Wandsworth Council

Housing and Community Services Department

Anti-Social Behaviour Housing Policy Statement

2015- 2018

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Contents

1. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................ 3

2. LEGISLATION AND POLICY: NATIONAL, REGIONAL AND LOCAL ........................ 4

The National Context ............................................................................................................... 4

The Local Context.................................................................................................................... 5

3. DEFINITION OF ASB ..................................................................................................... 7

4. WHAT HAS BEEN DELIVERED SINCE THE LAST ASB HOUSING POLICY STATEMENT AND ACTION PLAN 2010-2013 ........................................................................ 8

Table 1: Number and type of interventions from 2010 to 2014. .......................................... 9

5. ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR HOUSING POLICY STATEMENT ................................ 11

Policy Commitments ............................................................................................................. 12

Prevention .............................................................................................................................. 13

Enforcement ........................................................................................................................... 14

Support and Diversionary Activities ................................................................................... 15

Communication...................................................................................................................... 16

Partnership Working ............................................................................................................. 17

6. HOUSING AND COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT: ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR POLICIES AND PROCEDURES ...................................................................... 18

Procedures ............................................................................................................................. 18

Statutory powers and legislation ......................................................................................... 19

7. TRAINING AND SUPPORT ......................................................................................... 19

8. MONITORING AND SERVICE DEVELOPMENT ........................................................ 19

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GLOSSARY ABC Acceptable Behaviour Contract ASB Anti-Social Behaviour ASBO Anti-Social Behaviour Order AQPR Annual Quality Performance Review CBO Criminal Behaviour Order CPN Community Protection Notice CSP Community Safety Partnership FRP Family Recovery Project GMAP Gangs Multi-Agency Partnership IASG Inter-Agency Steering Group IDVA Independent Domestic Violence Advocate LCRB London Crime Reduction Board LGA Local Government Association MAPPA Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangement MARAC Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference MOPAC Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime NOSP Notice of Seeking Possession NSIR National Standards for Incident Reporting PSG Partnership Strategy Group PSPO Public Spaces Protection Order SIB Small Improvement Budget SNT Safer Neighbourhood Team TFP Troubled Families Programme WEC Wandsworth Emergency Control YOT Youth Offending Team

1. Introduction 1.1. The council’s housing services including its Housing Management Division, which

manages over 35,000 council properties, has a long-standing commitment to preventing and tackling anti-social behaviour (ASB) and making its estates and neighbourhoods safer. As a direct provider of services, it has an integral role to play in working with other agencies to tackle ASB and make every effort to ensure that residents enjoy a safe and secure environment. This statement outlines the Housing and Community Services Department’s approach to ASB and the measures in place to deal with it.

1.2. In line with the Regulatory Framework this document sets out the Housing Policy

and approach for tackling ASB and has been developed in consultation with residents, including through estate inspections where council residents can comment on and effect service delivery and through regular surveying of council residents to gauge their views as to how the council’s and housing service respond to addressing ASB. It has been developed in line with Section 218A of the Housing Act 1996, which requires all social landlords1 to prepare and publish statements of policies and procedures in relation to ASB. The statement must be made available to the public and kept under review. It conforms to relevant legislation, takes account of statutory guidance and continues to be in line with the ‘Respect ASB Charter for Housing’. Additionally, the statement supports the council’s Housing Strategy and Business Plan and has been developed in line with national, pan-London and local policies as detailed in section two.

1 Including local authorities, RSLs and Housing Action Trusts.

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2. Legislation and policy: national, regional and local The National Context

2.1. The ‘Respect’ Standard for Housing Management was published by the Department

for Communities and Local Government in August 2006 and was intended for all social landlords. The aim of the standard was to enable delivery of an effective response to ASB and help to create a culture of respect. In January 2011, the Secretary of State for Housing and Local Government announced that it would be transferred to housing sector ownership and rebranded the ‘Respect ASB Charter for Housing’. The Chartered Institute of Housing, Social Landlords Crime and Nuisance Group and Housemark, would be responsible for taking the ‘Respect’ project forward. The Charter continues to be voluntary and contributes to the new co-regulatory and consumer led approach being promoted by central government that focuses on resident scrutiny of social landlord performance and a local focus in addressing, tackling and reducing ASB. Wandsworth housing services signed up to and will continue to be a part of this charter in January 20122 to re-affirm its ongoing commitment to effectively tackling ASB on council housing estates.

2.2. The Localism Act 20113 radically reformed social housing in the areas of tenure, housing allocation and regulation. The aim of the Act is to support communities to identify and drive local priorities to shape what local services look like and how they are delivered. The Act introduced a new form of tenancy; the flexible tenancy, which allows registered providers of social housing to offer ‘fixed term’ tenancies for new tenants and includes taking into account behaviour in the renewal of such tenancies. The Act also introduced legislation to allow housing authorities to introduce their own local allocation criteria for those who apply for social housing, for example, the ability to disqualify applicants who have been perpetrators of ASB.

2.3. The Troubled Families programme (TFP) was launched by the Government in

November 2011, with the intent to change repeating patterns of poor parenting, abuse, violence, drug use, ASB and crime in the most troubled families in the UK. The TFP has worked with hundreds of troubled families applying a ‘hands-on’ approach - including families where one or more adult is not working, has mental health problems, their children are not in school, and where they cause serious problems, such as crime and ASB. Given the success of the programme, the Government announced its intention to extend it, committing £200 million in funding in 2015 to 2016. The programme is expected to run for five years and it is anticipated that up to 2,370 families will be worked with over this period. Many of these households will be living in social housing or temporary accommodation provided by the council or housing associations so the programme provides opportunities for services to work together to tackle the root causes of ASB. As a result of the success of the programme in Wandsworth so far, the Government invited the council to become one of the ‘early adopters’ of the expanded programme ahead of a national rollout during 2015/2016.

2.4. The Government first issued consultation papers in 2011 containing proposals to amend the tools available to tackle ASB with the proposed reforms designed to put victims at the heart of the response. The White Paper ‘Putting Victims First – More Effective Responses to Anti Social Behaviour’4 was published by the Home Office in May 2012 and set out the Government’s intention to reduce the measures to tackle ASB into clearer, more defined measures, streamlining the existing “tools” at the disposal of agencies from 19 into six. This led to the ASB Crime and Policing Act 2014 which received Royal Assent in May 2014. Parts 1 to 6 of the Act include new powers, introducing a new absolute ground for possession, amendments to the existing discretionary grounds for possession, as well as introducing civil injunctions,

2 http://wbcvmapp11/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=294&MId=3723&Ver=4 (Paper No. 12-68) 3 http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2011/20/contents/enacted 4 https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/228863/8367.pdf

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criminal behaviour orders (CBOs), dispersal powers, community protection notices (CPNs), public spaces protection orders (PSPOs) and closure powers for local authorities and the police to effectively tackle ASB. The Act also includes tools for community engagement, in the ‘Community Trigger’ and ‘Community Remedy’.

2.5. The Regulatory Framework for Social Housing 20125, sets out in its ‘Neighbourhood and Community standard’ section a number of required outcomes which organisations should aim to achieve in relation to ASB. This includes: working in partnership with other agencies to prevent and tackle ASB in the neighbourhoods where they own homes, publishing a policy on how they work with relevant partners to prevent and tackle ASB, communication with tenants, shared understanding of responsibilities with other agencies, preventative measures, decisive enforcement action, and support for victims and witnesses in relation to ASB.

The regional / pan-London context

2.6. The Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 established a Police and

Crime Commissioner for each police force area across England and Wales. In London, the equivalent to the Police and Crime Commissioner is the elected Mayor of London. The Mayor has the key role of setting the strategic direction and accountability for London and in January 2012 the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) was established as the strategic oversight body. MOPAC also sets targets, scrutinises police performance and commissions services on behalf of the Mayor, including crime prevention schemes in boroughs via the London Crime Prevention Fund and, from 1 October 2014, victim support services across London. Additionally, as a result of the ASB, Crime and Policing Act, MOPAC has worked with social housing registered providers across London, including Wandsworth, to agree a pan-London policy on the use of the ‘Community Trigger’6.

2.7. In early 2013 the Mayor published the first ‘Police and Crime Plan’7 which is the Mayor’s strategy for tackling crime and making London safer during the 2013/14-2016/17 period. The plan highlights the Mayor’s commitment to work with partners to prevent and tackle ASB and crime as well as protecting vulnerable people. The plan acknowledges that tackling ASB is critical to addressing perceptions of disorder in a neighbourhood and is one of the three priorities for the London Crime Reduction Board (LCRB)8.

2.8. London Councils represents London’s 32 boroughs and the City of London and is involved with several projects and programmes which are being delivered to combat crime and ASB. Projects include addressing; crime through the LCRB and the London ASB Managers group; local community safety issues through the LGA Community Safety Advisors meetings; violence against women and girls through the Violence Against Women Panel; and crime and community safety through the London Heads of Community Safety Network. The priority themes for London Councils in 2015/16 are to support MOPAC and their partners in developing detailed proposals on youth offending, rehabilitation and CCTV and ensuring borough interests are represented in pan-London gang initiatives.

The local context

2.9. The Crime and Disorder Act 1998, places a responsibility on the police and the

council to work together alongside other key partners to reduce crime and disorder in 5 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-regulatory-framework-for-social-housing-in-england-from-2012 6 The Community Trigger gives victims and communities the right to request a review of their ASB case and brings agencies together to take a joined up, problem-solving approach to find a solution. Agencies will share information, review action and decide whether additional actions are possible. 7 https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/PoliceCrimePlan%202013-16.pdf 8 This was established in 2010, to improve accountability and rationalise a number of pan-London partnership boards

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their areas. Under Sections 5-7 of the Act, Community Safety Partnerships (CSP) were set up and are made up of representatives from the ‘responsible authorities’. Wandsworth’s CSP is made up of; Wandsworth Borough Council; Metropolitan Police Service – Wandsworth Borough Command Unit; MOPAC; Wandsworth Primary Care Trust; London Fire Brigade; and Probation Services. Further to this, the production of a Strategic Assessment and associated Partnership Plan is a statutory requirement under the Act and is based upon an annual review of ASB in the Borough. In June 2011 Wandsworth’s CSP published its ‘Partnership Plan’ for 2010-20139, which was adopted by the council. Responsibility for this assessment and the publication of the ‘Partnership Plan’ rests with the Partnership Strategy Group (PSG). The Partnership Plan is strategically linked with the council’s Sustainable Communities Strategy (Our Wandsworth 2018) and the delivery of Wandsworth’s vision to maintain the borough as one of the safest places to live, work and visit in London by ‘continuing to tackle anti-social behaviour through targeting hotspots, particularly town centres at identified peak times.’ A new strategic assessment and updated partnership plan are currently in development and will be published in late 2015.

2.10. Following the disorder in Wandsworth in August 2011 the council commissioned an independent review to examine whether there were local factors which explained the events, the impact on business and the response of Wandsworth Council. The ‘Kinghan’10 report recommended that the council should look at the actions it might take to reduce the influence of gangs and the impact of ASB, for example in the design and permeability of its housing estates, the provision of more public areas, its support for residents associations and the provision of sports and other facilities for young people to have an effect over time. The recommendations were adopted in the council’s ‘Aspirations Agenda’, which highlighted Latchmere and Roehampton as areas of deprivation which would in particular benefit from physical regeneration including improvements to the local environment, travel routes and public and leisure facilities.11 The council is now well underway in a programme of regeneration of estates in both Roehampton and Clapham Junction which will take into account the findings of the Kinghan review and will link in with social and work programmes aimed at improving the prospects and well being of residents living in these areas.

2.11. Wandsworth’s Family Recovery Project (FRP), which incorporates the TFP, delivers an integrated, intensive and highly targeted set of interventions with a particular focus on tackling the problems of the Borough’s 30-40 most problematic families including those at risk of losing their children, liberty, home or any combination of these outcomes. The FRP is a multi agency team and works to provide coordinated and intensive, family-focused support that significantly improves outcomes and has been shown to reduce the cost burden on local agencies and make savings to the wider public purse. Housing services are an integral part of the team with a dedicated housing officer based full time in the FRP. Wandsworth was the first London borough to turnaround all of its families against the government success criteria and is one of only eight London boroughs to have achieved 100% success. As at March 2015, 280 families had been referred to the FRP, with a current case load of 34.

2.12. Following the introduction of the Localism Act, the council produced its Tenancy

Policy12 to reflect the change in legislation around ‘qualifying persons’ and fixed term tenancies. This is an additional tool in the management of ASB as it allows the housing service to offer a shorter tenancy of at least two years in exceptional circumstances, for example where there has been a history of ASB. The council is also able to end the tenancy on the expiry of the fixed term, allowing better management of council tenants who perpetrate ASB. Additionally, as a result of the

9 http://www.wandsworth.gov.uk/downloads/download/233/community_safety_partnership 10 http://wbcvmapp11/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=500&MId=3575&Ver=4 (Paper No. 11-771) 11 Promotion of Aspiration and improved Life Chances in the Borough http://wbcvmapp11/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=500&MId=3692&Ver=4 (Paper No. 12-218) 12 Wandsworth’s Tenancy Policy can be found at www.wandsworth.gov.uk

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Act the housing service amended its Housing Allocation Scheme13 to exclude people from registering for social housing on grounds of behaviour if they have been the cause of ASB in the past. The ability to sanction and better address ASB by, for example, offering shorter tenancy terms provides additional tools to the council’s housing management service to deal with ASB. It also adds to the tenancy options available to recognise that where there are issues of ASB tenants may need to be set more limited tenancy terms.

2.13. The Housing Management Division records information on all ASB cases on its ASB database, which is intended to allow for effective case management and from which performance information can then be extracted. Internal performance reports are drafted and external quarterly performance reports are submitted to Housemark14 which allows for benchmarking. The housing service continues to use the ASB database for case management purposes with the system recording and monitoring ASB cases. In 2011/12 case data, started to be categorised in accordance with the National Standards for Incident Recording15 (NSIR) ASB categories, which were published by the National Policing Improvement Agency. This latest change has helped to ensure that social landlords’ ASB data would be compatible with data collected by other agencies by dividing cases of ASB into three categories based on this risk assessment approach, these are; personal, nuisance and environmental. There is a continued commitment to update and improve the system to ensure consistency in reporting and case management as far as possible across partner agencies.

2.14. In January 2015 the ‘Wandsworth Housing Offer’16 outlined the council’s housing

strategy to meet the housing and environmental demands of Wandsworth residents. The Strategy outlines Wandsworth’s ‘Decent Homes Plus Programme’, which will set aside funding to focus on what can be done to improve common parts of blocks and the immediate environment. Similarly, the ‘Environmental Estate Improvement Programme’ will target areas on estates of poorer quality that do not feel safe, and seek to improve connectivity with the wider neighbourhood, thus reducing instances of ASB. For example, when looking at the design of regeneration and development of projects, such as on the Winstanley, York Road and Alton estate and in the Nine Elms development area. The approach to the delivery of all housing services has also identified the importance of good communication at all levels. This policy statement sets out clear expectations on staff and commitments generally to seek to continually improve how we communicate and respond to ASB.

3. Definition of ASB

3.1. The Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 defines ASB as: (a) Conduct that has caused, or is likely to cause, harassment, alarm or distress to

any person, (b) Conduct capable of causing nuisance or annoyance to a person in relation to

that person’s occupation of residential premises, or (c) Conduct capable of causing housing-related nuisance or annoyance to any

person.

13 http://www.wandsworth.gov.uk/info/200367/finding_a_home_and_applying_for_housing/89/finding_a_home_and_applying_for_housing/5 14 www.housemark.co.uk – Housemark is a membership organisation helping the social housing sector to improve performance and achieve value for money 15 NSIR 2011 - https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/116658/count-nsir11.pdf 16 http://wbcvmapp11/documents/s35809/A%20Housing%20Strategy%20for%20Wandsworth.pdf

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3.2. The housing service does not have one definition of ASB and the tenancy conditions are broad to reflect the wide ranging nature of ASB. However, inline with the Act, the service’s Tenancy Conditions in relation to ASB says: ‘We will take reasonable steps to investigate your complaints and will take action where appropriate. We will do all we can to help solve any problems with your neighbours and will take firm action against neighbours who cause a nuisance. This is a list of things that you, your lodgers, friends, relatives and any other person living in the property are not allowed to do whilst in the London Borough of Wandsworth or the area which is local to the property: Breach the tenancy conditions Do anything which causes or is likely to cause a nuisance to anyone living in

the borough of Wandsworth and/or the local area Do anything which interferes with the peace, comfort or convenience of other

people living in the borough of Wandsworth and/or local area Cause damage to property belonging to other people or council property in

the borough of Wandsworth and/or the local area Harass anyone in the borough of Wandsworth and/or the local area because

of his or her race, colour, nationality, culture, sexuality, gender, age, marital status, religion or disability

Use the property for any criminal, immoral or illegal purpose Threaten or harass or use violence towards anyone in the borough of

Wandsworth and/or the local area Threaten or harass or use violence towards council employees, managing

agents or contractors Use or threaten violence towards anyone living in the property

3.3. The sanctions that can be imposed when the tenancy conditions are breached reflect the council’s strong stance on ASB and the proactive nature of its responses.

4. What has been delivered since the last ASB Housing Policy Statement and Action Plan 2010-2013

4.1. The ASB Housing Policy Statement 2010-2013 included an action plan which covered objectives, targets and actions for these years. Progress was reviewed and presented to committee against the action plan on an annual basis. The plan had six priority actions: performance management, resident involvement, tailored support for residents and provision of support for victims and witnesses, publicity, strategy, information sharing and general, which included diversionary activities. This section provides a summary of the achievements since the last ASB policy statement and action plan.

4.2. Performance management of ASB cases remains integral to the work of the area housing teams and the focus has been on each team ensuring that case management is effective and responsive. A key aspect has been to ensure that local residents are confident in reporting ASB and the response is one that demonstrates the commitment of the housing service to addressing the issue reported. Satisfaction surveys of council residents have indicated that this level of service response has been provided and that confidence in reporting ASB is high. However, there is a continuing commitment in this area to improve.

4.3. Since the last policy statement, ASB benchmarking data has been submitted to

Housemark and this continues to be the case. This benchmarking allows the housing service to put its performance in context. The information provides details on the types of ASB, numbers of incidents, actions taken to deal with ASB and the average length of time taken to successfully deal with an ASB case. This data is used to tailor responses where possible and focus resources. The information collected from the ASB database indicates that there has been a year on year

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reduction of total reported ASB cases from 2010 to 2014 from 1,157 cases in 2010/11 to 653 in 2013/14. There has been no change in the way that households are actively encouraged to report ASB; therefore, the reduction can be seen as a positive trend and suggests that the council’s and the housing services policy approach and the effective work of frontline officers has been successful. The performance information also indicates that pet and animal nuisance reduced as a total proportion of all ASB cases, which shows that the council’s proactive approach to responsible pet ownership, for example dog chipping, has helped to reduce pet and animal nuisance.

4.4. The housing service also monitors high level interventions to tackle ASB, these types of interventions are Notices of Seeking Possession (NoSP), Section 80 Notices under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, where nuisance consists of a statutory nuisance, Acceptable Behaviour Contracts (ABCs), Anti-Social Behaviour Orders17, injunctions, possession orders and evictions that demonstrate the enforcement work undertaken to address ASB. Table 1 below, illustrates the type and number of interventions from 2010 to 2014 and shows that, as well as a reduction in reported ASB cases, there has been a corresponding downward trend over the period in the number of Section 80 noise abatement notices, from 148 to 104 and a reduction in the number of evictions for ASB from eight in 2010/11 to five in 2013/14. This suggests that increasing use of early intervention methods, such as that provided through officer interventions as part of the case management approach and use of ABCs which increased during the period are having a successful impact on ASB.

4.5. The housing service has also been extremely effective in tackling graffiti, the amount

of graffiti reported and requiring removal has decreased year on year from 39,626 square metres in 2010/11 at a cost of £221,005 to 16,218 square metres with a total cost of £95,542 in 2013/14. Additionally the graffiti service removed 99% of graffiti within the target times, in 2013/14 and has maintained a high rate of removal at 98% in 2014/15, which helps to reduce overall graffiti levels. Such proactive approaches effectively remove the incentive for people to graffiti and provide a signal as to ways the housing service can work proactively to “build” and “design out” ASB.

Table 1: Number and type of interventions from 2010 to 2014. Intervention 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 Notice Seeking Possession (NOSP) - Served on Tenants for ASB

44 44 50 49

New Section 80 (S80) Notices Under Environmental Act 1990

148 123 111 104

Acceptable Behaviour Contracts (ABCs) 8 16 5 11

Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (ASBO) 3 2 0 0

New Injunctions 8 16 2 8

Number of Possession Orders for ASB and ASB + Rent Arrears

9 8 7 7

17 ASBOs have since been replaced by Civil Injunctions under the ASB, Crime and Policing Act 2014

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Number of Evictions for ASB and ASB + Rent Arrears

8 11 7 5

4.6. Resident involvement - Performance information on ASB is reported quarterly to

area housing panels, the co-op forum, in the Annual Quality Performance Review (AQPR) and in the Annual Report (published in Homelife, the newsletter for council tenants and leaseholders), ensuring the housing service is transparent and accountable in how it deals with ASB. Since the last policy statement, ASB Housing Link surveys were conducted in early 2012, summer 2012 and in autumn 201318. The surveys highlighted positive areas, for example, in 2012, 68% of residents surveyed stated that they were satisfied with the ASB service, of which 23% were very satisfied with just 10% of residents stating they were dissatisfied. Also in 2013, 66% of people reporting ASB found staff helpful during first contact, an increase of five percentage points from 2012.

4.7. The survey also highlighted areas where the housing service needs to improve. For example, residents were asked about their experiences of reporting ASB in 2012 and, whilst 61% of residents found staff helpful or very helpful during their first contact, there remained 28% of residents who found staff unhelpful and in 2013 37% of residents said they were satisfied with the way they were kept up to date. Overall, the results were positive; particularly 85% and 78% of residents in 2012 and 2013 respectively, stated that they would be willing to report ASB in the future, which indicates they have confidence in the service being provided and feel that when ASB is reported action is taken to address it.

4.8. Provision of tailored support for victims and witnesses of ASB - The review has identified that the housing service has effectively provided support for victims and witnesses in accordance with the previous ASB policy statement. Support is provided by area teams, with officers assessing the support needs of victims and witnesses and developing an appropriate action plan. Referrals are made to partner agencies as appropriate including to social services. Since the last ASB statement, 62 referrals were made to partner agencies, including: 36 to the Police, five to Social Services and 12 to Community Mental Health Teams with less formal contact having taken place as appropriate to share information and develop responses. Referrals to partner agencies enable residents to receive specialist advice and help which the housing service cannot provide.

4.9. Publicity - The housing service continues to promote action and successes in tackling ASB in the local media. ASB related news stories have regularly appeared in Homelife. Posters are used in blocks and on estates, where appropriate, to make residents aware of ASB issues in their area, to request help in gathering information and to identify responses to ASB. ASB related news is also included in the council’s newsletter Brightside, which is delivered to all households in the Borough every three months and published on the Wandsworth Council website. In addition to the general publicity in Homelife and Brightside, the housing service informs relevant parties when enforcement action is taken against a perpetrator of ASB. This is important because it provides complainants with up to date information on the action that has been taken to tackle ASB. As identified above one to one contact and informing council residents as to what action is being taken to address ASB is recognised as an area where the housing service must be seen to be continually improving.

4.10. Information sharing - The housing service continued to make the best use of the information sharing protocols and processes that are in place. Effective information sharing ensures that pro-active action can be taken to address ASB. The service has maintained good working relationships with the Metropolitan Police/Safer

18 http://wbcvmapp11/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=294&MId=3982&Ver=4 (Paper No. 13-585)

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Neighbourhood Teams (SNT) which facilitates joint working on the ground to tackle often significant and complex ASB and criminal matters. Information sharing and joint working has assisted the housing service in the management of a number of complex ASB cases. For example, on one estate, information sharing has helped the housing service to gather relevant information and build a case against a persistent perpetrator of ASB so that appropriate enforcement action can be taken that may result in eviction. Another good example of joint working took place when housing management officers provided intelligence to the Police to enable a drugs raid to take place on a housing estate in the borough.

4.11. General - During the course of the previous policy statement the FRP was established. The team has worked intensively alongside a small number of complex families focussing on treating the root causes of social breakdown rather than dealing only with the symptoms. Diversionary activities have provided young people with an environment where they feel safe and can develop positive behaviours. Since 2010 the council has worked with young people at risk of becoming involved in ASB and referred them to activities such as boxing fitness sessions run by Carney’s Community. In addition, almost 50 young people have engaged with the street league project which engages with the 'hardest to reach' young people in a structured football and education 'Academy' programme. A smaller number of young people have engaged with the Aspire to Engage project, which is a small pilot workshop run by a former gang member aimed at improving the aspirations of young people. Indications are that these activities are having a positive effect, with engagement leading to a reduction in ASB amongst the high risk individuals participating. A continued focus for the future will be to ensure that housing services officers are aware of the diversionary and positive activities available in a local area and that these are sign posted both generally and on a one to one basis to local council residents. It is also important that any advice given in this respect is recorded and relayed by housing management staff in case future action needs to be taken in relation to ASB. This approach is one that will be reinforced through training, monitoring and case management processes set out in this statement.

4.12. The council also refurbished two football pitches on housing estates for local residents and part funds football sessions in partnership with Chelsea Football Club on the Winstanley, Henry Prince, Ashburton and Lennox estates. The sessions began in September 2012 and take place once a week for two hours. Due to the reputation for gang activity on the Winstanley estate, attendance for the first four months was low. However, through outreach and partnership working with the police take up of the scheme increased. Every third week the group take part in a crime prevention workshop held at Providence House Youth Club. The group also make up part of the youth consultation group for the redevelopment of the Winstanley and York Road estates. Refurbishment of further pitches and improvement of play facilities is planned and this includes taking forward a significant refurbishment of a ball pitch on the Doddington estate identified as a priority by the local resident association which has, with the assistance of the area housing team, successfully bid for Neighbourhood Community Infrastructure Levy funding to help with improvements.

5. Anti-Social Behaviour Housing Policy Statement

5.1. The housing service has a reputation for delivering quality and responsive services and aims to provide a consistently high standard of services to all residents. It is also committed to reviewing it services and seeking to continually improve them in response to changing demands, expectations and pressures on services. The housing service has a long standing commitment to tackling ASB and the council will seek to enforce tenancy conditions and/or lease agreements to resolve breaches caused by any tenant, leaseholder, their sub-tenants, or visitors to the property. This

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will include using the new and streamlined powers set out in the ASB Crime and Policing Act 2014.

5.2. The housing service is committed to supporting those who have been affected by ASB and offers, where appropriate, services which prevent and deter people from perpetrating ASB, such as diversionary activities to deal with the root causes of ASB and nip any arising problems in the bud. The housing service is also committed to monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of its services in addressing ASB, reporting our performance widely and making changes where necessary in relation to best practice and feedback received about the effectiveness and quality of services.

5.3. The housing service standards19 provide a clear statement of our commitment to tackling ASB and in turn confidence to residents that our housing services will deal responsively and effectively with ASB, by setting out the service our residents can expect. Our service standards are to: Respond to Wandsworth Emergency Control (WEC) calls that require the

attendance of an officer within 30 minutes Carry out health and safety inspections of communal areas on estates every

three months Remove 95% of offensive graffiti within 24 hours Remove 95% of all other graffiti within three working days Provide a dedicated noise nuisance line during and outside of normal working

hours Serve a noise abatement notice within five working days where serious noise

nuisance is reported and confirmed Use our ASB database to manage our ASB cases and provide reporting

information on types and location of ASB complaints. This will enable us to direct our resources more appropriately and effectively

Compare our performance against other registered providers in London Provide information of action taken in respect of ASB to the area panels and to

residents' associations Operate the WEC 24 hour Emergency Service, 7 days a week, 365 days of the

year Provide a recorded message for major events e.g. large scale electrical failure in

an area Take action against those responsible for ASB, in the most serious cases this

could result in a tenant (or leaseholder) losing their home Keep you informed about what action can be taken to address ASB and its

outcome.

5.4. A most important commitment is that the council’s housing services will listen to its council residents and seek to continually improve its response to ASB. It will also train its staff so there is an effective and consistent response to dealing with ASB and that staff are aware of and utilise all the available sanctions, methods and approaches to prevent and tackle ASB. Policy commitments

5.5. The Housing and Community Services Department’s policy commitments fall under

the five strands of prevention, enforcement, support and diversionary activities, communication and effective joint working. These reflect the expectations set out in the Neighbourhood and Community standard in the Regulatory Framework. The following provides information on the steps that the housing service is taking to deliver on its policy commitments.

19 http://www.wandsworth.gov.uk/info/200447/housing/1025/housing_service_standards

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Prevention – we will put measures in place to avoid ASB starting or put a stop to it before it can escalate.

Enforcement – we will use the full range of powers available to tackle ASB and will seek to ensure that tenants and leaseholders abide by their tenancy/leasehold conditions.

Support and diversionary activities– we will ensure that residents who experience ASB are well supported as well as providing appropriate assistance for vulnerable perpetrators of ASB to tackle the root causes.

Communication– we will keep residents informed of action taken to tackle ASB at all stages and publicise action taken against perpetrators. We will provide accessible services to enable residents to report ASB through a wide range of methods including; in person, by telephone, by letter/email and out of hours. We will also seek to make it easier to report ASB and look to utilise approaches that achieve this, including use of telecom and information technology.

Effective joint working – we will work in partnership with the police and other agencies to tackle ASB, for example as part of inter agency strategic partnerships and multi agency teams such as the FRP.

Prevention

5.6. The Housing Management section is divided into four area teams, each of which deals with a specific geographical area in the borough. Both the senior estate managers and estate managers deal with ASB. Estate services are part of the housing management services division and provide a wide range of services to tenants and leaseholders within the borough, including dog control (animal welfare team) and the graffiti removal service. They also manage all council emergencies via WEC. Estate services officers are on hand 24 hours a day to investigate reported problems (including ASB), order repairs and generally deal with any domestic emergency. Officers are trained to investigate complaints of noise nuisance and abusive neighbours, and act as a witness, where required, as well as organising graffiti removal within specified timescales, so there is no “incentive” or “ reason” for an individual to continue to graffiti and deface. Dog control officers (animal welfare officers) prevent ASB by providing education and advice to residents about responsible dog ownership including providing the successful dog chipping scheme which requires council tenants to have their dogs chipped as part of their tenancy conditions, as well as dog neutering schemes. Officers take enforcement action where appropriate. Additionally, housing services works with partners in the promotion of neighbourhood watch and community awareness schemes to help prevent and tackle ASB by providing support and information to council tenants and leaseholders.

5.7. The approaches set out above have proved effective in tackling and reducing ASB

and ensuring that residents feel confident of reporting ASB incidents and issues. The housing services commitment is that it will continue to deliver services in a consistent way that provides a quality response that aims to meet resident expectations. Training is a key factor in this as is good case management both of which the housing service commits to deliver and provide.

5.8. Officers in the housing service have a role in the identification of ASB issues in order to implement any early intervention measures to stop ASB escalating. This includes regular estate and block inspections, as part of their normal duties, and the use of CCTV to capture images of perpetrators of ASB, which can then be used to circulate on estates to act as a deterrent to others. Once ASB is identified, the housing service works to use intervention measures such as in-house mediation to help with conflict resolution and work with the Youth Offending Team (YOT), where appropriate, to draft and agree ABCs, or issue warnings. These allow perpetrators of ASB to agree to an acceptable level of behaviour which is then monitored to achieve the desired positive outcome. To ensure troubled families get the support they

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require the housing service will seek to increase, the identification and referral of families at risk of causing ASB to the councils FRP/Troubled Families programme to receive intensive support to turn their lives around.

5.9. Where residents have been the victim of domestic violence, harassment or hate crime and the ASB is ongoing, officers can help residents remain in their own homes by implementing security improvements to their property. The housing service runs a successful ‘Stay Put Stay Safe (SPSS)’ scheme which uses a range of measures, such as new locks, heavy-duty doors, additional window security and safe rooms. The scheme is open to all residents in Wandsworth and referrals to the SPSS scheme can be made by a range of agencies including the police, victim support, social workers or housing officers. Since 2010, 172 residents have benefitted through the SPSS scheme. As set out in the Housing Allocation Scheme20, the housing service offers management transfers to council tenants who need to move from a situation of immediate risk where they or a member of their household is being threatened or harassed, fleeing domestic violence or is subject to other exceptional circumstances. Since 2010 there have been 114 management transfer moves. It is intended to continue to support these initiatives.

5.10. Prevention of ASB will be taken into account in the design of any regeneration, estate and environmental improvement and development projects to target areas on estates of poorer quality that do not feel safe, and seek to improve connectivity with the wider neighbourhood, thus reducing instances of ASB. The aim is to seek to design out crime, over the long term by, for example, ensuring designs incorporate improved lighting, safer pedestrian routes etc. Further to this, small improvement budget (SIB) grants are an additional source of funding available to residents to make improvements to their estate or block which will benefit the community and assist in improving a feeling of safety and well being, for example railings that provide better defensible space for Council residents. Applications for SIBs can be made through residents’ associations, resident participation officers, estate managers and resident management organisations.

5.11. The housing service will use the range of new and streamlined powers available in the ASB, Crime and Policing Act to prevent ASB and prevent instances of ASB escalating. These include; closure powers to close properties that are causing, or likely to cause a nuisance; civil injunctions, which will place prohibitions and positive requirements on perpetrators of ASB; community protection notices, to prevent nuisances from escalating; and public spaces protection orders to discourage ASB in specific areas. Enforcement

5.12. The housing services housing teams will utilise the full range of enforcement powers at their disposal to address and resolve ASB problems. Estate services officers are capable of making a swift response to complaints of ASB and are on hand to witness and intervene, where appropriate, in cases of noise or youth nuisance. This allows the situation to be observed and ensures enforcement action is decisive, effective and resolves ASB situations as quickly as possible. Estate services officers will continue to liaise with the housing management division, who monitor and action reports of noise nuisance. Action can include issuing warnings, noise abatement notices, NoSPs, undertakings, injunctions and evictions, bringing the ASB to a fast conclusion. The housing service will also ensure that it has effective and coordinated working relationships with other teams, including; SNTs, community safety division and YOT, amongst others to take and monitor enforcement action against perpetrators of ASB.

20 ‘The Housing Allocation Scheme’ – a copy can be found on the council’s website at: http://www.wandsworth.gov.uk/downloads/file/7509/housing_allocation_scheme/200126

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5.13. In its commitment to using all of the enforcement tools available, should a tenant or a leaseholder breach any of their tenancy conditions in relation to ASB, the housing service will use all the sanctions available including where appropriate, seeking to terminate the tenancy or lease and evict the household. This includes using the new discretionary grounds for possession and the absolute ground for possession, where criminality or other relevant behaviour has already been proven by another court. Injunctions will also be used to require perpetrators of ASB to stop their behaviour. The housing service is also committed to further improving case management through better and more consistent use of the ASB database by officers to ensure cases are recorded and monitored.

5.14. The housing service will use flexible fixed term tenancies as set out in the tenancy policy to better manage ASB amongst council tenants and also extend probationary periods for new tenants where there are continuing and unresolved issues relating to ASB. This will include, in exceptional circumstances, offering shorter length tenancies (a minimum two years) where tenants have previously been evicted for ASB. Where a possession order is in force on the grounds of ASB, or where an application to the court has been made for an injunction or a demotion order tenants will not be given consent to move when requesting a mutual exchange. In addition, when people apply for social housing, the housing services division will assess applications and if the applicant has caused ASB in the past they will not qualify for inclusion on the social housing register, under the housing allocation scheme. The council’s housing services will also, in its end of fixed term tenancy reviews, consider options either to not renew or provide shorter tenancy terms where again there have been issues of ASB.

5.15. In addition, the housing service will actively participate in the monitoring of positive requirements, as set out in the ASB, Crime and Policing Act, imposed on a perpetrator of ASB in any enforcement action and in any community payback initiative signed up to by the council and will seek to make any community payback relevant to the estate and community where the ASB incidents occurred.

Support and diversionary activities

5.16. The housing service will ensure that residents who experience ASB are provided with the support they need as well as providing appropriate assistance for vulnerable perpetrators to tackle the root cause of ASB. The Housing Management Division has a Tenancy Support Service which provides intensive support to Wandsworth Council tenants identified as vulnerable and who have problems maintaining their tenancy. Support is offered to tenants who show a clear indication of failure to maintain their tenancy and/or are engaging in ASB.

5.17. The housing service will offer support to tenants and leaseholders who report ASB by assessing their needs and providing clear and accurate information to manage the support needs of victims and witnesses. Estate managers are committed to developing action plans to address a complaint of ASB and monitor cases using the ASB database as a case management tool and to keep victims updated at various stages of their ASB issue.

5.18. Teams in the housing service will continue to make use of the Independent Domestic Violence Advocate (IDVA), who is based part time in housing, to ensure those who have experienced, or are still experiencing domestic violence are referred for support, as well as aiming to increase referrals to this service. To help residents, of any tenure, remain in their own home we will undertake assessments of vulnerable victims of ASB and, if appropriate, undertake any improvements to security in the home through the SPSS scheme. The housing service will also offer management transfers, as outlined above, where victims are in imminent danger to ensure they are moved to a safe area.

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5.19. The housing service also provides support to those suffering from drug and alcohol problems who may be perpetrators of ASB. The Community Drug and Alcohol Service Outreach Team provides floating support to people who have drug and alcohol issues. The team will help people access the services they require by providing practical support including signposting to drop in centres. As identified above the housing service will also increase its efforts to identify and refer families in need of support to the Family Recovery and Troubled Families Programme, outlined elsewhere in this statement, to strengthen and stabilise families by providing intensive targeted support to reduce ASB.

5.20. Diversionary activities provide young people, who are most at risk of causing ASB, the opportunity to develop positive behaviour by channelling their potential through other avenues. The housing service is committed to the promotion of these activities for perpetrators, or potential perpetrators of ASB, so that there can be a positive contribution to the wider community. The housing service will work with partners to identify people who would benefit through these schemes, including signposting to the Kicks21 project, helping young people, most at risk of causing ASB, create safer, stronger and more respectful communities through football training sessions, using professional club brands to steer young people away from ASB and disillusionment. The scheme is part funded by the housing service and also includes workshop sessions about crime prevention and awareness. Additionally, where appropriate, perpetrators can be supported back into education establishments, to improve their life prospects or referred to other council schemes such as ‘Workmatch’22 and/or apprenticeships.

5.21. The housing service, through its estate services team, also contributes to the ‘Junior Citizens’ scheme, with the police and fire brigade. Every year school children can attend an event where the different agencies run stalls to encourage children to learn about crime, safety and ASB, including graffiti and the effect these have on society. The housing service will use any opportunity to promote and sign post to schemes to increase participation in diversionary activities to ensure people can achieve their aspirations and steer people away from ASB. A particular focus for the housing service will be to ensure that housing staff are aware of the diversionary activities available, that these are sign posted to families and individuals causing ASB and that it is noted and recorded that such activities have been identified and where appropriate offered. The housing service will also commit to maintaining existing and developing new facilities, where possible, to improve local amenities, such as maintaining and improving ball courts and play areas.

Communication

5.22. The housing service is committed to regularly communicating with residents on the

action it is taking on ASB and informing residents about what can and is being done to prevent ASB in the community. The service recognises that it needs to tell residents at every stage what it is doing to tackle ASB, provide feedback on individual cases and how it is improving its service response.

5.23. Residents will be kept updated through an article on ASB in every edition of

‘Homelife’, as well as regularly using ASB flyers in particular blocks and estates to say how issues with ASB are being addressed. The housing service will work with residents to identify and “out” perpetrators of ASB, by distributing posters requesting the identity and information about individuals who cause a nuisance. It will review and report on the ASB services provided and performance in the AQPR and Annual Report to residents as well as reporting local ASB statistics to AHPs and to Housemark for benchmarking purposes.

21 Kicks aims to reduce crime, ASB and youth unemployment by engaging young people in football, alongside structured workshops on crime prevention and other important life skills. 22WorkMatch has been set up to match local, out of work, people with new jobs in the Borough.

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5.24. The housing service is committed to keeping victims and witnesses up to date, at all stages, during the investigation of their complaint and is aware that this is an area where particular focus is required in order to ensure this is being done. Therefore the council is committed to improving its “one to one” response with local residents in terms of informing those reporting ASB of the action that has and is being taken to tackle ASB.

5.25. The housing service is fully committed to equality in the provision of all its services

and will ensure that all residents have equal and varied access to the housing service to report ASB. This includes accessing the service in person, over the phone (using ‘Type Talk’ if necessary), by email, fax, letter and text. The housing service will also use interpreters, including sign language interpreters and written translations, including braille to ensure equality of access to services for all residents.

Partnership working

5.26. The housing service is committed to working with its partners to tackle ASB in all forms by working with other agencies in the community safety partnership including; the police, the probation service and the primary care trust to improve information sharing and co-ordinate the deployment of resources. The service is signed up to the information sharing protocol which aims to facilitate this close working partnership, including disclosure of information on residents to tackle crime and ASB, and sharing CCTV recordings taken on council estates.

5.27. The housing service attends a six weekly ASB Inter-Agency Steering Group (IASG),

which follows the Gangs Multi-Agency Partnership (GMAP). These meetings bring together key partners in the borough, including registered providers, to review individual cases in relation to ASB, so a co-ordinated response can be taken and strategic decisions made to reduce ASB and address the underlying causes on a individual, estate and neighbourhood basis. Further to this, the housing service will continue to contribute to other council-wide strategies such as the CSPs Strategic Assessment and Partnership Plan. The housing service will continue to use its close working relationship with the YOT to reduce youth offending and ASB on council estates.

5.28. The ASB Crime and Policing Act 2014 introduced new powers to give victims of ASB more of a say in how their cases are dealt with. These are the ‘Community Trigger’ and the ‘Community Remedy’. The community trigger is for victims of persistent ASB whose problems have not been adequately dealt with and is a mechanism for victims of ASB to require action, starting with a review of their case. Wandsworth have adopted MOPAC’s pan London procedure for the community trigger, which is triggered when three separate incidences of ASB have been reported in the last six months, and there has not been an adequate response to the ASB. Housing services play an integral part in the decision making process with a representative on the community trigger panel to ensure any review of a case involving a council tenant or leaseholder is properly addressed with its partners across different agencies. The council’s housing service is also committed to working with other social landlords to ensure that there is a joint response to ASB across the social housing sector and stock. This is recognised as a particularly important area of activity where there is multi landlord owned accommodation on estates.

5.29. Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conferences (MARACs) are multi-agency meetings

where statutory and voluntary agency representatives share information about high-risk victims of domestic violence to produce a co-ordinated action plan to increase victim safety. The housing service has dedicated senior officers who attend these meetings. Agencies that attend MARACs will vary but are likely to include, the police, probation services, IDVAs, social services, health and housing. The housing service will inform and as appropriate action the council’s Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy, which is currently under review.

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5.30. The housing service also has a senior officer who works with Multi-Agency Public

Protection Arrangements (MAPPA), which is tasked with the management of registered sex offenders, violent and other types of sexual offenders, and offenders who pose a serious risk of harm to the public. Officers in the housing service also attend the MARAC/Violence Against Women and Girls Steering Group and the Hate Crime and Harassment Steering Group. This policy statement identifies the housing services commitment to continue to be involved in these groups, to work proactively to deliver on the aims and objectives of these groups and to maintain the positive joint working relationships that have been established.

5.31. The housing service will work with the FRP to deliver an integrated, intensive and highly targeted set of interventions to tackle the problems of the Borough’s most problematic families and help identify potential families for referrals, in accordance with the expanded scheme. The FRP is represented by a wide range of agencies including Police, mental health teams, health visitors, social workers, education, housing and job centre officers. There is also an information support team which has access to partner agency databases, including the housing management ASB database to ensure that all available data on families is obtained to make a full assessment of the needs of families being supported, This is a unique multi agency team with fully integrated systems and has been highlighted as an area of good practice. The housing service will, subject to any future reviews of the service, continue to offer housing officer and other resources which ensure the effective working of such targeted and positive interventions. The housing service will also improve its links and referral arrangements with the FRP service as this is an area where the number of direct referrals from housing services has been low.

6. Housing and Community Services Department: Anti-Social Behaviour Policies and Procedures

Procedures 6.1. The housing services’ procedures and strategies, in dealing with ASB, are

continually reviewed and updated to reflect changes in best practice and have been reviewed following changes introduced by the ASB Crime and Policing Act 2014.

6.2. The Housing and Community Services Department has individual procedures, which have all been reviewed in the last two years and will continue to be periodically reviewed, to provide guidance for staff to effectively tackle ASB. These include: Absolute Ground for Possession Acceptable Behaviour Contract ASB procedure Breach of Secure Periodic or Flexible Fixed Term Tenancy Breach of Introductory Tenancy Closure of Drugs Premises Dealing with Hate Crimes, Hate Incidents and Harassment Complaints Dogs Domestic Violence Information Sharing Family Recovery Project Mediation Management Transfers Noise Nuisance Sexual, Violent and other Potentially Dangerous Offenders

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Statutory powers and legislation 6.3. Local authorities must act within the powers provided for them by statute. The

council’s statutory powers and obligations have shaped its policies and operational procedures in relation to ASB issues. The policy and procedures will be reviewed as appropriate should any changes be made to these statutory powers and obligations.

7. Training and support 7.1. To enable housing and community services staff to provide appropriate services to

people who are experiencing ASB and take enforcement action where appropriate, all relevant staff will receive appropriate training, information and support with a particular focus on addressing areas highlighted for improvement in this policy statement.

8. Monitoring and service development 8.1. The Housing and Community Services Department will regularly monitor and review

its service to ensure continuous improvement. The housing service already collects a range of statistics and performance related material in relation to ASB which will assist in this monitoring including: The number of ASB cases dealt with by the housing service by category and

status The number of clients assisted by the tenancy support service The number of homelessness presentations to the housing service where ASB

was cited as a contributing factor The number of notices served (noise, possession, etc.) The number of applications carried out for ASB The number of ABC’s, Criminal Behaviour Orders and Civil Injunctions The amount of graffiti removed

8.2. The housing service and department will report on its activities and on the

implementation of this ASB Policy in the AQPR. It is also committed to undertaking regular surveys of users of housing services to identify the satisfaction with these services and the council’s response to dealing with ASB. Any findings from this performance analysis and survey will inform changes to this policy, practice or approach to dealing with and tackling ASB.