Dealing with neighbourhood anti-social behaviour

We will deal with complaints of anti-social behaviour - ASB - by:

Always investigating complaints and taking appropriate action against perpetrators whether they are tenants, members of the household, friends or visitors
Recognizing that some individuals or families may need support on working through a change in their behaviour to achieve an acceptable standard
Providing support, equally to victims and witnesses
Monitoring when, where and how we have tackled these reports to highlight hotspots, where awareness can be raised and resources can be directed

Reporting anit-social behaviour

Residents can report instances of ASB in person at Tenants Services Offices, Waterford House, Wokingham or by writing, phoning or emailing through Tenant Representatives. Tenant Representatives are normallythe Housing Officer at Tenant Services.

Next steps

After the complaint is made we will:

Arrange an interview with the person reporting the ASB, to obtain full details at a mutually convenient time and place
Log the complaint
Issue incident diaries - log sheets - if necessary and we will advise customers how to use them
Formally acknowledge the complaint by letter and set a date for a follow up within 10 working days

Dealing with the complaint

We will deal with complaints quickly, depending on the seriousness of the situation. If possible we aim to resolve the situation through our procedures to avoid moving anyone or taking legal action. We will keep the complainant informed of progress as we look into the complaint and contact them at least every 2 weeks until the complaint is closed.

We will keep information supplied to us as confidential and permission will be sought if we need to share information with partners such as the Anti-Social Behaviour Panel or the police. If legal action is required we will only disclose information or evidence with the complainants permission.

We will contact the person complained about and work with them to achieve resolution, including issuing warnings if necessary. We will also work with other agencies such as Thames Valley Police, Environmental Health, Social Services, Education Services and Youth Offending Team to tackle individual behaviour appropriately.

The Anti-Social Behaviour Panel meets at least monthly to co-ordinate individual actions by panel members. The panel is made up of representatives from our other sections as well as the police and other external agencies.

If the report concerns a person who is not a Council tenant the case will be referred to the Anti-Social Behaviour Co-ordinator to follow up. In this case we will inform the tenant that we have taken this action.

Taking action

We will take action against individuals when we have sufficient evidence to prove action is necessary and appropriate. Most of our evidence will be from the incident diaries and witness statements, but we may use photographs, videos, tape recordings or independent witnesses like Community Wardens and Police Officers. We will also speak to other people to find out if the reports are affecting them too.

If we need witness statements or oral evidence in court we will offer full support to anyone involved throughout the process up to and after Court appearances.

Action plan

When a course of action is decided, an action plan will be drawn-up. We will monitor who is affected, how, when and where it happens. We will confirm what the person needs to do to modify their behaviour, by whatever remedy is used. The case becomes a partnership with the requirements made plain and simple.

Individuals making the complaint will be informed of actions being taken - unless they cannot be disclosed due to confidentiality or data protection. At all times they can continue to report repeated incidents that continue to breach tenancy conditions and affect their quality of life.

There are a number of different measures that can be taken to tackle ASB including:

Encouraging neighbours to try and resolve issues themselves
Talking it through with mediation
Verbal and written warnings
Acceptable behaviour contracts for 10-17 year olds and Parental Control Agreements for under 10s
Injunctions
Notice Seeking Possession - for breach of tenancy
Tenancy Demotion Order
Possession Orders in Court
Anti-Social Behaviour Orders - ASBOs

Closing a complaint

If we have resolved a complaint or we cannot take the case any further we will:

Explain our reasons to the complainant
Confirm in writing the closure of the case
Give appropriate ongoing advice if the ASB re-occurs

All complaints will be kept on file and may be used as evidence if ASB occurs in the future.

For help and further information contact:

Tenant Services: 0118 974 3771 / 3772

Wokingham Anti-Social Behaviour Co-ordinator: 0118 979 8107

A copy of Tenant Services Policy/Procedure for dealing with Anti-Social Behaviour is available on request from these phone numbers.