Each case will be treated individually. Once ASB has been reported, we'll arrange a personal interview with you to record full details of your complaint and investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident, all in confidentiality.
As a general rule the interview will be carried out within:
- 24 hours for serious ASB, like harassment or where there is a threat of violence;
- 5 days for other less serious types of ASB.
We'll consider what everyone involved has to say and try to help you resolve the problem mutually, as this is usually the quickest and most permanent way of resolving initial complaints. To help you do this we may put you in touch with independent mediators who are skilled in helping and supporting neighbours to reach a solution that is acceptable to both parties. We may ask you to collect more evidence of incidents or to keep a diary sheet.
Next steps
There are a number of solutions that we can use to prevent ASB continuing, such as:
- Mediation
- Informal warnings
- Referring the problem to enforcement agencies like the police or the local authority's environmental health department
- Working in partnership with other agencies such as Social Services or Youth Services who have additional skills and powers
- Supporting vulnerable perpetrators to help them control their behaviour, for example where the anti-social behaviour is due to mental health problems
- Physical improvements, such as better lighting in communal areas
- Community development projects, such as sports activities for young people
- Acceptable behaviour contracts.
It's our policy to do everything we can to resolve issues at an early stage, by using preventative measures. However, where appropriate, we will use legal enforcement, which could result in a resident losing his/her home.
