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 peter.jackson@slcng.co.uk

Sharon Mackley sharon@slcng.co.uk

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

janine.goodison@riverside.org.uk

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

adrian.oldman@arcadiahousing.co.uk

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

alexa.loukas@suttonhousingpartnership.org.uk

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

tfrier@progressgroup.org.uk

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

peter.jackson@slcng.co.ukwww.anglia.ac.uk

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

bill.morris@liverpool.gov.uk1

Like to know more then contact:

Alexandra Bogin 0151 236 2323

alex@octobercomms.co.uk

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

AlisonO@servitehouses.org.uk

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

sarah.todd@sunderlandhousing.co.uk

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

asbschools@redditchbc.gov.uk.

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

communications@hyde-housing.co.uk

‘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)

htenancy@middevon.gov.uk

sharon@slcng.org.ukocial 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.

sharon@slcng.org.uk

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

victoria.norton@chelmerhp.org.uk

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 slcng@whiteheadsols.co.uk.

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: training.conferences@cih.org. 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: training.conferences@cih.org

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 jill.malcolmson@cih.org

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 liza.fleming@cih.org

Open to all, closed to prejudice