antisocial behaviour

12 Pages·2010·0.33 MB·English

www.dghp.org.uk
freephone 0800 011 3447
Lo-caLL 0845 606 3447
antisocial
behaviour

tackLing it together
tenants
information
freephone 0800 011 3447
Lo-caLL 0845 606 3447
our commitment to you
DGHP is committed to ensuring our customers can enjoy a
quiet and peaceful life in their homes. We will not tolerate
our customers being abused, harassed or subjected to
noise, nuisance or other antisocial behaviour from those
around them.
DGHP work closely with others, including the local police,
the council’s antisocial behaviour team and our community
wardens, environment enforcement officers, social work
services and various support agencies.
We have a team of specialist Antisocial Behaviour Officers
(ASB Officers) who will deal with your complaint from
start to finish.
what is antisocial behaviour
Antisocial behaviour is any aggressive, intimidating or
destructive activity that damages or destroys another
person’s quality of life. Examples include: rowdy, noisy
behaviour, yobbish behaviour, dealing or buying drugs,
letting off fireworks late at night.
what to do if you are having
a problem
Firstly, if you feel a neighbour is acting unreasonably
towards you, try speaking to them. You may be surprised
to find they are unaware of disturbing you. Talking to each
other can clear up misunderstandings and often problems
can be resolved. Speak to your neighbour when you are
calm and not angry or agitated. If your discussion is not
going well, then walk away. Never become involved in an
argument.
freephone 0800 011 3447
Lo-caLL 0845 606 3447
who can i speak to for
further help?
Our Customer Service Centre is the first point of contact,
telephone freephone 0800 011 3447 or lo-call 0845 606
3447. Alternatively you can e-mail customerservice@dghp.
org.uk, or write to our Customer Service Centre at Grierson
House, The Crichton, Bankend Road, Dumfries, DG1 4ZS.
You can also make your complaint in person at any of our
open offices (these offices are listed on our website www.
dghp.org.uk)
what happens once you have
made your complaint?
After reporting an incident, all antisocial behaviour
incidents will be categorised into:
Category One: Urgent cases where an ASB Officer will
contact you within two working days.
Category Two: Serious cases where an ASB Officer will
contact you within five working days.
Category Three: Lower level nuisance cases where an ASB
Officer will contact you within ten working days.
*If you have given your name and address when making
your antisocial behaviour complaint you will receive a
letter from our Antisocial Behaviour Team telling you the
name of our ASB Officer who will be dealing with your
complaint and a date that they will contact you by.
what will happen next?
Our ASB Officer will contact you to arrange to take full
details of your antisocial behaviour complaint and offer
you a referral to Victim Support. They will also explain
what they intend to do next which will be one of the
following:
freephone 0800 011 3447
Lo-caLL 0845 606 3447
• Record only - where you do not want further action to
be taken.
• Non-intervention - where the behaviour described
is not a breach of tenancy conditions. For example,
family disputes, cars parked on the road in a space in
front of the complainants house, personal differences or
arguments. Where we cannot intervene we will explain
why and give advice on other agencies who may be able
to help.
• Investigate the complaint - the initial investigation will
be completed within 12 working days and the alleged
perpetrator will be invited to an interview during this
time.
what does the investigation
involve?
We can’t take action against someone simply because
another person has complained about them – we need
evidence. The investigation involves gathering evidence
to support the complaint and establish if there has been a
breach of tenancy.
This can include completing diary sheets that we provide,
we will give you advice on how to fill these in. We may
also ask other neighbours who have witnessed incidents
to complete diary sheets. These diary sheets are a very
important source of evidence in any further action that we
may need to take.
freephone 0800 011 3447
Lo-caLL 0845 606 3447
We may also need to obtain evidence from other agencies
such as police and/or community wardens.
how will i be kept updated?
The ASB Officer allocated to your case will contact you
on a weekly or fortnightly basis or as agreed to keep you
updated at all stages of the investigation and will offer full
support to all victims and witnesses involved in the case.
freephone 0800 011 3447
Lo-caLL 0845 606 3447
We will confirm to you in writing any actions taken.
We will keep you advised at all stages of the investigation
and you will be given full contact details of the Antisocial
Behaviour officer dealing with your case.
interviewing the alleged
perpetrator
The alleged perpetrator will be invited to an interview
within 10 working days. Details of the complaint will be
given to them and they will be given the opportunity to
respond. The interview is likely to result in one of the
following:
• Acceptance that there is some truth in the allegations -
the ASB Officer will remind the tenant of their tenancy
obligations and that the ASB must stop.
• Denial of the allegations (evidence obtained) - the
ASB Officer will make it clear that evidence has been
obtained and remind them of their tenancy obligations
and that the ASB must stop.
• Denial of the allegations (no evidence) - the ASB Officer
will remind the tenant of their tenancy obligations and
monitor the case.
Following the interview, letters will be sent to you and the
alleged perpetrator confirming the outcome.
If the alleged perpetrator does not attend the interview, a
letter with a second appointment will be sent.
If after interviewing the perpetrator there are no further
problems and the antisocial behaviour stops, the case will
be closed and a letter sent to you and the perpetrator
to confirm this, you will also be sent a Service Standards
Questionnaire. This allows you to tell us what you think
about how your complaint was dealt with. The information
you provide will help us to improve the service.
freephone 0800 011 3447
Lo-caLL 0845 606 3447
options that may be used to
tackle antisocial behaviour
If the antisocial behaviour continues there are a number of
options that may be used:
• Referrals to various support services, verbal and written
warnings or acceptable behaviour contracts (ABC’s).
• Issuing of a ‘Notice of proceedings’ - A legal notice
stating that if problems persist then further court action
will be taken.
• Interim ASBO’s and full ASBO’s - A sheriff court order
used to stop a particular activity or a person from
entering a particular area.
• Short Scottish Secure Tenancy (SSST) – If a tenant has
been given an ASBO, their full Scottish Secure Tenancy
(SST) agreement can be changed to a Short Scottish
Secure Tenancy (SSST).
• Eviction - In very serious or persistent cases of antisocial
behaviour and as a last resort, we can apply to the
Sheriff Court to seek possession of the property and
eviction of the tenant. The granting of an eviction order
is up to the discretion of the Sheriff Court so for these
cases DGHP need good solid evidence to support our
request.
freephone 0800 011 3447
Lo-caLL 0845 606 3447
if court action is required
Most cases are resolved without court action but, if
necessary our ASB Team will attend court on your behalf
and give your evidence. However, evidence may have
more value when it is given by the person who has suffered
antisocial behaviour, and in some cases you may be asked
to attend court as a witness. If this happens, our ASB Team
will be present at all stages to support you and additional
help is available from the Witness Support Service.
Please try and be patient, solving serious antisocial
behaviour takes time and effort from you, us and other
partner agencies.
freephone 0800 011 3447
Lo-caLL 0845 606 3447
useful telephone numbers
Dumfries and Galloway Housing Partnership
0800 011 3447
Police 0845 600 5701
Crimestoppers 0800 555 111
Community Wardens
Community Wardens (Dumfries) 0800 169 6525
Community Wardens (Annan) 0800 023 2642
Community Wardens (Stranraer) 0800 169 3834
Dumfries and Galloway Council:
Antisocial Behaviour Team 0800 027 6567
Environmental Enforcement Officers 030 33 33 3000
Support organisations:
Victim Support 0845 603 9213
Scottish Domestic Abuse helpline 0800 027 1234
Citizens advice
Dumfries 01387 252456
Annan 01461 201012
Castle Douglas 01556 502190
Stranraer 01776 706355
Samaritans 08457 90 90 90

Childline 0800 11 11
Women’s Aid
Dumfries 01387 263052
Stranraer 01776 703104
24 hour 07710 152 772