nuisance news issue 43

nuisance newsThe quarterly newsletter of the Social Landlords Crime and Nuisance Group Issue 43 Sep 2007

This issue includes articles from

the following members:-

Acis Group

Anthony Collins Solicitors

Birmingham City Council

Bolton at Home

Calico HA

Camden Council

Chelmer HA

Cherwell HA

Coast & Country Housing

Cobbetts

Colchester Borough Homes

Communities & Local Government

Cross Keys Homes

Dane Housing Group

Derby Homes

Drum HA

Hampshire Constabulary

Harvest Housing Group

Helena Housing

HouseMark

KLEEG

Mouchel Parkman

New Charter HA

New Progress HA

Pennine Housing 2000

Plymouth County Council

South Essex Homes

Sovereign HA

University of Birmingham

Wales andWest HA

West Midlands Police

Whiteheads

Worcester Community HA

This issue

ocial LandlordsCrime and Nuisance Group

Good business for SLCNG atHarrogateAny members visiting our stand

at the CIH conference at

Harrogate in June would have

noticed the enormous amount

of interest – not just from

existing members but also

potential members.

We were pleased to have legal

experts fromWhiteheads on hand to give free advice to our visitors – a good

sign for future cooperation between our two organisations! Plans are already

in hand to have a better (but not bigger!) stand for 2008.

Many useful contacts were made and a great deal of follow-up work is in

hand to try to turn those contacts into membership applications. We also had

the chance to talk to colleagues from Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man and

New Zealand.

Peter Jackson was invited to chair a conference session on the subject of the

SLCNG/Housemark Toolkit with presentations from Steve Osborne

(Housemark), Peter Fenn (CLG), Sue Roach (Community Gateway) and Ian

McGibbon (Birmingham BASBU). Some 130 delegates attended. The launch of

the Toolkit is expected in August 2007 and a programme of seminars on the

Toolkit has been organised for the Autumn,which will be jointly hosted by

SLCNG and Housemark. Further details appear on page 3 of this edition.

As a result of some hard work with our web designers, visitors to the stand

had a preview of our new website – which we expect to be up and running in

September.

Our new version of Nuisance News attracted much favourable comment.

The print-run was increased by 50% in anticipation of the extra demand.

It seemed that hardly any delegate left the conference without a copy!

As always, excellent networking took place with existing and potential

partners, including TPAS, CIH, Housemark,Tribal and CSHS.

Everyone involved with the stand was relieved to see out the week, but we’re

all looking forward to 2008!

Editorial

Conferencecalls for bettercollaborationbetweenagenciesOvershadowed as it was by the sad news about TimWinter, the

2007 conference was an outstanding success. The 280 delegates

had a range of workshops to attend with the opening plenary

session from Joe Tuke (Director of the Respect Task Force) and

Claudia Webbe (Vice Chair of Operation Trident Advisory Group)

closing the conference.

Joe recapped on progress to date with the Respect Action Plan.

Obviously an important year with some headway being made on

Respect Areas, the Respect Standard and the development of

family intervention programmes. Joe made a plea for social

landlords to “fly the flag”on parenting services, suggesting that

the investment in parenting by landlords made good business

sense. In addition, he thought that parenting classes should be as

common as ante-natal classes.

However the overriding message from the floor was the need for

more and better collaboration between agencies to deliver

effective solutions to tackle anti-social behaviour. Joe recognised

that the pressures on children’s services needed to be

understood by the Task Force. From the floor, Ruth Cartwright

(BASW)made a plea for housing to work with children’s services

but recognised the need to combine enforcement with support.

A theme for 2008 was suggested by David Butler (CIH Chief

Executive) - all delegates should bring someone from a partner

agency! Perhaps this is an issue that warrants a dedicated

conference to help open up the communication channels?

Claudia spoke passionately about the scourge of gun crime in

London,with first hand experience of working with communities

and the effects on both victims and perpetrators.

She made a plea for social landlords to do more to encourage

community partnerships and to provide better support for

victims and witnesses.

More details of the work of Trident can be found on the website

www.stoptheguns.org

Louise,where artthou?The “Respect”brand is clearly one that is

coveted by many in Whitehall. How else could

you justify the snaffling of Louise Casey’s Team

by Ed Balls’ new Department?

At the time of going to press, SLCNG are

awaiting news of how the relocated Task Force

will work in the future.

Currently tucked away in the Young People

Directorate of the department for children,

schools and families, Louise reports to Lesley

Longstone, the Director General. From that

position of apparently reduced status it is hard

to see how the Task Force will…

“continue to work across government

departments and with local agencies to

deliver on and embed the Respect Action

Plan - driving through action to support

good behaviour and challenge bad, and

empowering local communities to do the

same”

as the Task Force website proclaims.

Clearly, we all need to work harder to ensure

that the necessary intervention and support is

in place so that the root causes of anti-social

behaviour can be tackled. Given Louise’s

energy and commitment, she will not stint in

her efforts to bring those results about.

In the meantime those of us who have aligned

with the philosophy of the Respect Agenda

and are busy implementing the Respect

Standard would like some reassurance about

the fate of one of our key partners at the heart

of Government.

Peter Jackson

Managing Director

SLCNG

July 2007

2

SLCNG

HouseMark, in partnership with the SLCNG is running a series of service

improvement workshops on good practice in tackling ASB and measuring

the effectiveness of landlords ASB services.

Dates and venues

16th Oct London 6th Nov Coventry 8th Nov Exeter

14th Nov Sheffield 16th Nov Swindon 20th Nov Cardiff

27th Nov Chester 30th Nov Newmarket 11th Dec Crawley

13th Dec Newcastle Time: 9.30am to 4.00pm

Workshop aims

The workshops will:

� consider how to measure the effectiveness of landlord actions in

tackling ASB and using data to improve services

� explore current legal issues in relation to ASB

� update delegates on current good practice approaches to tackling ASB

Workshop content

The workshops will include:

� update on the Performance

Improvement Toolkit for the Respect

Standard for Housing Management

� overview of early data and results

from the HouseMark ASB

Benchmarking Service

� legal update on ASB

� guest speaker from the Audit Commission, Communities and Local

Government, Home Office (Respect Task Force) or the Housing

Corporation

� practitioner good practice updates

There will also be an open debate on topical ASB issues when delegates

can raise questions with speakers.

Who can attend

The workshops are exclusively for HouseMark and SLCNG subscribers.

The Cardiff workshop is also open to CIH Cymru branch members in non-

subscribing organisations.

Each workshop will cater for no more than 50 delegates and there is a l

imit of four places per organisation. The workshops will sell out so early

booking is essential to avoid disappointment.

Fees

The delegate fee is only £125 plus VAT for HouseMark and SLCNG

subscribers.

How to book

Contact Louise at Right Location: Phone: 0870 3000878

e-mail: [email protected]

HouseMark, the SLCNG and

Communities and Local Government

have produced a Performance

Improvement Toolkit for the Respect

Standard for Housing Management.

The Toolkit will assist social landlords

to measure their effectiveness in

tackling ASB and meeting the

requirements of the Respect

Standard. It includes a suite of local

performance indicators and

guidance on their selection, interpre-

tation and use in contributing to

service improvements in tackling

ASB.

A complainant satisfaction survey

and annual resident perception

survey will also be produced and

based firmly on existing social

landlord good practice.

The toolkit with be a non-

prescriptive tool that will support

landlords in:

� measuring their effectiveness in

tackling ASB

� gathering robust management

and performance data

� enabling residents to influence

services delivered by their

landlords and other local agencies

� engaging residents in developing,

selecting and monitoring progress

against performance indicators

� using performance information to

drive performance improvement

alone and in partnership

� setting effective targets and

benchmarking against the

performance of peers

� seeking out and adopting best

practice

The Toolkit is free and will be

available in August 2007.

The performanceimprovement toolkit for Landlords


ASB and RespectWorkshops

3

Police Community Support

Officers sponsored

Four Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) have

been sponsored by Pennine Housing 2000 and are now

getting involved with communities on their estates.

Although they have policing powers, their role is not to

take over as police officers, but to be additional support

for the community reducing the fear of crime and

improving community safety.

PCSOs have a number of roles,most important of

which is to be there for tenants and residents and

provide advice and follow-up any problems they may

be experiencing.

Pennine Housing has also provided the PCSOs with a

specially-fitted Community Advice vehicle. This is used

as a mobile advice centre, visiting estates around

Calderdale, with seating, a table and information leaflets

for residents.

If any resident has problems in any area, they can call on

the PCSOs for assistance, from dealing with groups who

are being intimidating to giving talks on safety and

security. Tenants can also make referrals (report

incidents) through their housing officer, so that PCSOs

can visit areas where there is a cause for concern.

Geoff Killerby, Pennine’s ASB Team Manager said : "We

have already proven through our work that by taking

swift and early action to tackle anti-social behaviour and

its causes, we can make a real difference to our tenants

and the wider community. Sponsoring the PCSO’s

demonstrates our commitment to this and sends out a

clear signal that we will work to uphold certain standards

of respect and behaviour, to the benefit of all. However

this cannot be done in isolation and we do rely on

working in partnership with key agencies and organi-

sations in Calderdale, such as the Police, Calderdale

Council, the Probation Service and other registered

social landlords."

Member’s News

Like to knowmore then contact:

Geoff Killerby 01422 231007

Anti-Social

Behaviour injunction

with power of arrestWorcester Community Housing (WCH) has successfully

obtained a three year Anti-Social Behaviour Injunction

with power of arrest.

The injunction sees a local youth, who is the ring leader

of a gang who regularly intimidate residents, cause

criminal damage and take part in shoplifting sprees,

banned from the whole of a Worcester estate.

The ASB injunction came as a result of some excellent

partnership working. Faced with the problem of

obtaining evidence (local people would not give

statements or give evidence against him or any of the

gang members) WCH teamed up with local Police to

tackle the ringleader.The outcome has proven to be a

total success.

Every target of the Police has either been sentenced,

committed to prison or been subjected to an Anti-

Social Behaviour Order. On top of the 3 year injunction,

WCH has successfully placed a 12 month injunction on

the tenant whose home the gang used as a base.

WCH Community Safety Manager Bruce Mourby said:

“This work has brought a complete change to the

estate, the community feels safe and the action has sent

a strong message to others who operated on the edge

of this group that we will, and do work in partnership to

tackle acts of ASB

which affect our

communities.”


Bruce Mourby 01905 670237

4

Book Review

Anti-Social Behaviour and Social Housing Conference 2007

THE Conference for Local Authority and RSL Managers, Case Workers and Legal Advisers

Tuesday 30th October 2007The Hatton Conference Centre,London EC1N

Fee£295 + VAT

Special OfferTHIRD AND SUBSEQUENTDELEGATES HALF PRICE*(*see booking form)

LONDON� Jan Luba QC

(Chairman and lead speaker)� Peter Fenn,

Head of RESPECT� Adam Greenwood,

Adam Greenwood Associates� Gill Marshall,

Leeds City Council� Dylan Sadler,

Plymouth City Council

Speakers

Tel 01249 701555 Fax 01249 701666 Email [email protected] www.limelegal.co.uk

Book now or obtain full programme at www.limelegal.co.uk

Find out all the latest on:� Evidence in ASB cases� How to make best use of the

Civil Courts� How to make best use of the

Criminal Courts� The use of Demoted Tenancies and

Possession Proceedings in ASB cases� Policy Guidance� Forthcoming changes you need

to plan for

Back on track - a goodpractice guide to addressinganti-social behaviourShelter 2006 Order via www.shelter.org.uk/publications

Price £12.50

It’s not clear who this well intentioned but disappointing

report is aimed at, nor what it is trying to bring to the

debate on how to tackle anti-social behaviour. There are

plenty of better informed good practice guides around

at the moment for housing and homelessness

practitioners to use - the CIH guide, for instance.

At least the Shelter publication reinforces the widely

accepted view that family support and the involvement

of young people significantly contribute to tackling

anti-social behaviour. Although only published at the

end of 2006,much of the content seems strangely out of

date, as Adam Sampson says in his foreword “increasingly

it (i.e. the Government) is choosing to deal with the

problem (of anti-social behaviour) through punitive

measures”.

This lightweight report is a curious mixture of legal

inaccuracies and unsubstantiated statements.The

chapter on the “legal context” is very limited and

throughout there is confusion about the legislation itself.

There seems to be a lack of understanding of how

Housing Law to combat anti-social behaviour has

operated since 1996 and the suggestion is made that

Acceptable Behaviour Contracts were introduced in the

Crime and Disorder Act. According to the report the Anti-

social Behaviour Act was variously introduced in 2002

and 2003. Far from being a balanced guide, comments

such as “normal behaviour in young people is effectively

being criminalised by the media, politicians, and society”

appear throughout the report.Three case studies show

how social landlords have worked successfully with

young people while another two worthy family support

projects are highlighted – the Dundee Families Project

and the Shelter Inclusion Project.

In summary, this guide will add little to the knowledge of

most housing practitioners and will give an incomplete

view to those who might think that Shelter have

produced the definitive guide to tackling anti-social

behaviour.

Peter Jackson July 2007

5

Member’s News

Life transformedby an ASBO

An eighteen year old from Manchester has successfully turned

his life around since being given an anti-social behaviour order

three years ago.

Leigh McPhee was just fifteen years when Harvest Housing

Group and their subsidiary, Partington Housing Association,

successfully applied for an ASBO due to Leigh’s repeated acts

of anti-social behaviour.

Leigh breached the terms of the order when he entered a

particular area from which he was prohibited, resulting in him

serving a seven-month custodial sentence in a young

offenders institution.

Full time job

Since his release four months ago, Leigh has transformed his

life having concentrated on improving his skills and

knowledge whilst detained. He had the motivation and

foresight to learn various skills including brick laying and

joinery and has recently taken up a full time job as a painter

and decorator.

He is now engaged to his girlfriend and is living contentedly

with both his fiance and mother in Trafford,Manchester.

Leigh’s story counteracts recent claims that ASBOs are not

effectively combating crime and have no long-term positive

effects on young people.

Cathy Bennett, Community Safety Manager for Partington

Housing Association said:“Leigh’s story illustrates how

effective ASBOs can be. I’ve been involved in this case for

three years and am pleased that a positive outcome can result

from the action taken.”

Anti-social behaviour orders are always a last resort for Harvest

Housing Group and Partington Housing Association who work

closely with young people

in their neighbourhoods

to help reduce illegal and

anti-social behaviour.


Claire Keegan Bird Consultancy

0161 839 4846

[email protected]

Who says that all we do is enforce ?

From crime toan estatecaretaker

Another 18 year old from St Helens life has been

completely transformed thanks to the

partnership of a housing association and

Chamber of Commerce. Richard Cain, who

previously led a troubled life resulting in a

criminal record and custodial sentence, is now

working as part of Helena Housing’s Estate

Caretaker team.

He originally came originally came to Helena

through a short placement arranged by the

Prince’s Trust. His potential was recognised

because of his determination to change the

direction of his life. Staff working with Richard

were impressed us so much with his “can do”

attitude that arrangements were made with St

Helens Chamber to extend the placement.

A positive role model

Richard is a positive role model in Helena

Housing’s neighbourhoods, both for residents

who can see the progress he has made and

younger residents who may be susceptible to

getting into trouble. He often works in the area

where he lives and speaks openly and honestly

about his experiences and how it is possible to

reform.

Confidence has grown

The opportunity has certainly had a big impact

on Richard who said:“I was excited to be given

this opportunity with Helena Housing. I’ve learnt

a lot; how to have respect for people, how to act

as a responsible adult and its good fun being

part of a team.My confidence has grown and I’m

now comfortable in dealing with customers and

I couldn’t do this before.”


Caroline King, 01744 675708

[email protected]

6

I have in the past written advising

leaseholders that should they or their tenants

not cease causing ASB I will use the Law of

Property Act 1925 (Forfeiture) 3.9 “Include not carry out

(or allow anyone living permanently at, or visiting, the

property to carry out) any illegal or immoral act or

anything which might annoy or endanger neighbours or

damage or affect the building”. Further, I have told them

that ultimately legal action can be taken to repossess the

property and end the lease without compensation.

This has always worked very well. But I wondered whether

anyone has actually had to see it through in more recent

times and whether it stands the test of time?

Brian Hardingham,North Norfolk HT

I understand from you that the Leaseholders

in question are not shared owners, but either

original Tenants or those who have taken by

Assignment in respect of Right to Buy Properties.

I have reviewed the Legislation and am now able to

confirm the position in respect of your enquiry.

The Right to serve a Section 146 Notice under the Law of

Property Act was significantly restricted in relation to

long Leases of Residential Premises that is Leases which

exceed 21 years.

Under Section 168 of the Act a Landlord may not serve a

Notice under Section 146 of the Law of Property Act

1925, (that is the Notice that relates to Forfeiture) in

respect of a breach of a covenant or condition unless the

following is satisfied:-

a) The fact of the breach has been proven in an

Application to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal; or

b) The Tenant has admitted the breach; or

c) A Court or other Tribunal has judged that the breach

has occurred.

Accordingly, it seems to me, that any written warning to a

Tenant ought to clearly make reference to the

requirement for such an Application to be made before

Forfeiture proceedings can commence. It may be that the

following wording would be helpful in the type of letter

envisaged:-

".... Should the kind of matters I have referred to not

cease the Trust will have no option, but to refer the

matter to the Court to establish that these breaches have

taken place which may ultimately result in the Trust

re-possessing the Property and ending the Lease without

compensation".

I believe that such a letter would also fall within the

requirements of the Housing Corporations Regulatory

Code para. 2.1 and para. 3.5 c) of the guidance.

If there are any further enquiries in connection with this

matter please do not hesitate to contact me.

PeterWhitehead

Hello Sharon,

I have a question that I would like circulated

to other ALMOs/RSLs regarding the signing of

the Notices of Seeking Possession ( NOSP) and Notices of

Possession Proceedings ( NOPP).

Our Legal services have recently advised me that the

Chief Executive should not be the signatory on the

above notices. He advises as follows:

'' In the context of a review, the rule is that a review

hearing, if one is required, is to be undertaken by

someone not previously connected to a decision to seek

possession who must be senior to that person or

persons, or words to that effect. As a signatory to the

notices,my view is and always has been that the CEO is

connected with the decision to seek possession.There is

no other officer of Derby Homes more senior than him.

Therefore, in relation to appeals hearings, any other

officer of Derby Homes who conducts that process leaves

the status of those proceedings as

voidable/challengeable.''

My question is has anyone else come across this issue? If

yes, what have they done,who signs the NOPPs/NOSPs.

Carrie Bria , Neighbourhood Safety TeamManager

Derby Homes

The answer is an ASB officer ( or senior ASB

officer).

I think you probably need to alter your

scheme of delegation to push decision- making

down.....a CEO should not be involved in this level of

casework!

Guy Valentine-Neale, Area Manager, Southwark Council

Questions & Answers

Here is another new regular

feature where you can ask

Peter Whitehead and fellow

colleagues for their advice.

Please email questions to

Sharon Mackley.

7

Member’s News

Residents feel saferA gang of youths who terrorised members of the public

in Camden Town with their aggressive drug dealing and

fighting in the streets have been given Anti-Social

Behaviour Orders.

Highbury Magistrates’ Court found the ten youths, all

aged between 16 and 17 years old, to have caused

harassment, alarm or distress to members of the public

through a string of anti-social acts.

All the young males were given full ASBOs, which

prohibit them from :

� Entering a certain area of Camden Town

� Being verbally abusive or offensive towards any

person, or encouraging or inciting any other person to

do so

� Being in the company of no more than two people,

who cannot be named for legal reasons, within

Camden except when involved in specific youth

projects and supervised by an authorised youth

worker or volunteer.

In partnership with Camden Police, Camden Council felt

it necessary to obtain the ASBOs to prevent any further

suffering to members of the public.

Police and council staff received frequent complaints

from businesses and residents in Camden Town

regarding the gang’s violent street crime and general

anti-social behaviour. There is also evidence of their

involvement in the cannabis market.

In one of the most serious incidents one of the gang

members was seen removing his belt from his trousers

and hitting a man several times in the face causing

serious injury.

Another incident involved a large-scale fight in Camden

High Street between a group of 30 youths and three

males believed to be over drug dealing territory. CCTV

footage identified several of the gang members taking

part in the fight. Like to knowmore then contact:

Emma Mercer 0207974 6023

Drum teaches respectDrum Housing Association has been working with the

Children’s Safety Education Foundation (CSEF) to

provide teaching materials for secondary school

pupils in East Hampshire. This foundation aims to

promote and further the personal, social, health and

citizenship education of children, young people and

their parents.

Drum has provided the “respect your life, your choice”

booklets together with a video, teachers notes and

lesson plans to two secondary schools and is planning

to provide the resources in a further four. The books

are user friendly and cover many subjects from

anti-social behaviour to staying safe. The messages to

the children are emphasised by using real life reports

from newspaper articles.

Petra Norris, Housing

Manager at Drum,meets

the pupils to present the

books and explain why

Drum is providing them.

Drum feels that by providing

these resources it is meeting

part of its commitment to

work in communities

alongside the “Respect Standard for Housing

Management”.

Paul Harvey, Head of Personal, Social and Health

Education at The Petersfield School said “Topics are

very relevant to young people today”.

John McNamee, Chief Executive of CSEF, thanked

Drum Housing for their continued support and

commitment. He stressed CSEF’s willingness to

engage with housing associations to assist in

community development programmes that highlight

safety issues for

children, parents and

the elderly.


Petra Norris 01730 403005

email [email protected]

8

Residents are doingit for themselves

The residents of a block of flats have taken

community spirit into the heart of the Greenstead

Estate in Colchester.

Last year they submitted an application to Colchester

Borough Homes (CBH) Community Project Funding

group. They applied for funds that would enable

them to convert part of the communal garden space

into a working self sufficient fruit and vegetable

garden. The residents worked in partnership with

CBH, Colchester Borough Council and received further

funding from Essex County Council.

Working with CBH staff, the green fingered tenants

submitted a detailed design plan and cost estimate.

Once the fruit and vegetables have grown they will be

distributed to residents free of charge.

This project received support from firms, both locally

and nationally. The radio programme ‘Down to Earth’

hosted by BBC Essex made a live broadcast from the

garden at the official opening ceremony.

Gill Thomson, CBH Resident Involvement Manager

said: “The great thing about this project is that it has

been led by the residents. They came up with the

original idea to help combat anti-social behaviour

from young people running through the garden and

causing damage to fencing.The funding was then

approved by residents on our ASB work group.

Everyone living in the block now feels real ownership

of the garden and will also benefit from fresh

produce”


Gill Thomson 01206 507897

[email protected]

Member’s News

Protecting StaffWhen a visitor of a Calico tenant verbally and physically

assaulted a member of the Council’s Environmental Health

Team Calico’s specialist ASB Team responded immediately.

After taking a statement from the member of staff, they

worked closely with ASB Solicitors to apply for an

emergency injunction.

The judge did not hesitate to grant two injunctions against

the tenant and his visitor. He said: “I agree wholeheartedly

with the action you are taking. I must promote a zero

tolerance message of violence towards staff.”

Karen Ainsworth, Respect Manager said: “Calico works

closely with other partner agencies and as far as we are

concerned an assault on a member of the Council’s staff is

equal to an assault on a member of our own staff.We will

not tolerate such behaviour and will pursue possession

action against anyone carrying out such attacks. Swift

action and effective working between agencies using the

range of tools and powers available to both RSL’s and

Councils has meant that we are able to tackle incidents that

previously would

have been too

difficult to do”.


Karen Ainsworth 01282 686432

[email protected]

Injunction within 24 hoursAnthony Collins Solicitors LLP represented Stafford and

Rural Homes in their claim for an emergency Injunction

against the Defendant,Mr A. Richards following his repeat-

ed threats to a resident including a threat to bite his nose

off.

They successfully applied for an Injunction without Notice

to the Defendant within 24 hours which was personally

served on him. At the return date the Defendant failed to

attend and an Order was made for a period of 12 months

excluding him from the area around the victim’s home and

attaching a Power of Arrest to all clauses. The without

notice Injunction was obtained within 24 hours of Anthony

Collins being instructed which shows that immediate

remedies are available and are powerful tools protecting

victims of anti-social behaviour.

9

Anti-social behaviourand sheltered housing –the myths and the reality

Over the last year or so, CSHS has received a number of

queries from sheltered housing scheme managers in

relation to anti-social behaviour. Our anti-social

behaviour seminars also been very well attended. It is

clear that anti-social behaviour issues are increasingly of

concern to people living and working in sheltered

housing.

Why is this?

From feedback received, this increasing concern seems

largely due to the media interest in anti-social behaviour

which has exacerbated the fear of crime as much as

anything amongst sheltered housing residents and staff

alike. However, this is not to overlook the changing

nature of sheltered housing which to some extent has

resulted in a greater mix of residents from different

generations with different lifestyles and with different

needs as well as challenges presented by the interaction

of people living within sheltered housing with their local

community.

The increased vulnerability of older

residents can make them more

susceptible to both being victims or

perpetrators of anti-social behaviour

and eccentric or irregular behaviour

can often be perceived as anti-social

behaviour. The experience of crime

or the fear of crime and anti-social

behaviour can have a significant effect on a resident’s or

scheme manager’s health and well-being as well as their

ability to play an active role in the community in which

they live.

Good practice guide

To respond to these queries and to provide help and

support for scheme managers, we have developed a

good practice guide in anti-social behaviour and

sheltered/supported housing. One of the things we were

most keen to do in this guide was to dispel some of the

myths surrounding anti-social behaviour.

Anti-social behaviour is not a prevalent as the media

would have us believe and the majority of residents

living in sheltered housing continue to be unaffected.

Where anti-social behaviour does occur, it is not a new

phenomenon attributable to a decline in social standards

but has existed for many years.

Anti-social behaviour is not perpetrated solely by young

people. Neighbour nuisance for instance is more likely to

be carried out by adults and there are many instances

including some high profile cases of Anti-Social

Behaviour Orders (ABSOs) being taken out against

people in their 50s and 60s.

Scheme manager’s changed role

You will all be aware how significantly the scheme

manager’s role has changed in recent years with an

important shift of emphasis doing to facilitating. This

change has resulted in scheme managers needing and

putting into practice a whole variety of skills and

knowledge, a very long way from the “good neighbour”

role of the past.

One of the challenges scheme managers face today is to

recognise (and clarify if necessary with their employer)

the extent of their remit and to be clear about where

their role and responsibilities begin and end for both the

benefit of the service user and themselves. This is true of

dealing with anti-social behaviour issues.

What is important for the scheme manager is to try to

distinguish those situations which merit an anti-social

behaviour approach from those where other types of

help and support are more appropriate and, should an

anti-social behaviour solution be necessary, where to go

for advice and guidance.

Spotlight on...

10

Spotlight on ...

Not only is it useful for scheme managers to have a

better understanding of what anti-social behaviour is

(and often more importantly what it is not) but also to be

aware of the housing provider’s role and responsibilities.

The types of anti-social behaviour likely to be

experienced in and around sheltered housing can range

from inter-generational disputes, eccentric behaviour,

youth behaviour to noise nuisance, graffiti or vandalism.

People have their own individual tolerance levels and

what seems to be anti-social behaviour to one person

may not be considered so by the next.

Policies and procedures

Anti-social behaviour is defined by the Crime and

Disorder Act 1998 as 'acting in a manner that caused or

was likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to one

or more persons not of the same household as the

perpetrator'. Your organisation should have its own

policies and procedures in relation to anti-social

behaviour which should include types of behaviour

which will not be tolerated.

Raised awareness

Government initiatives in addition to the powers

bestowed by the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003 have

included the TOGETHER campaign to raise awareness

about anti-social behaviour and the Respect Plan which

includes a Respect Standard for Housing Management.

This standard is voluntary for social landlords but many

will sign up to demonstrate their commitment to

tackling anti-social behaviour. The Housing Corporation

has also issued Circular 08/04 to housing associations

which requires them to have anti-social behaviour

strategies in place.

The Audit Commission also includes, in its Key Lines of

Enquiry (KLOE 6), standards relating to the tackling of


Preventative Strategies

Part of an organisation approach to address anti-social

behaviour is to develop preventative strategies which

might include making sure behavioural expectations are

communicated to residents and prospective residents

and are reinforced through the residents’ handbooks,

letters, newsletters, leaflets, posters,meetings etc.

Community links, Acceptable Behaviour Contracts,

Neighbourhood/

Scheme Charters,

modification to

accommodation, youth

and inter-generational

projects have all had

some measure of

success as well as

communication and mediation strategies.

Housing organisations should also be members of the

legally required local Crime and Disorder Reduction

Partnership (CDRP) which includes representatives from

the police, local authority and voluntary services working

together to tackling local crime, disorder and anti-social

behaviour

Enforcement

Where preventative strategies are not successful and

enforcement is necessary there is a range of more than

forty legal powers and remedies which can be used

other than ASBOs.More information on these can be

found on the Respect website www.respect.gov.uk.

Scheme managers have a very valuable role in

recognising actual or potential anti-social behaviour and

alerting their organisation to potential problems at an

early stage. This can maximise the opportunity for

finding a relatively easy solution before the problem

escalates.

Scheme managers need to be clear and comfortable

with their role and remit in relation to tackling anti-social

behaviour and know when they should seek guidance,

help and advice.

Good Practice Guide

The CSHS Good Practice Guide on Anti-Social Behaviour

and Sheltered Housing which looks at the issues in more

details and includes a variety of good practice pointers

and case studies will be available August 2007.

To order a copy contact Mark Chislett,

[email protected].

We are also looking at running a new series of seminars

on anti-social behaviour. For information contact Julian

Everley, [email protected].

Rebecca Mollart, Deputy Director CSHS

www.cshs.co.uk

11

Member’s News

Gordon Brown -housing will be one of the keyissues

In a statement to Parliament in July Prime

Minister Gordon Brown announced that

housing will be one of the key issues on his

agenda for the next year. A new Housing Bill

will see the creation of a Housing and

Regeneration Agency to support the delivery of housing supply,

and social housing regulation will be reformed to provide a

"modern, flexible service". The Government plans to build 3

million new homes by 2020, increasing the annual target from

200,000 to 240,000 homes from 2016.

What is Section 222and how does it work?There is one power that Local Authorities have at

their disposal, which since the advent of the

Housing Acts and Crime & Disorder Act has been

underused.They are Section 222 Injunctions that

have been with us for over 30 years and are

available under the Local Government Act 1972.

Who can use them?

In essence any organisation formed under the

Local Government Act 1985, namely, County

Councils, Borough Councils and District Councils.

Why should they be used

The main reason is that Section 222 Injunctions

are very good at protecting communities and

they are intended to promote and protect the

interests of inhabitants of a specified area. Other

benefits are that:

� S222 can be used against anyone involved in

anti-social sehaviour over the age of 18 and does

not require the applicant to demonstrate any

effect on the housing management function

� The area involved can be as narrow as the

Local Authority requires e.g. single streets, ward

areas or city centres

� The procedure is quicker than an ASBO

application and the standard of proof is lower

An additional benefit of using Section 222

injunctions is that the applicant now has greater

control of the situation than it previously

enjoyed as powers of arrest can now be attached

to these injunctions as with orders under the

Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003.

What considerations apply to getting a

Section 222 injunction?

The first key test is that the action must be aimed

at the “promotion and protection”of the interests

of the inhabitants of an area.The second point is

there must be evidence of nuisance within the

Local Authority’s jurisdiction and finally, there

must be the agreement of the Senior Members

of the Council in order to pursue the action.

Despite the advantages that Local Authorities

have in terms of the variety of powers available

to them, Section 222 Injunctions are, in some

cases, the best way of protecting our

communities.

Tenants RespectConference

Coast & Country

Housing held a

RESPECT conference

and all 11,000

tenants were invited

to reserve one of the

100 places, which

were allocated on a

first-come-first-

served basis.

The conference was a great success and was opened by Iain Sim,

Coast & Country Housing’s Chief Executive. It featured two

keynote speakers, Sean Price, Chief Constable of Cleveland Police

and Alex Rhind, Assistant Director of the Government’s Respect

Task Force.

Coast & Country Housing signed up to the Respect Standard for

Housing management in 2006 and the conference was part of its

drive to raise the profile of the Respect Agenda and to

encourage communities to embrace its principles.

The conference included workshops on Neighbourhood Policing,

Community Safety and a case study on Local Successes, led by

Margaret Atkinson, a Coast & Country Housing tenant and

winner of a Respect ‘Taking a Stand’ award

Keith Helm, Chair of the Coast & Country Housing Tenants’ Forum

that helped to promote the event, also gave an address. Keith

said “Neither the police, Coast & Country Housing nor the council

can solve anti-social behaviour on their own but by working

together and involving communities we can start to go forward

and I believe the conference has enabled all involved to

recognise the issues and work as a team.”

12

Mr ASBOcelebrates

Respect for NewProgressThe Government's 'Mr Asbo', Bill Pitt,

MBE, visited Leyland to celebrate the

steps that New Progress Housing

Association is taking to stamp out


The man hand-picked to advise the

nation on tackling yob culture as a

result of his pioneering work in

Manchester attended a Respect

event held by New Progress. Bill is

one of the country's leading expert

practitioners on the use of powers in

the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003.

Since signing up to Respect in

February, the association has dealt

with 287 claims of anti-social

behaviour and taken legal action

against 31 tenants with persistent

and unresolvable anti-social

behaviour issues including one

eviction.

Says Gary Melia, Head of Housing

Operations: 'Signing up to Respect

demonstrated our continued

commitment to creating safe and

peaceful communities for the benefit

of all, and to further build on our

successful track record in dealing


'We are delighted that the champion

of tackling anti-social behaviour is

joining us to celebrate our

achievements so far and in particular,

the work we have achieved in

partnership with the local Police and

Council.'

Bill Pitt, MBE said: "This is a model

example which I am going to be

taking ideas from and pass them

onto other organisations.The way

New Progress deals with anti-social

behaviour absolutely shames some

much larger organisations, including

police forces and local authorities.

"There has been an increase in this

area in the number of incidents of

anti-social behaviour but I believe

that is because the people here feel

confident enough to come forward

and report these incidents because

of the work that New Progress has

done and continues to do.

Pictured are the Chief Executive of

Progress Housing Group and Bill Pitt.


Nykkie Berry 01772 450852

[email protected]

Member’s News

Partnership worksecures eviction

The East Reading Neighbourhood Policing team and

Cherwell Housing Trust have finally secured the eviction

of a woman who had a history of harassing her

neighbours.

The 55 year old tenant had a long history of racial

harassment and anti-social behaviour against her

neighbours. She was convicted of Racially Aggravated

Harassment in 2004, but complaints about her

behaviour dated back almost 10 years.

PC Tristan Khezrzadeh,who worked on the case for four

years, said:“We have gone through an extremely

complex and lengthy legal case to get this eviction.This

shows our determination to tackle anti-social behaviour

issues that cause misery to others.

“Her actions have had a lasting effect on people living

near her and some have left the area because of the

abuse they have suffered.We hope this eviction enables

neighbouring residents to go about their lives

peacefully. A great deal of work has been carried out by

the police, Dominion Housing Group and the

Neighbourhood Action Group and I know the residents

are grateful that this matter has finally reached a

conclusion.”

Sean Frizell, Housing Officer for Dominion Housing

Group, said:“We believe that residents have the right to

live in their homes peacefully and we are committed to

taking action against those carrying out any racial

harassment or anti-social behaviour.This case

demonstrates this commitment. Over several years,

working closely with the Thames Valley Police, we have

pursued this case of blatant harassment on behalf of our

residents.The role of residents in gathering evidence

and appearing in court played a vital part in the success

of our case.” Like to knowmore then contact:

Laurinda Hornblow 01865 260550

13

National Noise Action Week

Two fun events

Sovereign Housing Association supported Noise Action

Week in grand style this year, with two fun events for

residents in Newbury and Plymouth.

Both events were a big success and everyone who came

along took part in the activities and learnt some

interesting facts about noise. For example, did you

know that a balloon bursting is actually louder than an

aeroplane taking off?

There was a free raffle with a top prize of a digital

camera and printer and other great prizes. The kids had

a fantastic time seeing who could shout or scream the

loudest into Environmental Health’s decibel meter.

The winner of the competition in Newbury reached an

astounding 118 decibels, as loud as a thunderstorm!

120 decibels can harm your hearing!

One of the main attractions was the kids’ drawing

competition, judged by local councillors. The kids were

asked to draw a picture of a noise that ‘anoise’ them.

The Newbury Town Crier helped us to advertise the

event in Greenham and he attracted lots of attention!

The purpose of the events was to raise awareness about

noise nuisance issues and the effect it can have on

people’s lives. Residents at the events had the chance to

speak to different agencies, such as Environmental

Health and the local housing associations, about the

noise they experience and what to do about it. They

also found out how to avoid becoming a noisy

neighbour. The message of the events was that making

a lot of noise can be fun in the right circumstances but l

we should all consider others before making a lot of

noise.

Turn it down!Wales andWest Housing Association (WWHA), in

collaboration with Caerphilly Borough Council’s

Environmental Health Department and UnitedWelsh

Housing Association, distributed Noise Nuisance leaflets

to shoppers at Morrison’s in Caerphilly town centre, as

part of National Noise ActionWeek.

A stand outside the entrance to Morrison’s replicated a

child’s bedroom whose party wall adjoined another

resident’s lounge from which the neighbour could be

heard playing loud music.

The idea was to show how much of an impact the music

would have on a next door neighbour’s quality of life.

The stand also had noise monitoring equipment, with

staff offering advice and guidance on acceptable levels

of noise.

At WWHA noise is always one the top four categories of

complaints received.

Jan Fox, Senior Tenancy Enforcement Officer, said: “It’s

important for residents to be considerate towards their

neighbours and not interfere with the peaceful

enjoyment of another person’s home. We work with

Environmental Health Departments in each local

authority area where we have properties and will take

positive action

wherever noise

nuisance is found to

be a problem”.

Member’s News

Dispersal OrdersCross Keys Homes has several dispersal orders in

Peterborough on its housing estates.They have all been

as a result of multi agency agreement with the police.

Two of our dispersal orders involved large numbers of

young people gathering outside a small row of local

shops, with flats above and houses very close by. Calls

for service to the police were high due to verbal abuse,

noise nuisance and generally disrespectful behaviour.

After the dispersal order took effect, it did require a

good deal of police commitment. Some trouble has

been reported outside the dispersal zone, which is a

side effect of

the order

boundary.


Joan Tibbs 01733 385097

[email protected]


Sharon Lee, Assistant Director

(Support Services) 0800 052 2526

14

Derby’sfamily

interventionprojectThe Family Intervention Project,

run by Derby Homes and Derby

Community Safety Partnership

began in July and it aims to work

throughout the city with people in

all housing types.

The grant of over £200,000 has

been made available through the

Government’s Family Intervention

Programme,which is designed to

tackle anti-social behaviour.

Families at risk of eviction will be

selected to take part and when

they sign up they will be expected

to adhere to boundaries given to

them. They will have access to

courses, specialist help and a case

worker who will co-ordinate

support and observe behaviour.

The families may also be re-

housed as part of the scheme and

monitored to make sure they are

sticking to their programme and

the rules they have to abide by.

Maria Murphy, Director of Housing

and Customer Service said:“This

programme represents a last

chance for families causing anti-

social behaviour who are at risk of

formal action against their home.

One of the aims of the service is to

provide sustainable routes back to

settled housing and keep the

family unit together. We will be

monitoring progress closely to

make sure we are achieving this.”

Member’s News

PoliceCommander’scommendationsThree members of Sovereign staff

have received commendations from

Thames Valley Police Commander

Richard Bennett for their work on a

very long-running and difficult anti-

social behaviour case.

Jill Povall, Rianna Lynskey and

Rebecca Horne acted quickly to get

an injunction to stop private owners

from Thatcham, Berkshire, from going

near a Sovereign resident’s home and

their family following a series of

serious threats and after a car was

outside their house. The injunction

with power of arrest was granted

without notice and was in place just

three days after the incident.

Jill Povall said “It was worth all the

hard work to stop the terrible

harassment of our residents and their

family. It would not have been

possible if the witnesses hadn’t been

so courageous and willing to stand

up in court.”

Over a period of 18 months, the staff

members and the residents

persevered and showed that bullies

cannot be allowed to succeed in

intimidating others. There have been

no further incidents since the ASBOs

were granted.

Like to know more then contact:

Maria Murphy 01332 711012

The LHEEG of Housing AssociationsTwo years ago, a collaboration of the large housing associations in Liverpool

came together to use their influence to deliver a more effective service. This

included dealing with anti-social behaviour by sharing good practice,

improving efficiency, increasing productivity and promoting innovation.

Known as Liverpool Housing Excellence and Efficiency Group (LHEEG), it

consists of Arena Homes, CDS Housing, Riverside Group, South Liverpool

Housing, Cosmopolitan Housing Association,Maritime Housing and LHT.

In the last two years, they have worked together on projects and hotspots

including joint covert surveillance, sharing policies and procedures as

benchmarks, RIPPA training and sharing experiences on demotion cases.

Members of LHEEG have also worked closely with South Liverpool Housing to

train staff to become fully trained mediators.

The LHEEG has provided an excellent opportunity for the members to share

and collaborate on the Respect Agenda including working on and delivering

the Good Neighbour Agreements. A Good Neighbour Agreement that was

created and launched in June 2007 in the Sefton Park andWavertree areas of

the city and is currently being rolled out to all members of the community.

In the future, they are intending to investigate the cost of the legal services

each member uses and work together in striding for value for money. Other

strategies that will be reviewed include domestic violence and racial

harassment, together with developing communications with specialised

partner agencies and support networks in the area.

15

Member’s News

Ten Year ASBO

In partnership with Devon and

Cornwall Police, Plymouth County

Council’s Anti-Social Behaviour Unit has

obtained a 10 year ASBO against a man

from the Manchester area that excludes

him the whole of Devon and Cornwall.

Evidence indicated, primarily from the

Police that he had no business in

Plymouth except to further establish

and facilitate the supply of drugs into

the city from sources in the Manchester

area.

There was substantial police

intelligence detailing incidents,many of

them drug related, in which the

Defendant had been either directly

involved or present, including two

murders.

He was also frequently stopped and

found to be in possession of large sums

of cash, often several thousand pounds.

Between February 2006 and March

2007 Police seized almost £23000 from

him.

This case was put on the basis of police

intelligence information, previous

convictions, current and ongoing

criminal proceedings and the person’s

lack of any connection to the Plymouth

area.

All four of the witnesses were police

officers and the paperwork (documents

and statements) amounted to 27 pages.

One aspect of this case was the pattern

of massive increases in the volume of

complaints of anti-social behaviour in

council properties in which the person

turned up.

His modus operadi was to prey on

vulnerable, usually drug addicted

tenants, in order to operate from their

premises.

Nuisance tenantevicted

Our client association evicted a tenant after months of sustained anti-

social behaviour which caused untold misery to residents.

Initially, the association was granted without notice, an injunction

following parties which were regularly held on Friday nights. The

application was made following one particularly alarming gathering

whereby a fight broke out in the communal areas causing injury to

those involved.

Before the case came back before the Court, the association issued a

Warrant of Possession in relation to separate rent arrears proceedings.

This followed the granting by the court of a Postponed Possession Order

where the association had applied for and been given a date for

possession.

By the time it came to the execution of theWarrant, all the arrears had

been paid off. The Defendant made an application to suspend the

Warrant and our association opposed this due to the anti-social

behaviour which she was causing in line with the case of Sheffield City

Council -v- Hopkins.

The rent arrears case and the injunction proceedings case were consol-

idated. The Judge did not hesitate in ordering that theWarrant should

not be suspended and that the eviction should proceed. He also

granted an injunction which excludes the Defendant from the

development where she still lives.

Dot Pawlowski of Cobbetts said : “This was an excellent result for

neighbours who had had to endure continuous anti-social behaviour

from the Defendant who simply did not accept that she was doing

anything wrong.”

She added that where social landlords have a suspended Possession

Order that in certain circumstances they can apply for possession in

simple trespass proceedings following the case of London and Quadrant

Housing Trust -v- Ansell. In the Ansell case, there was a suspended

Possession Order which could not be enforced as, somewhere along the

line, the Defendant had cleared her rent arrears and the Order

specifically stated that when the Defendant had paid the total amount,

the Housing Trust would not be able to take any steps to evict the

Defendant. The Housing Trust therefore sought possession on the

grounds that the Defendant occupied her property as a trespasser: as

this was a suspended Possession Order

the Defendant was in fact a trespasser

from the date that the Order had been

made.


Yetunde Dania, Cobbetts

0845 404 2404

16

Member’s News

Landmark case inHackney

Following a landmark case at the Thames Magistrates Court police

applying for crack house closure orders should now be able to use Ion

Track Itemiser Screening Devices to enforce drug-free social housing

tenancy agreements. This is the first time that magistrates have accepted

physical evidence collected by an ion device, in addition to oral testimony,

to support a crack house closure order.

Following complaints from Hackney residents about drugs being used on

a local premise, Brian Doran, the head of Mouchel Parkman’s anti-social

behaviour (ASB) team – working in partnership with ALMO Hackney

Homes – accompanied local police officers on a door-to-door visit to

collect impact statements. To support these testimonies, the Behaviour

Safer Neighbourhood Police Team,working with Hackney Homes’

Operation Crackdown, the Hackney Drug Action Team (DAT) and Hackney

Community Safety Team, used the Ion Track Itemiser 3, currently being

piloted, to support the crack house closure order application.

Inspector Jonathan Clinch of the Hackney Community Safety Team said :

“The interesting aspect of this case was that the Ion Track Itemiser

detected five high readings for class A controlled drugs from areas within

the premises. This evidence was accepted by the defence. This is the first

time such evidence has been tendered at Thames court to support such a

closure.”

Brian Doran said: “Being able to use the evidence from an ion track

itemiser, alongside oral evidence,will make a great difference in driving

drug dealing out of social housing in Hackney.”

The work of Brian Doran’s ASB team within Hackney Homes has been

recognised many times for its pioneering initiatives in the community

having previously collaborated with the police to close a nuisance

nightclub using the little-known Section 222 of the 1972 Local

Government Act and applying acceptable behaviour agreements,

commonly used in the

housing sector, to mental

health patients.

Respect and

ASB –What’s it

all about?The Dane Housing Group

organised a residents’

conference to raise

awareness of the Respect

agenda and demonstrate

how the multi-agency

approach in action can

reap benefits for its

neighbourhoods.

The day was chaired by

their Chief Executive, Anne

Ward (pictured left)who gave an overview of

some of the issues faced by agencies across the

Borough. Glynn Chambers, Chair of Congleton

Community Safety Partnership, gave an

introduction on how the Respect agenda was

being embraced by the range of agencies

under the partnership umbrella.

Residents enjoyed a range of interactive

workshops which looked at the subject of

Respect and ASB from different perspectives,

and provoked much debate.

The workshops were :-

Anti-Social Behaviour and Remedies for

Tackling it

Working with families to reduce ASB

The Respect Standard for Housing

Management

Working positively with Young People

Tony Kiely, said : “All the workshops were

extremely well received by residents, with

many commenting that they were very

thought provoking. They gave comfort in

demonstrating that agencies do actually speak

to each other to effect solutions for tackling

disrespectful and anti-social behaviour. We

shall be repeating this event in the future to

keep residents updated and maintain the

profile of Respect and ASB in the public eye.”


Gill King, 01260 [email protected]


Melanie Bright 07792694088

[email protected]

£1,000 towards CrimePrevention

Chelmer Housing Partnership Charitable Trust (CHP) has awarded

£1,000 to Essex Police to pay for a crime prevention initiative. This

money will be used to fund pursechains which will be distributed

to the elderly in Chelmsford. In response to recent thefts of purses

and wallets in the town, the Police plan to initiate a scheme

whereby 3,000 chains are distributed to elderly residents at CHP

sheltered scheme coffee mornings and outside Post Offices.

17

News

Landlords face prosecutionHampshire Constabulary has sent out clear

advice and guidance to property managers

and landlords who rent out private

accommodation.

Following the increasing number of rented

properties across the two counties being used for

the production of illegal drugs, the force has

produced a “landlord’s guide”, explaining that

property managers have a duty to report any suspicious drug

activity to police, or face the prospect of prosecution

themselves.

The A5 booklet entitled “Don’t, Turn a Blind Eye - A landlord’s

guide to keeping illegal drugs out of rented property,” has

already been emailed to letting agents and housing

associations across the two counties.

The publication includes advice and guidance, and highlights

the signs to look out for if you suspect a cannabis factory or

chemical drugs laboratory has been established at a property.

Under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, a landlord/property

manager can receive a maximum of 14 years in prison and/or a

fine, if they turn a blind eye and allow the production of

controlled drugs to take place in rented accommodation.

Operation Blue RibbonA new approach to cutting crime and

anti-social behaviour is keeping offenders

on the back foot in Coventry.

A series of multi-agency impact days are being

staged around the city to not just arrest key

offenders - but also to extend the effects of

removing offenders from a neighbourhood with

partnership crackdowns in the following days and

weeks.

The 'crackdown and consolidation' approach

combines in-depth partnership working with

strong branding and community involvement.

The approach sees an initial strike day and follow-

up operations run on randomly chosen dates. As

the project continues, on-the-street operations

become less intensive, but, with snappy marketing

and the support of residents, the same high

impact results are seen.

The first operation was held in the Foleshill area of

Coventry.The initial strike day brought 23 arrests

and the seizure of crack cocaine and 24 vehicles as

well as test purchase operations at off-licenses, fire

safety checks at residents' homes and dozens of

visits to residents demanding fly-tipped rubbish

be removed. Issues around ASB were tackled in a

number of ways with joint visits by the Police,

Social Landlords and ASB officer and action plans

being drawn up by Social Landlords containing

what they could contribute to the initiative. The

operation also consulted young people in the area

through outreach work and schools to identify

their issues and concerns. Drug and Alcohol

service providers, as well as local volunteers, were

also out on the day to offer support, advice and

guidance. Two follow-up impact days in Foleshill

have also been run.

The initiative was branded as 'Operation Blue

Ribbon', recognising the history of the local area,

with leaflets, posters and media attention to raise

public recognition over the life of the scheme and

improve public reassurance in local agencies.

Further operations following a similar approach

are planned for other hotspots areas in the city.

New Skills for Anti-SocialBehaviour OfficersAnti-social behaviour officers will have new skills after

completing a course designed specifically to address the

professional needs they require.

The pilot scheme, commissioned by Birmingham Anti-Social

Behaviour Unit, was introduced at the University of Birmingham

as a result of specific research into the training needs of anti-

social behaviour officers in the Midlands.

"We are delighted that in providing this programme we have

made a significant contribution to protecting local

communities," said Alison Paris, Director of Professional Practice

Development in the Institute of Applied Social Sciences.

The course included contributions from the RESPECT task force

with substantial legal input to support ASB Officers in their

work with victims and witnesses. Alison Parsons, Head of

Birmingham Anti-Social Behaviour Unit said: "Feedback has

been really positive.The course has enhanced their knowledge

and capacity to offer a service that really meets community

needs." The first programme proved so successful it will be

repeated this year for students

from across England.Like to know more then contact:

Anna Mitchell 07920 593946


Inspector Mandy Mason 0845 1135000

18

Residents honouredfor taking a stand

Bolton at Home residents have been honoured for their

courageous stand against anti-social behaviour.

The awards were presented by Noel Spencer, chair

of Bolton at Home, in recognition of the courage

and commitment of residents in standing up to

problem neighbours.

Acknowledging the award winners’ bravery and

fortitude Noel Spencer said:“Each of the individuals

awarded today has shown exceptional strength of

character and determination in taking a stand

against nuisance neighbours. Bolton at Home is

committed to supporting residents who have

suffered from anti-social behaviour and I hope the

examples we have seen today will encourage others

to come forward and take a stand”.

Faced with persistent intimidation and threats the

residents, supported by Bolton at Home, gathered

detailed

evidence of the

perpetrator’s

actions.The

evidence was

then backed

up by

statements and

attendance at

court resulting in eviction orders against all the

nuisance neighbours.

The award winners have already received

recognition in the national ‘Taking a Stand’Awards

earlier this year. Bolton’s ‘Taking a Stand’Awards

were established last year and are part of the

broader cross-Government Respect strategy

established to tackle anti-social behaviour and

nurture good

behaviour.


Mark Murphy 01204 335529

[email protected]

Member’s News

High Court clarifies law

on extending ASBO’sIn July, the High Court handed down judgement in the

case of Leeds City Council v RG, a case on the question

‘can an ASBO be varied so as to extend the length of it?’

The original ASBO had been made in September 2004 for

two years. It was due to expire and Leeds City Council

applied for a variation of the order inviting the

Magistrates to extend it.

Leeds Magistrates heard argument on whether they had

the power to extend an order. RG contended that

variation meant a change to the terms of the order but

not extension. The Court decided that variation did not

have the same meaning as extension, and so refused the

Council's application. The Council challenged that

decision and the question posed for the High Court was

"did the Court have power pursuant to Section 1(8) to

vary by extending the duration of an Anti-Social

Behaviour Order made pursuant to Section 1(1) of the

Crime and Disorder Act 1998?".

Before the High Court, Leeds argued that the duration of

the order was as much a term as any of the prohibitions.

The Council relied on the decision of the High Court in

DPP v Hall, where the Court considered the Protection

from Harassment Act 1997 and held that it did permit an

extension, as the duration of the Order was a term just

like any other term.

Before the High Court, RG argued that the Council should

apply for a new ASBO which would involve safeguards

such as consultation and rights of appeal.

The Court were persuaded that the word varied in the

ASBO context should be viewed in the same way as in

DPP v Hall. The High Court was not persuaded by RG's

argument, though it was concerned that there was no

right of appeal from a variation. However, they felt that

the Defendant was protected because an application to

vary can only succeed if the applying Authority puts

before the Magistrates material which justifies the

extension as necessary. The High Court also stated that

in the case of an application to vary the length of the

order, the authority would need to persuade the

Magistrates that it was appropriate to vary the length of

an existing ASBO, rather than making an application for a

new one.

19

Member’s News

Taking to the streetsAs part of Tameside’s Crime & Disorder Reduction

Partnership, New Charter recognises the importance of

joint working. Talking to local people, it was clear that

issues such as youth nuisance and noisy neighbours

cause many problems on their estates, often outside

normal ‘office hours’. So they set up joint walkabouts

with Tenancy Enforcement Officers, the Police and

Tameside Patrollers.

The aim is to provide a high-visibility joint presence on

the estates in the evenings, and reassure the public that

they take their concerns seriously.This is a very proactive

way of working and means that any breaches of tenancy

seen can either be dealt with immediately, or acted on

later. It doesn’t take long for the word to go round that

they are in the neighbourhood. The walkabouts prove

very popular with tenants who say that they find the

presence very reassuring.

Week of ActionTo show its commitment to the area, the new

Sheffield landlord, Acis Group coordinated a week

of action on the Lower Manor Estate, supported by

the Safer Neighbourhood officer, South Yorkshire

Police, Fire and Rescue Service and Neighbourhood

Wardens.

A door knocking exercise was undertaken to

complete a ‘Getting to Know You’ questionnaire

with every Acis resident to find out the residents

views and how Acis and other agencies can help

residents live in a pleasant and desirable

neighbourhood. Over 60% of these were

completed and they showed that the major

concern was youths loitering on the estate causing

fear to the locals and the nuisance caused by

motorbikes around the estate

Some of the other action that took place was:

� PCSOs provided home security advice and

handed out UV pens to mark property and help

conduct a truancy sweep.

� 40 children were taken back to school over three

days on the truancy sweep.

� Fire Service provided fire risk assessments.

There was a deep clean of the streets on the estate

and 12 tonnes of rubbish was removed.

The week of action was deemed a great success by

the local residents. Dot Duroe,Treasurer for the

local TARA said “I think it was a good thing, it was

great to see all the agencies working together and

knocking on peoples doors asking about the issues

round here.The residents felt reassured by this and

feel safer, but we would like to see this happen

more often. People are taking more pride in the

area since it was cleaned up and to take ownership

of the area.”

Celebrating Local HeroesBirmingham City Council celebrated the work and efforts of

local people across the city who have helped make a real

difference in their communities and have taken a stand

against vandals and noisy neighbours.

This year the City’s residents topped the list of winners at

the National Taking a Stand Awards in April with an

amazing thirteen individuals and groups across the city

being recognised for their efforts in making their

communities safer. Eleven individuals and groups were

also highly commended.

The ‘Taking a Stand Awards’ supported by Crime Concern

and the Co-op is now in its fourth year as part of the

Government’s Respect Agenda.

On Friday 6 July, Lord Mayor, Councillor Randal Brew hosted

a reception at the Council House for all Birmingham award

winners and those who were nominated for the national

ceremony. All winners received £1,000 in prize money

which can be spent on making improvements to their local

area.

Councillor Brew who presented certificates to the

nominees, said:“I am delighted to see that so many

Birmingham residents have been acknowledged for their

hard work and commitment to tackling anti-social

behaviour in their communities. The council, police and

agencies need the help and support of individuals and

groups and there are many examples of residents standing

up and saying enough is enough.”

Cllr Ayoub Khan, cabinet member for Local Services and

Community Safety, added:“We will continue to work with

the police, residents and our partner agencies to ensure

that local people are given the support they need to tackle

any problems within their communities”

20

Aiming to lead theway in diversity

South Essex Homes was the first ALMO to pilot a new

perception survey of its staff to understand its strengths and

areas for development.

Chief Executive,Mike Gatrell, explained: “Like many organi-

sations we have invested in equality training, but when the

Audit Commission asked us how we evaluated its effectiveness,

it got us thinking.”

The new survey was designed by The Communication

Challenge Limited and used a diagnostic process called

index360© with a cross section of staff, including those not

office based. The process was quick and easy to ensure no

disruption to operational services.

“We were strong on leadership and commitment”, but Mike

Gatrell admitted that they need to do more on action planning

and implementation.“These days when you have to prove that

what you are doing is hitting the mark, it makes sense to check

out that our training is delivering.Too many organisations just

take a tick box approach; we wanted to make sure our training

was cost-effective”.

Member’s News

Back to schoolLocal school children

got to grips with the

ins and outs of anti-

social behaviour at a

special series of

workshops run by New

Progress Housing

Association.

Southlands High

School in Chorley

invited the housing

association to deliver a number of workshops as part of the Year

10 students’ Personal Development course.

The course was designed by association staff and the school to

help students understand the challenges facing them once they

leave home. It covered topics such as budgeting, rent arrears,

dealing with anti-social behaviour, and living responsibly in the

community. The course proved so popular with students that it

will now be rolled out

across Chorley and South

Ribble at other schools.


Nykkie Berry 01772 450852

[email protected]

21

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 usThis 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 (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

December. The deadline for all articles is 20th

October - items received after this date are unlikely

to be included. Due to space restrictions, articles

received early will take priority. Please email articles,

logos and photographs to:-

[email protected]

SLCNGEd

itorialservices

anddesignbyGlennMarke

ting01

2155

573

10

Your views on Nuisance NewsIn the last issue of Nuisance News we asked you for your

comments on the new style and format. Below are a

couple of comments we received:

"The majority of decisions made in the county court do

not get formally reported but cases heard at this level

are regularly reported in Nuisance News. It is an

invaluable publication for members to find out what

innovative approaches other social landlords and

partnering organisations are adopting to combat anti-

social behaviour.The new layout means it is much easier

to find articles of interest. Yetunde Dania, Partner,

Cobbetts

In response to your question, the new format is more

colourful, funky and more inviting to read than the old

red and white outline, which was a little uninviting. Hope

the new format proves to be a big hit with your

readership! Jane Johnston, LCMS,Oxford Chambers

Feedback from staff on the new style of the magazine is

very positive including comments from our Chief

Exeecutive.Views are that it is now very attractive, up to

date and eye catching and staff are taking more time to

read it. Louise Harding, Coast & Country Housing

Through talking to members over the phone the general

opinion is that you like the new style. If you have any

thoughts or suggestions for future issue please let us

know.

Thank you to David Glenn and his team at Glenn Marketing

for all the advice and assistance they have given.

Sharon Mackley,Support Services Manager, SLCNG

A warm welcome toour newmembersWe plan to make this section that welcomes our latest

members a regular feature in forthcoming issues.

On behalf of the membership I would like to warmly

welcome the following organisations to our group.

North Norfolk Housing Trust

East Midlands Housing Association

Moseley & District Housing Association

Shepherds Bush Housing Association

Stockport Homes

The Riverside Group

Three Rivers District Council

Town & Country Housing Group

Welcome to all of you.

Sharon Mackley, Support Services Manager


Do you know of colleagues in RSL’s and LA’s in

your area that are not members of The Social

Landlords Crime and Nuisance Group.

Then, if so, why not drop an email to Sharon with

their details. We can then send them a copy of

Nuisance News and details of how they can

benefit from membership.

We wait to hear from you - thanks.

Don’t keep it to yourself

22

Our Sponsor

Partnering deal struckwith legal firmWhiteheadsWe are pleased to announce the signing of a partnering

deal with the leading firm of solicitors,Whiteheads.

The agreement was signed at the CIH conference at

Harrogate in June. Chair of the Directors, Roger Griffiths

said: “This represents a significant step forward for

SLCNG.Not only will Whiteheads be supporting us

financially but they will be providing support to our

training programme.Through Law Club Limited they

will also be able to offer significant discounts on

in-house training for SLCNG members”

The agreement is initially for three years, which we

expect to be a period of significant growth for SLCNG.

This move reflects the Directors commitment to

expand the range of services for its members while

retaining the pre-eminent national position that SLCNG

enjoys.

Whiteheads is one of the leading firms of solicitors

specialising in advising on cases of anti-social

behaviour and they already work with many of our

members.

Benefits of Law ClubLimitedAs part of our commitment to working in partnership

with SLCNG,Whiteheads is able to offer the services of

Law Club Ltd to the SLCNG membership.

Law Club is a ‘members only’ sister company of

Whiteheads that offers training, development and

support services to the housing sector.

In addition to delivering courses that have been

designed with and for housing professionals, there are

several other services that Law Club can offer to

SLCNG’s members.

Training Needs Analysis

offered for free to ensure members are able to

identify gaps and maximise their training budgets

Conferences

members can receive discounts on attendance on a

first come first served basis at all Law Club events

Lunch seminars

sessions with legal and housing practitioners aimed

at developing and sharing good practice

Newsletters and legal updates

circulated free of charge to all members to keep

them up-to-date on changes to legislation and case

law

Consultancy services

working with expert practitioners in the housing

sector to help social landlords achieve excellence in

service delivery

In addition to the above services,members can also

have access to other benefits fromWhiteheads

Solicitors – this includes free case consultations and

free telephone and email advice on general matters.

If you would like any advice please get in touch on

[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.

Whiteheads is a specialist firm dedicated to serving

the Social Housing community. It has over 14 years'

experience of working with social landlords, local

authorities and police forces across the UK providing

the best service and expertise available.

23

For further information or to arrange a demonstration please contact us:

ReACT is a cost effective comprehensive anti-socialbehaviour database designed specifically forall social housing landlords

ReACT keeps detailed information about all aspects of incidents and complaints

ReACT has full case management with user defined target dates

ReACT will produce detailed reports and analyses

ReACT records both internal and external costs of dealing with cases

ReACT can be accessed externally and has a powerful search facility

ReACT is fully password protected and has a full audit trail

ReACT has an optional mapping module

ReACT is menu driven and user friendly

ReACT requires Microsoft SQL Server 2000

ReACT is browser based, supports remote access andmobile working and can be hosted

Social housing landlords are expected to take positiveaction to deal effectively with all forms of anti-socialbehaviour. ReACT has been developed to recordincidents and complaints, to manage work flow and produce essential reports.

For further information or to arrange a demonstration ofReACT or ReSPONSE please contact us:

A recording,reporting andmonitoring systemfor neighbourhood wardens using pocket pc’s.

ReSPONSE

ReACTThe browser based Anti-Social Behaviour Recording System

using the latest .net technology

EBS is pleased to support:

Tel: 0121 384 2513Email: [email protected] Web: www.e-b-s.co.uk

Electronic Business Systems Ltd. 852 Tyburn Road, Birmingham, West Midlands B24 9NT.

nuisance news issue 43

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