Dealing with Anti-Social Behaviour

Everyone has the right to feel safe and secure in their own home – we want anyone living in or around a Stoke on Trent Housing Society home to be able to go about their day-to-day life without fear or feeling upset, scared or intimidated.

What is anti-social behaviour?

There’s lots of different kinds of anti-social behaviour. It can be anything that makes you feel upset, harassed, frightened or distressed in your own home or neighbourhood such as:

Violence – violence of any kind is very distressing. The threat of violence or intimidating behaviour like swearing or verbal abuse can be upsetting too. We understand you might feel too scared or threatened to speak to the people who’re causing the problem, and you should never put yourself in potential danger.

Harassment & Hate Crime – harassment and hate crimes are specific offences which are motivated by hostility or prejudice- it can sometimes be about someone’s race, culture, gender, age, religion or sexuality. Or because they’ve got mental health issues or a physical disability.

Criminal Act – we want our communities to be safe places, but we know that people sometimes use their homes for the wrong reasons or for criminal or illegal purposes. As well as reporting this to us you must always report it to the police as well and as soon as you spot it.

Misuse of shared spaces – when we live in a community, we’ve all got to get along together and share space with our neighbours. Spaces can be the likes of stairwells, entrance halls, lifts or outdoor area. When these shared spaces are being misused it can be really distressing for some residents.  Untidy gardens can also be classed as a misuse of shared areas too.

Uncontrolled Pets – it’s not just the people in your neighbourhood who can cause problems. Stray or dangerous animals or animals fouling in public spaces can be a big problem too. If you know the owner of the animal, the first step is to have a chat with them about your concerns.  You might find this a bit awkward but it’s surprising how often people don’t even know their pet is causing a problem.

Noise – although people are expected to hear a certain amount of noise from their neighbours, they are not expected to have to endure unreasonable and persistent levels of noise nuisance. Noise may  be considered a nuisance if it were to regularly occur late at night or for an excessive period.

How do I report anti-social behaviour?

Anyone can report anti-social behaviour.  You might be living in one of our homes, or you might be a homeowner or a private tenant that’s having a difficult time because of the way one of our tenants, someone living with them or visiting them is behaving.

If you or someone you know is in immediate danger phone the police on 999.  If it’s not an emergency but you’d still like to talk to the police, call 101. If you don’t want to speak to the police directly you can contact Crimestoppers. They’ll take all the info but won’t ask for your name or any other personal details.

If you’re experiencing antisocial behaviour or you’ve seen something you’re worried about, please let us know. You can call us on 01782 968566 or email info@stokeontrenthousingsociety.org.uk. You can also report it to us via a third party, for example a friend, relative or support worker.

What will we do?

We’ll look at all the information and decide whether any tenancy agreement rules are being broken. There’s lots we can do, depending on how serious the problem is. These can include:

* Issuing verbal and written warnings.

* Arranging mediation for both parties. This is where everyone sits down together to try to sort out the problem.

* Starting eviction proceedings.

* Liaising with the police or local support providers.

* Issuing our Noise App to record noise nuisance

 ASB Case Review

If you’ve reported anti-social behaviour to us and we haven’t taken action to resolve it, you can apply for a case review.

The case review is set out in Sections 104 and 105 of the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 and allows you to ask for a review of your ASB case. As a housing association, we must cooperate with the process.

You can apply for an ASB Case Review by:

* Downloading and submitting a form via the Staffordshire Police website.

* Ringing 101.

* Using the Staffordshire Police live messaging service.

* Writing to Staffordshire Police Central Disclosure Unit, Police HQ, Weston Road, Stafford, ST18 0YY.

* Visiting a police enquiry office.

A case review does not interfere with your right to follow our internal complaints or ASB procedure. Both processes can run at the same time.