opportunity for a judicious bit of tweaking and
tightening of the terms; perhaps adding a bit here
about dogs or strengthening the section in relation to
responsibility for the garden. No such luck however,
because if one looks carefully at the Legislation it is
quite clear that the Landlord cannot add to or change
the terms of the Agreement, but can only take terms
out.
We could of course take a red pen to our existing
Tenancy Agreement and strike out some of the extra
contractual rights we may have given. However, the
question that needs to be asked is whether any Tenant
who is due for Demotion is really going to be that
concerned about losing some of the contractual
“frills”…...
In conclusion, I would suggest that demotion only has
any coherence if it is regarded as early intervention tool
and it is applied for in conjunction with other
interventions whether these be protective, (ASBIs, ABC,
etc), or support interventions.
It seems to me that Demotion is a beginning and not
an end and will almost certainly require further
investment by the Landlord in terms of time, energy
and money.
Your suggestions
Having raised a number of questions about Demotion
then it seems to me that I ought to get working on the
answers and in that regard, any suggestions from
others will be gratefully received.
Space here is short, however the complete version of
this article can be seen and downloaded from the
SLCNG website:
www.slcng.org.uk
Any comments and opinions on demotion can be
forwarded to [email protected].
Whiteheads Solicitors was
established in 1992 by Peter
Whitehead as one of the first
legal practices in the UK to
specialise solely in Social
Housing law. Prior to founding
the firm, Peter, who is currently
the firm's Principal, was a
partner at one of Manchester's top generalist law
firms before he decided to dedicate his time to
growing a business that specialised in housing law.
www.cih.org
in your diary with CIH Events
For details on the mentioned events please contact the CIH Eventsteam on 024 7685 1772 or email: [email protected]. Alternatively log onto www.cih.org/events
CIH Conferences & EventsOctavia House, Westwood Business Park, Westwood Way, Coventry, CV4 8JPTel: 024 7685 1772 Fax: 024 7642 1973email: [email protected]
19th to 21st June 2007Chartered Institute of HousingConference & ExhibitionHarrogateFor further information contact 024 7657 1111or log onto www.cih-housing.co.uk
9th to 10th August 2007Sheltered Housing ConferenceChesford Grange, Kenilworth
19th September 2007Rural Housing Conference & Exhibition
10th to 12th October 2007CIH Annual Conference in the North East RegionMarriott Gosforth Park, Newcastle upon Tyne
11th to 12th October 2007Housing Market RenewalConferenceHilton Hotel, Sheffield
17th October 2007Tenancy Agreements ConferenceLondon
24th October 2007South East Branch Sustainability& Green Design ConferenceJurys Inn, Milton Keynes
13th to 15th November 2007CIH Annual Conference in theEastern RegionThe Cambridge Belfry Hotel,Cambourne
21st to 22nd November 2007Lettings & HomelessnessConference and ExhibitionCrowne Plaza Hotel, Nottingham
22nd to 23rd January 2008National Housing ManagementConference and Exhibition
4th to 6th March 2008CIH Annual Conference in theSouth East RegionBrighton
10th to 13th March 2008CIH in Scotland AnnualConference & ExhibitionAberdeen Exhibition & Conference CentreContact: Jill Malcolmson on 0131 225 4544 or email [email protected]
13th March 2008CIH Annual Conference in theYorkshire & Humberside Region
25th to 27th March 2008TAI 2008Cardiff City HallContact: Liza Fleming on 029 2074 1137 or email [email protected]
Open to all, closed to prejudice