At Abri, we want everyone to feel safe in their own home and community. We know that the actions of our neighbours can have a huge impact on how safe we feel, so we take anti-social behaviour (ASB) extremely seriously. That’s why we’re committed to doing all we can, within our powers, to prevent, investigate, and tackle ASB.
By definition, ASB is any behaviour by a person which causes or is likely to cause, harassment, alarm or distress to any person. The term includes many behaviours and offences from inconsiderate noise levels, physical assault, serious criminal activity and arson.
Our specialised in-house team works closely with the police, partnering with support agencies and those in the surrounding community to tackle ASB and find solutions that work for all. We’ve also launched a pioneering partnership with Crimestoppers to increase awareness of different types of crimes and encourage our communities to feel safe in reporting them.
Our approach to tackling ASB
Abri is proud to have a Community Safety Team with nearly 150 years of collective experience in housing. They receive regular and specialist training on topics such as domestic abuse and drug awareness. But perhaps more important than training, their dedication to supporting the community with effectiveness and empathy is at the heart of the team's success. The team manages around 200 reports of ASB each month, handling a case load of 400 – 450 at any time.
There isn’t an easy fix for anti-social behaviour. It can take many months, and in complex situations, sometimes years and multiple partner agencies to resolve issues. This process can be very distressing for those on the receiving end, but we’re committed to taking a customer-first approach and putting customer wellbeing at the heart of our response. Our ultimate aim is to help all customers remain in their own homes, keeping legal action and eviction as a last resort.
The team also supports customers experiencing domestic abuse (DA) and has received specialist training to help keep people safe at home. We receive around 30 – 40 reports of DA per month and our support ranges from referrals to DA agencies and offering additional security to coordinating an urgent move out of area to support a victim and to minimise risk. Again, we work with partners such as the police and local authorities to find the best solution for those involved.
Take a look at this blog in which Simona De Sio, former Community Safety Officer at Abri, reflects on the realities of tackling domestic abuse.
Identifying ASB
To tackle ASB we must first understand how it affects our communities and how it affects our customers. If they feel comfortable doing so, we encourage customers to report ASB to us or the appropriate authority. It can sometimes be hard to know what is classed as ASB, what’s simply a nuisance, and what is a more serious crime. Following recommendations made by Abri’s Resident Scrutiny Group as part of an ASB review in 2022, we have recently developed an intuitive and accessible online ASB reporting tool that helps customers understand the different types of ASB and how this should be reported.
We know that fear of reprisal can be a barrier to reporting ASB for some customers. That’s why we became the first UK housing association to partner with CrimeStoppers, a service that allows anyone to report a crime 100% anonymously. Over the last twelve months, we’ve run several campaigns to raise awareness of the service and the different crimes that might affect our customers.
Abri colleagues are also empowered to raise any customer concerns, including ASB, through our ‘See Something Say Something’ initiative. Any issues raised this way are then investigated by the Community Safety Team following the usual process.
Resolving the issue
There isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to tackling ASB. Our first step will always be to have a conversation with anyone who has reported an incident so that we can really listen to their story and hear their concerns. For neighbourly disputes, we’ll support customers (if they feel safe doing so) to speak to their neighbours about their concerns in a constructive way. We’ve recently developed ‘hello neighbour’ cards to facilitate conversations and these are already having a positive impact in our communities. If approaching a neighbour isn’t appropriate, or is unsuccessful, we have a number of tools we can use including a referral to Victim Support, Acceptable Behaviour Contracts, Good Neighbour Agreements, or a warning letter in the first instance. Our impartial assessment and mediation service has also been a great success in helping to solve neighbourhood disagreements.
Some types of ASB, such as criminal offences and drug dealing extend beyond Abri’s remit and require collaborative work with partner agencies to get the best outcome for the customer. The team have close working relationships with the police, probation, environmental health, fire, social services, citizens advice, domestic abuse and substance misuse support groups and local authorities.
Once we’ve exhausted all available options, only then will we work with our legal team and local partners to pursue court action that could result in a customer losing their home. Whatever approach we take, our approach is supported by a full suite of policies, procedures, and training to ensure that all cases are managed appropriately.
Want to know more about partnership working? Read here for how we worked with Avon and Somerset Police to obtain a closure order for one of our homes in Bridgwater, putting an end to years of distress for neighbouring residents.
Proactive work in the community
We don’t just respond to reports of ASB as they are raised to us, we also work proactively in our communities to create spaces that feel safe. Our Community Development Officers spend a lot of time getting to know our customers and working with other organisations. They use this wealth of knowledge and insight to create unique action plans that take a preventative approach to ASB. For example, we had heard from the Millbrook community that there was a particular apprehension around ASB on Halloween, with the area having previously experienced a spike in crime on the night itself. The team, working alongside the Millbrook Youth Action Group, coordinated a range of activities to keep young people occupied and out of harm's way. The project was a huge success, with a 60% decrease in incidents from Halloween 2021 to 2022. We’ve also established regular activities across the year to help promote a sense of community spirit and cohesion in the area.
What’s next for Abri?
Whilst we’re proud of the work we do to reduce ASB in our communities, we know that we can always do more. And as a growing organisation, it’s crucial that we do. In October 2023, Silva joined the Abri Group, meaning that we now have over 114,000 customers across 50,000 homes and community assets. It’s really important to us that every one of our customers feels safe and empowered to thrive in their community. With the launch of our new regional model, we’re able to get even closer to the customers we serve and provide an even better service. As we progress with our new model, we’re looking forward to building even stronger relationships with our customers and local partners that help us prevent and tackle ASB and create safe, peaceful and cohesive communities.
To pass on what you know about crime, contact the charity Crimestoppers by completing a simple and secure anonymous online form at Crimestoppers-uk.org or call their 24/7 UK Contact Centre on freephone 0800 555 111.
