ocial Landlords Crime and Nuisance Group
nuisance news Conference Special
The quarterly newsletter of the Social Landlords Crime and Nuisance Group
Welcome
May 2007
Is their a link between ASBOs and mental health?
Welcome to the Birmingham NEC conference edition of Nuisance News. This is the first edition of our new look newsletter and includes some of the items that will be in our edition for the CIH Annual Conference and Exhibition in June
A survey undertaken on behalf of the
difficulties, and emerging personality
at Harrogate.
BBC by the British Institute for Brain
disorders, depression and self
If your organisation would like to
Injured Children (BIBIC), claims that
harming. They estimated that 6% had
share its news with us, then we
over 30% of under 17 year old
a mental age of less than 10 years
want to hear from you.
youths receiving ASBOs have a
old.
On the back page are details of
diagnosed mental health disorder or
Julie Spencer-Cingoz, chief executive
how to contact us and the type of
an accepted learning difficulty.
information we are looking for.
Our managing director, Peter Jackson
underlying difficulties of so many of
said,“We have requested more
the young people has meant they
information about the full research
have been given orders that they do
study in order that we can see what
not understand and cannot keep.
This issue
This issue includes articles from the following members:Bowlee Park Housing Hackney Homes
lessons might be learned about any failings in the consultation process prior to ASBOs being sought.”
of BIBIC says "Not understanding the
Without specialist help they are being set up to fail, and a breach of an ASBO is a criminal offence.”
Hyde HA
The survey claims that there was a
Knightstone HA
huge difference in recognition of the
New Progress HA
youths' learning difficulties between
Nottingham Crime & Drug Pship
anti-social behaviour officers and
Redditch BC
youth offending teams. BIBIC claim
Stoke on Trent CC
that “anti-social behaviour officers”
Sunderland Housing Group
reported 5% of their youth cases had
Three Valley Housing
special needs or a learning difficulty.
communities they are supposed to
Twin Valley Homes
This compared with 38% reported by
protect.”
Wales & West HA
youth offending team officers who
More details of the research
West Kent HA
had seen conditions that included
summary and of the work of BIBIC
autism, ADHD, moderate learning
can be found on: www.bibic.org.uk
She added.“This is the wrong way to be treating vulnerable young people. Early intervention' is a more sensible approach to prevent major problems emerging. ASBOs are failing both the young offenders and the
ocial Landlords Crime and Nuisance Group
Policy Advisory Group up and running As part of our strategy to increase our capacity to be more policy orientated and have a more proactive stance, the first meeting of the Policy Advisory
News Housing associations given more powers to tackle crime and disorder A good practice note on partnership working that details the change in the legal status for housing associations in terms of local Crime and Disorder Partnerships (CDRPs) has been published by the Housing Corporation. The change in legal status means that housing associations now have an enhanced duty to work alongside CDRPs to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour in their communities.
Group (PAG) took place in March. This group comprises the Company Members and will be expanded to include two representatives from each of the four regions once the regional meetings nominations have been considered. The first meeting saw a lively discussion about the future with representatives from 11 organisations present. Essentially identifying issues for the next year, the first PAG meeting thought that it was important to be able to influence the agendas of major partner organisations, such as Adult services, the Department for Education and Skills
To reinforce the important role of housing providers, the Home Office is implementing changes to the status of housing associations in relation to these local partnerships. Housing associations will now be elevated from Tier 3 status - invited to participate in a CDRP, to Tier 2 status - Duty to Co-operate. It is hoped that this change will lead to more consistent practices across the country. As co-operating bodies, associations will be placed at the heart of decision making and delivery and have the potential to strengthen information sharing, and to use their voices in deciding local priorities around crime and disorder. The guidance has been produced to assist associations in working more closely with their local partners to tackle anti-social behaviour and promote Respect in their neighbourhoods. It contains information and tips on how to work more closely with local CDRPs as well as detailing the imminent change to housing associations'
and the Police. It also saw the need to
status in relation to CDRPs from summer 2007.
consider a range of issues that impacted
Housing Corporation Chief Executive, Jon Rouse said, "Engagement
on social landlords, such as RIPA,
between CDRPs and housing associations has previously been
committal proceedings, the role of the
variable - whilst some play a very active role in the local CDRP, some
Crown Prosecution Service and judicial
may not have even come into contact. This could be for reasons
inconsistency.
including associations feeling that there is no need for them to get
We need your support
involved, or geographical issues - there may be a large number of
PAG will have a crucial role to play in
housing associations operating in one area.
advising on the way that we deliver our
"By housing associations now having more ability to engage in
services into the future. So if you or your
CDRPs locally, it will mean real results for our neighbourhoods. More
organisation have the chance to get
effective partnership working means reassurance for communities -
involved, either as company members or
more effective joint initiatives and better information sharing. With
regional representatives, please take the
local authorities, housing associations, the police and other agencies
opportunity. We need your support.
all working together, it should make a real impact on the safety of
For further information contact:
local people."
Peter Jackson peter.jackson@slcng.co.uk
The good practice note is available on the Housing Corporation website:www.housingcorp.gov.uk
Sharon Mackley sharon@slcng.co.uk Tel : 024 7623 1748
Members News
Am I bovvered?
Heroin Crackdown!
Noise, dogs, rubbish - having problems with
Wales & West Housing Association
anti-social behaviour can be bad enough, but
(WWHA) obtained a Possession Order for
trying to do something about it can be even
a property in Hillfort Close, Caerau, Cardiff,
harder.
after the resident had allowed her partner
So Knightstone Housing Association held an
to store Class A drugs in the bedrooms.
event - 'Am I Bovvered?' - for its residents in March at the Winter Gardens, Weston-superMare. For more than 60 tenants who came along to the event, it was an opportunity to say exactly what bothers them on their estate,
When Police raided the property in 2006 they found heroin stored in nappy bags hidden under the beds and drug related paraphernalia, including weighing scales. The resident did nothing to discourage her visitors, who regularly carried out acts
what they would like to see done and what
of anti-social behaviour causing her
steps could be taken to stop it happening.
neighbours harassment, alarm and
Residents spoke to housing officers about
distress.
their concerns, and discussed the best way to
The eviction order was granted by Cardiff
deal with different problems. Not surprisingly, residents main concerns
County Court after it examined evidence
centred around noise, problem neighbours, children and vandalism. Ann
provided by WWHA staff and local Police
Tyler, a resident in Taunton said, "We've had a couple of problems with
Officers.
neighbours, but never really knew how to handle it. We really enjoyed today
The Association demonstrated to the
- it was all done in a really entertaining way, and I think we've got a better
Court the devastating effect that the anti-
idea of the things we can do to help make things better."
social behaviour had had upon other
Throughout the day, residents discovered different ways of dealing with
residents, who were too terrified to
anti-social behaviour - from legal routes to mediation and dreamschemes. They also heard residents' stories of how they'd come together to sort out problems on their estate. Angela Gascoigne, the Director of Housing Services said,“This is the first time we've done anything quite like this. Neighbour nuisance can be a problem for everyone and we wanted to help residents tackle it in a fun and positive way.�
Like to know more then contact:
appear in court as witnesses. Police Officers were present and explained in detail how the effects of drug dealing lead to increased crime rates and anti-social behaviour within communities.
Adrian Oldman
The resident's partner is currently serving
adrian.oldman@arcadiahousing.co.uk
a three year prison sentence for possession with intent to supply Heroin.
First demoted tenancy The Tunstall Local Centre has been successful in securing the first Demoted Tenancy in Stoke on Trent, at a property on the Stanfield Estate. The case involved a tenant being found guilty of possession and cultivation of cannabis at his home address. This reduces the tenant’s security of tenure, acts as a final offer of support and a final warning that if their conduct does not alter, they will be evicted. Demoted tenants lose a number of rights including Right to buy Right to take in lodgers Right to sub let Right to mutually exchange Right to improve Right to vote (transfer to a new landlord) Right to claim compensation for Like to know more then contact: Paul Robinson, Stoke on Trent CC improvements Tel 01782 233061
The resident had 14 days to find alternative accommodation for herself and her three young children. Anne Hinchey, Chief Executive of WWHA, said "We take the issue of drug dealing very seriously and are determined to eradicate such acts from the communities in which we work. This is a good example of partnerships achieving positive results and enhancing the lives of residents and the wider community". Like to know more then contact: Sharon Lee, Wales & West Ass. Director (Support Services) 0800 052 2526
Members News skills and amateur boxing training sessions.
Respect launch event pulls the crowds Geoff Thompson MBE - former world karate champion and hundreds of Langley residents helped Bowlee Park Housing embrace the Government's Respect Agenda in a special fun packed day. The launch day was organised as a commitment to go broader, deeper and further in to restoring respect on Langley. Other agencies involved included Greater Manchester Fire Service, Greater Manchester Police and Community Safety, The Queen Elizabeth School pupils and Middleton Youth Inclusion Project. Aspiring pop stars turned up to take part in a music competition and other wannabe actors took part in theatre workshops. As well as this, many were lured by the health and fitness options and had a go at football
Police introduce 24-hour patrols
Jeff Allen, Neighbourhood Manager, for Bowlee Park Housing said "The aim of the day was to encourage self discipline, self esteem, self confidence and respect throughout the community and we think we did that. We know that young people often get involved in anti-social behaviour out of boredom so we hope by providing opportunities for them to try new activities, some of them will think twice before going down that road. It was encouraging to see so many young people having so much fun on the day and we hope some of them at least keep up the activities they tried." Geoff Thompson MBE is the five times winner of the World Karate Champion and founder of the Youth Charter for Sport, Culture and Arts. He gave an inspirational speech on his journey from social disaffection and explained how sport had helped him overcome social and cultural adversity to achieve personal and team success as Like to know more then contact: well as Janine Goodison Communications Officer personal janine.goodison@riverside.org.uk excellence.
A new neighbourhood policing scheme in west London is the first in the country to provide round-the-clock police patrols in parts of its borough. Hammersmith & Fulham will spend ÂŁ1.5m for the teams covering Fulham Broadway and Shepherds Bush town centres. More than 30 hand-picked police officers will be on patrol from next month tackling anti-social behaviour. It follows the murder of Kodjo Yenga, 16, who was stabbed to death in Hammersmith. Michael Wallace from the Oswald Stoll Mansions Residents Association in Fulham said: "We get a lot of problems around here in the early hours of the morning. Some people are frightened to leave their homes because of the gangs and drunks around the place. Hopefully the 24/7 neighbourhood policing will stop the rowdiness." Each town centre will have its own team made up of a dedicated and accountable police inspector managing five sergeants, 10 police constables and 15 police community support officers. "Residents want protection and they want it round the clock " said Hammersmith & Fulham councillor Greg Smith. "And now, working with the Met, we are the first council in the UK to provide police with funding to put local patrols on the streets, day and night, every day of the year."
Book Review
Housing Managers are from Mars, social workers are from Venus .... So reads one of the 15 chapter headings from this interesting
Faculty of Health & Social Care
new book “Supporting safer communities: Housing crime and neighbourhoods”. Edited by Alan Dearling, Tim Newburn and
INVOLVED IN MANAGING ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR? ANGLIA RUSKIN UNIVERSITY OFFERS THREE RELEVANT QUALIFICATIONS: • UNDERGRADUATE DIPLOMA IN THE MANAGEMENT OF ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR
Peter Somerville, contributors are predominantly lecturers and researchers in housing, criminal justice and social policy. “Not another academic thesis!” I hear you cry. While it’s true that dealing with anti-social behaviour has become a growth industry in the world of academia, this book was commissioned by CIH and so retains its grounding in housing policy and practice. The book addresses the four themes of disorder and regeneration
policing crime and disorder
service provider approaches to safer communities
social inclusion and community safety.
In setting the scene, the editors emphasise the difficulties caused
• POSTGRADUATE CERTIFICATE IN THE MANAGEMENT OF ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR
when professional cultures and practices get in the way of
• MASTERS IN NEIGHBOURHOOD MANAGEMENT AND ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR
tackling anti-social behaviour, the book contains examples of
Three ground-breaking courses, entirely dedicated to the exploration of anti-social behaviour issues with additional skills in neighbourhood management available in the MA. Assessment is based on reflection of practical experiences in the workplace (no traditional examinations). Specialist, individual tutorial support is available to prepare you for your assessments. Entry at different levels for non graduates and graduates with the opportunity of continuing to a masters degree in anti-social behaviour and neighbourhood management.
effective joint working, and this is an issue that runs through the book. As well as giving an overview of the historical context of good practice, comments on the impact of the Respect Agenda and makes reference to the work of SLCNG. All in all a worthwhile addition to your team’s library. For further reading, the book complements the volume published in July 2006 by The Policy Press “Housing, urban governance and anti-social behaviour” edited by John Flint - one of our colleagues from Sheffield Hallam University. “Supporting safer communities: Housing crime and neighbourhoods” CIH Housing Policy and Practice Series – published November 2006 in collaboration with the Housing Studies Association. Available for £25 from www.cih.org/publications or by calling 02476 851700
PROVIDED BY ANGLIA RUSKIN UNIVERSITY IN COLLABORATION WITH THE GOVERNMENT OFFICE FOR THE EAST OF ENGLAND.
This is one of an occasional series of book reviews. If you would like to contribute a review of an anti-social behaviour related
www.anglia.ac.uk/fhsc
publication, please let us know at Nuisance News. Peter Jackson
www.anglia.ac.uk
peter.jackson@slcng.co.uk
Members News
Award for standing up to bullies Mother-of-two Carol Williams, aged 40, stood up to physical and verbal abuse from neighbours on Garston, Liverpool, and won a court ruling allowing South Liverpool Housing to take possession of the perpetrators’ property. Carol was presented with a Respect Award for Taking a Stand (RAFTAS) by the Home Secretary John Reid and the Government’s Co-ordinator for Respect, Louise Casey at a ceremony in London. SLH Community Safety Manager Sharon Marsh said:“This is a tribute to the personal courage of Carol, but means much more than that. “Her advice and encouragement for people on the Witness Support Forum has given others the confidence to come forward in similar cases and it is therefore a victory for the whole community.” Louise Casey said,“Our RAFTAS award winners are truly ambassadors for the Respect drive. It is not easy to stand up to those doing wrong; the winners of these awards have been deservedly recognised for working with the police and local authorities to challenge the minority of people who think it is acceptable to intimidate, harass and blight our communities.” Carol suffered from a catalogue of problems including everything from car and living room windows being smashed, drunken and rowdy behaviour in the street and even an attempt to run over her teenage child.
Like to know more then contact:
Sharon Marsh South Liverpool Housing 0151 285 5632
The Respect Standard Creating a Culture of Respect 17th July 2007 – London 19th July 2007 – Manchester Launched in August 2006, over 100 landlords are now signed up to the Standard. This event aims to look at what signing up to the Standard can do for you as an organisation and once you are signed up, how best to work to achieving this standard.
*Don’t miss out on the following sessions: • • • • • •
The Respect Standard – what’s in it for you Accountability to residents Using the Respect Standard as a tool to tackling anti social behaviour Understand the six core components of the Respect Standard Partnership working Resident Involvement in setting standards and working towards common goals
*programme subject to minor change
For further information and to register, simply complete the booking form online at http://www.cih.org/events/seminars/respect/
www.cih.org/events
Members News
ASB Injunction breached A Washington youth has been sentenced to 14 days detention for breaching his Anti Social Behaviour Injunction. Mark Phelps, 19 of Usworth, Washington was sentenced to seven days detention after being arrested
Community Safety Accreditation has been awarded by
in an area he is excluded from in the
Lancashire Police to Twin Valley Homes and the Anti-
early hours of Saturday morning.
Social Behaviour Team. The accreditation scheme
A seven day suspended sentence
strengthens the links between the Police and Twin Valley
for a previous breach of the
Homes and grants recognised staff
injunction was also enforced. Scott Richardson, Neighbourhood Nuisance Enforcement Officer for Sunderland Housing Group said: “Phelps was identified by SHG and Northumbria Police as being part of a group of youths involved in anti social behaviour in the Concord area of Washington. SHG applied for and obtained the injunction in August last year which prevents him from entering a large part of Concord between the hours of 6pm and 6am.” Scott added that “While we regret that this youth has been detained it should serve as a warning to those involved that Washington Housing Company will use all the powers available to tackle anti social behaviour.” Like to know more then contact:
Sarah Todd, PR Manager sarah.todd@sunderlandhousing.co.uk
with limited powers to help them in their work within the local community.
Like to know more then contact:
Martin Jackson Tel : 01254 269099
Resident’s son sent to prison Three Valleys Housing, which is based in Sandiacre, has had a resident’s son sent to prison for breach of an injunction. The injunction was obtained in August 2006 due to Mr Moores behaviour towards staff and the police. Mr Moore broke the terms of the injunction by verbally abusing carelink staff and the Police who attended an incident. He was subsequently jailed for 21 days for breach of the injunction order. Nick Lees, Anti Social Behaviour Officer said “At no time will we allow any of our staff or our fellow partnership staff be abused or physically attacked . This sentence sends out a clear message that any such incidents Like to know more then contact: will be put before the courts and the Nick Lees Tel : 0115 968 4054 appropriate action taken.”
First DIY possession order New Progress HA is celebrating after obtaining its first Do-It-Yourself possession order. The association's Tenancy Enforcement team successfully obtained a possession order against a nuisance tenant without employing the services of solicitors, saving the organisation and its tenants an estimated £4,500 in legal costs. The Leyland-based association was forced to serve notice of seeking possession on a tenant, Catherine Hughes, after repeated incidents of excessive noise, threatening and abusive Like to know more then contact: behaviour, and violent assaults made Tim Frier neighbours' lives a misery. tfrier@progressgroup.org.uk
Members News November 2005 they decided we would try to do something about it and brain stormed possible solutions and the front runner was … schools. They put together the project which was aimed at children aged between 7 and 11. This age was chosen as Warren and Tracy considered that children would be more receptive and would spread the word to other family members.
Respect and Responsibility Project Ever had the feeling that you’re just reacting to antisocial behaviour instead of trying to prevent it. So did Warren Stone and Tracy Beech, Anti-Social Behaviour Co-ordinators for Redditch Borough Council. So in
Crack House closures
Like to know more then contact:
Emma Tedman communications@hyde-housing.co.uk.
The feedback from pupils and teachers has been very positive and has shown that the information has been aimed at the correct level. Warren or Tracy Like to know more then contact: are now fully booked Warren or Tracy 01527 534194 asbschools@redditchbc.gov.uk. until June 2008.!!!
Residents rewarded for taking a stand For the third year running residents of West Kent Housing Association have scooped a prestigious Respect Awards For ‘Taking A Stand’ against antisocial behaviour in their neighbourhoods.
There were 747 nominations for the awards this year, and that’s why four residents from the Shenden Close, Sevenoaks were delighted to be named among the 271 winners , only two of which were from the Kent.
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Following a court order, Hampshire Police have closed down two homes in Aldershot which were notorious for drug dealing. Hyde Housing Association and Pavilion Housing Association which own the properties, worked alongside the police through the organisation SHAARP which was set up to deal with anti-social behaviour in Hampshire. The property closures follow a number of high profile drugs raids by police, dubbed ‘Operation Maldive’, across Hampshire, Surrey and London. SHAARP project manager Thalia Ali commented” SHAARP has worked in partnership with the police on these year-long cases and we are delighted that there is now a positive resolution for all concerned.”
After a pilot of a single session, it was apparent that this was insufficient time to get the message across. As a result, they developed a two session package for years 5 to 7 and a five session package for years 3 and 4.