Community Safety Policy
1. Introduction
This policy outlines Calico Homes approach to tackling Anti-Social Behaviour, Domestic Abuse and Hate Crime and the way that we intend to work in partnership with customers, residents, and partners to deal with it.
2. Purpose
To link in with our vision “Going one step further with customers and local communities to provide affordable, safe and quality homes and personalised services; supporting customers to live their best lives in challenging times.” And deliver our strategic objective to support customers to sustain tenancies.
To ensure that we firmly and fairly deal with Anti-Social Behaviour, Domestic Abuse and Hate Crime. To contribute towards sustainable communities and improve the quality of life for those people who live, work, and visit our neighbourhoods and to provide an excellent, personalised customer experience.
3. Scope
Anti-Social Behaviour is any conduct that can cause nuisance or annoyance to a person where it directly or indirectly relates to, or affects our housing management function, or any conduct that consists of, or involves using, or threatening to use, housing owned or managed by Calico for an unlawful purpose.
Hate Crime is defined as any criminal offence which is perceived, by the victim or any other person, to be motivated by hostility or prejudice based on a protected characteristic.
We adopt government definitions of domestic abuse (full details in our Domestic abuse policy) including:
Any incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive, threatening behaviour, violence, or abuse between those aged 16 or over who are, or have been, intimate partners or family members regardless of gender or sexual orientation. The abuse can encompass, but is not limited to psychological, physical, sexual, economic, and emotional forms of abuse.
4. Policy description
The guiding principles in our approach to tackling Anti-Social Behaviour, Domestic Abuse and Hate Crime are:
Nobody should have to put up with Anti-Social Behaviour, Domestic Abuse or Hate Crime. We will encourage people to report it by:
- Making it easy to report incidents to us and providing a variety of ways for reports to be made
- Responding to each reported incident
- Supporting those who report incidents
- Publicising and promoting services to combat Anti-Social Behaviour, Domestic Abuse and Hate Crime and the action we have taken
We will treat reported incidents seriously and deal with them professionally by:
- Assessing and reassessing the issue reported and the risk to those experiencing it using a risk assessment tool
- Treating all reports as confidential, sharing information only with other organisations that can help with the problem whilst observing data protection laws, GDPR and information sharing principles
- Ensuring that criminal Anti-Social Behaviour and Hate Crime is reported quickly to the relevant authorities
- Recording and managing each case efficiently, effectively, and appropriately
- Fully investigating all reports and managing expectations, including those relating to minors using a personalised approach
- Agree frequency and method of contact during a case with the Reporter
- Promptly referring cases to other agencies for action or support as required
- Reviewing the case and discussing with the reporter the outcome of the case prior to it being closed
Anti-Social Behaviour and Hate Crime will be dealt with firmly, fairly, and proportionately by investigating and taking any necessary action to protect people and property by:
- Always seeking ways to resolve issues by negotiation and using the most appropriate intervention including informal tools and formal action when necessary and proportionate
- Using legal and non-legal tools or powers available, according to our best professional judgment
- Offering support to those involved with Anti-Social Behaviour, Domestic Abuse or Hate Crime and encouraging them to accept the support offered
- Consideration of mandatory grounds for possession, if appropriate.
We will provide a high-quality service which is effective, value for money and meets people’s needs by:
- Incorporating where appropriate, frameworks and guidance produced by the Government and regulatory bodies
- Aligning services with wider Government and Local Authority initiatives
- Ensuring all colleagues dealing with Anti-Social Behaviour, Domestic Abuse and Hate Crime are appropriately trained
- Carrying out prevention initiatives in our neighbourhoods
- Monitoring performance and using feedback from customers to review how we deliver our services.
- Responding to all reports of ASB within 5 working days or 24 working hours, if urgent.
We recognise that tackling community safety cannot be the responsibility of one group or agency alone. Partnership working brings the best results through integrated working. Calico is committed to working with our partner agencies and the local community to take a stand against anti-social behaviour, moving away from a situation where communities tolerate problems to one where everyone works together to tackle the problems and improve the quality of life for all.
We will refer customers to the pathway for Community Trigger process, if appropriate. A Community Trigger is designed to give victims of anti-social behaviour the right to request a review of their case and bring agencies together to take a joined-up, problem solving approach. The main aim of the Community Trigger process is to find a solution to the core problem causing the anti-social behaviour.
5. Reasonable adjustments
Calico Homes has a reasonable adjustments policy in place which details how Calico will make reasonable adjustments to how we deliver services and respond to enquiries to ensure customers are not disadvantaged in any way. This may be applied in some circumstances to support the delivery of this policy if we feel it is appropriate to do so.
6. Equality
The Equality Act 2010 provides people with a protected characteristic protection from direct or indirect discrimination, harassment, and victimisation. We recognise that anti-social behaviour, domestic abuse and hate crime can dis-proportionally impact people with protected characteristics. We will take additional steps in the application of this policy and make reasonable adjustments to ensure compliance with the Act. An Equality Impact Assessment has been carried out alongside this policy.
7. Method and approach
The community safety guidance and process complement this policy.
8. Regulatory and legal compliance
We will operate our Community Safety policy in line with the Neighbourhood & Community regulatory standard.
This policy and any subsequent procedures have been written in accordance with relevant guidance, legislation, and associated definitions, which includes but isn’t prescribed to:
- Housing Act 1988
- Housing Act 1996 (as amended by the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003)
- Protection from Eviction Act 1997
- Data Protection Act 2018
- General Data Protection Regulations 2016
- Human Rights Act 1998
- Equality Act 2010
- Localism Act 2011
- Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014
- Mental Capacity Act 2005
- Mental Health Act 2007
- Neighbourhood and Community Standard
- DA Act 2021
9. Responsibility
The Board and Managing Director are responsible for ensuring that this policy complies with legislative and regulatory requirements.
The Neighbourhood and Communities Manager and other colleagues involved in responding to reports of ASB are responsible for the implementation of this policy.
10. Monitoring, review, and evaluation
Customer satisfaction will be monitored using a KPI. This information is included in the Calico Homes monthly performance report.
This policy will be reviewed in line with any legislative changes annually with a full review taking place every 3 years.
The Community Safety Coordinator will monitor performance relating to Anti-Social Behaviour and Hate Crime management. Performance will be reported through the Calico Homes Operational and Senior Leadership Teams and to Calico Homes board where appropriate.
11. Benchmarking
This policy has been reviewed as part of a full-service review by Resolve and developed through examples of good practice.
12. Related strategies, policies and procedures
- Safeguarding policies
- Community safety guidance and process
- Domestic Abuse Policy
- Tenancy Policy
- Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Policy
- Successful neighbourhoods’ strategy
- Tenancy sustainment strategy
- Customer Strategy