Our Approach to Anti-Social Behaviour

3. Coast and Countryside Housing Services Approach to Anti-Social Behaviour

We are committed to "working in partnership and communicating with our customers to develop quality services and improve performance", and this includes working with tenants and residents to stop harassment and other types of anti-social behaviour.

Anti-Social Behaviour features prominently as an area of interest for tenants and was the theme of the 2003 Joining Forces Tenant Conference. Booklet Six of the Tenant Handbook specifically covers Nuisance, Harassment and Anti-Social Behaviour, and there are regular articles in the tenant magazine, the "Coast and Countrysider", on the anti-social behaviour update page.

Our commitment to tackle anti-social behaviour is based upon the following principles:

• Everyone has the right to their chosen lifestyle providing this does not spoil the quality of life of others
• Neighbours must exercise a degree of tolerance of and respect for the lifestyle of those living around them
• The Council has a role as a social landlord in making sure that these rights and obligations are realised in individual cases

We will respond to complaints of anti-social behaviour quickly and professionally and will attempt to resolve matters at the earliest opportunity. Our normal approach is to ensure that families or individuals who are causing difficulties receive support to assist them in modifying their behaviour; and then act against those who continue to cause a nuisance. Victims of anti-social behaviour will be encouraged to play a full part in taking action against the perpetrators, including legal action. The Council itself will also take legal action, where appropriate, against perpetrators, and makeevery effort to support victims to remain in their homes.

Where appropriate, the action we take could result in tenants losing their security of tenure, their home, or being subject to an injunction which may lead to their arrest or even imprisonment. However, in many cases such action will not be appropriate and other measures will be considered.

Coast and Countryside Housing Services is represented at a multi-agency ASB tasking group that has been established by the Shepway CRDP in order to both improve co-ordination amongst key agencies and deal with an increasing rise in numbers of complaints and incidents of ASB. The group, which also includes representatives from the Police, Education, Social Services, Youth Offending Teams, Registered Social Landlords and the district council's Environmental Health and Crime Teams, meets on a regular basis to work together to address individuals who are causing the most harm to localcommunities.

The CDRP has also appointed a designated ASB investigator whose role is to:

• Proactively deal with complaints and provide an immediate response to individual requests from the community, and
• Help coordinate cross agency responses to ASB including scoping meetings and intervention packages.

We also prevent and reduce anti-social behaviour by measures such as:

• Lighting and other security improvements
• Designing out and removing hiding places
• Inclusion of clauses relating to anti-social behaviour in our tenancy conditions
• Enforcement of tenancy conditions and local bye laws
• Improving leisure facilities and access to them, particularly for young people

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