How the Service Improvement Panel reviewed Antisocial Behaviour

Recommendation

Provide both staff and residents with information on what does, and does not, constitute ASB.

Outcome

This is now clearly defined in the new policy, and they have been included in the knowledge articles for the Customer Services team.

We have also included this information into the new ASB policy as well as the Good Neighbour Policy which sit alongside the tenancy agreement.

Recommendation

Implement team office days to promote and strengthen better team working.

Outcome

Both the Midlands and London Southeast ASB teams now have weekly office team days.

Recommendation

Create a culture shift within the team to ensure they are more victim-focussed and that staff are adhering to policies and procedures. Resources still concentrate on the perpetrator, not the victims.

Outcome

The new model for ASB focusses on the victim. The ASB team have all attended empathy training to support this culture shift.

All cases are reviewed every 6 weeks, and we have introduced a quality matrix to look at attitudes and behaviours. This includes how the team have supported the victim, delivered the PA values and showed empathy.

Recommendation

There is good partnership working between the ASB team and some of the Neighbourhood Coordinators, with many members of the ASB team meeting with the Neighbourhood Coordinators on their patch, on a weekly basis. This should to be rolled out across all regions.

Outcome 

As the newer team members have now settled into their roles and built relationships, this cross-team working has been going well.

Each permanent member of staff has 3 to 4 Neighbourhood Coordinator patches which provides consistency and allows them to build relationships with those Neighbourhood Coordinators.

Recommendation

Consider facilitating cross team working between the Midlands and LSE teams.

Outcome

The Director of Tenancy Management is actively working to align both teams and ensure regular meetings between both teams take place.

Recommendation

Appoint permanent staff members and avoid the use of Agency staff.

Outcome

Our focus has been to appoint permanent staff, and we are now in a much better position.

We currently only have two temporary members of staff whose contracts are due to end by the 28 August 2025. We currently only have two vacant permanent roles. 

Recommendation

Consider targeting recruitment towards ex-military, ex-police, ex-army or even ex-prison officers, all of whom are familiar with conflict resolution.

Outcome

We have done this through recent recruitment drives, where we’ve stated that applicants don’t need ASB experience, but do require conflict resolution experience.

Recommendation

Deliver conflict resolution training to all relevant staff and introduce "DIY Injunctions".

Outcome 

Conflict resolution training has been rolled out all relevant staff. We now deliver “DIY Injunction” in-house to reduce legal costs.

Recommendation

Provide training and support to Contact Centre staff to enable them to differentiate between low-level issues and anti-social behaviour.

Outcome

We have been working to improve the understanding of the Contact Centre staff. We have gone live with an ASB path on our housing management system, NEC.

This has had a positive impact as the Knowledge Articles within the workflows support knowledge and learning.

Recommendation 

Establish regular case reviews to ensure policies and procedures are being following consistently.

Outcome 

All cases are reviewed every 6 weeks, and we have introduced a quality matrix to look at attitudes and behaviours.

The quality matrix reviews the support provided to the victim by the team, the way they've demonstrated the PA values as well as showing empathy.

The team have a set of monthly Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to measure their performance. This monitors each case ensuring there is a risk assessment for both the victim and the alleged perpetrator. These risk assessments are reviewed every month and each case has an action plan. The target for these KPIs is 100%.

Recommendation

Improve performance reporting, including reporting of antisocial behaviour statistics to the Board.

Outcome 

ASB KPIs are now provided to Board as Tier 1 reporting within the Board pack. Tier 1 KPIs are headline KPIs.

Hate crime is also being reported within Board KPIs separate to ASB.

Recommendation

Provide the ASB team with appropriate reports to enable them to better monitor their performance.

Outcome 

We have been liaising with the Data Insights team, who will be developing the reports we require.

This reporting won’t be available from the REACT system but will be available when we revert back to our housing management system, NEC.

Recommendation

Roll out the Good Neighbour policy to set out residents’ responsibilities as well as clearly defining antisocial behaviour.

Outcome

We have included information on residents’ responsibilities as well as clearly defining ASB into the new ASB policy as well as the Good Neighbour Policy.

These are available on our website and information on both documents will be included within Welcome Packs for new tenants 

Recommendation

Ensure staff have greater oversight of any Housing Ombudsman cases within their patch.

Outcome 

Housing Ombudsman determinations are shared by the Complaints team through spotlight reports and this is disseminated to the ASB team. They review and address any issues in their area within team meetings.

Recommendation

The sentiment amongst some ASB Officers is that they should have had more input into the development of the ASB policy and procedures.

Outcome

We will ensure ASB Officers are involved future reviews.

Recommendation

Consider providing the team with access to CCTV camera for them to install where required.

Outcome

We have a temporary CCTV budget with a contract in both regions to enable us to install it where required.

Newer colleagues may not be aware of all the tools available to them. We have communicated this to the ASB team.

Recommendation

Consider providing staff with bodycams.

Outcome

We have commenced a pilot and are currently working on a process for the storage of video footage to ensure compliance with GDPR legislation.

Recommendation

Implement a system to automatically issue a text message seeking feedback as soon as a case has been closed.

Outcome

From August 2025, we will be going live with a new surveying platform facilitated through our Data Insights Team which will allow us to automate surveys to residents once their case has been closed.