ASB Awareness Week: what we’ve been doing to improve our anti-social behaviour service and our future plans

ASB Awareness Week: what we’ve been doing to improve our anti-social behaviour service and our future plans

Anti Social Behaviour (ASB) Awareness Week is held annually to raise awareness and make it easier for people to report anti-social behaviour.

This year’s theme is Making Communities Safer, and we’re proud to share the progress we’ve made with our customers to improve our ASB service — as well as our plans for the future.

What we’ve done so far:

We began reviewing our ASB service in 2021, engaging with 459 customers to help shape our priorities. As part of this review, we introduced a new way of working, including more efficient case processing through our housing management system.

In 2023, our Scrutiny Panel evaluated our approach from a customer perspective. They recognised our proactive stance and knowledgeable colleagues, while recommending improvements in:

• Prevention
• Communication
• Managing customer expectations

As a result, 23 recommendations were made, including:

• Ensuring new customers understand their responsibilities around ASB
• Reintroducing a budget for local improvements
• Enhancing ASB information on our website

We’re currently undergoing an external review to ensure our service remains effective and responsive. Customer engagement continues to be central to shaping our approach.

Key improvements since 2021 include:

• Reducing patch sizes for neighbourhood officers and recruiting 11 additional officers
• Increasing visibility and proactivity of teams in our communities
• Responding to or advising on 677 ASB reports during our first year of Tenancy Management Checks
• Appointing six dedicated ASB officers to lead enforcement
• Installing secure doors, entry systems, and air locks
• Introducing a caretaker service in five ASB hotspot areas
• Launching the ASB Respectline for out-of-hours reporting
• Reducing ASB case review times from 30 days to 14 days
• All customers now sign a Good Neighbour Agreement
• Reintroducing an environmental budget for local improvements like fencing, lighting, and CCTV

Looking Ahead: Our future plans

We’re committed to continuing our improvements. Here’s what’s next:

• Updating our website to make ASB information clearer and easier to access
• Reviewing workloads and resources to manage cases more efficiently
• Enhancing ASB training for colleagues to ensure consistent, high-quality service
• Refining reporting processes for greater accuracy and responsiveness
• Exploring a noise-reporting app to simplify how customers report issues and receive updates
• Improving our case management system to enable tailored communication and better engagement
• Consulting with customers on data preferences and share performance insights to build trust
• Supporting our officers with training and resources to overcome operational challenges
• Promoting our achievements to raise awareness and build confidence in our role in community safety

Listening to your feedback

We recently launched a customer questionnaire and held focus groups to gather valuable insights and feedback about our service.

Your views are incredibly important to us, and based on what you’ve shared, we’ll be developing an action plan to further improve the service and better meet your needs.

Our Director of Housing Care and Support Peter Gill said: “Our ASB service has recently undergone a series of reviews to assess its effectiveness. We wanted to take an honest and thorough look at how we respond to ASB, so we can continue to deliver the best possible service to our customers.

“One of our key priorities was to identify any inconsistencies in how we manage ASB cases. It’s vital that every customer receives a fair and effective response, regardless of their circumstances. We also focused on ensuring that ASB reports are accurately assessed and prioritised — so that urgent matters receive immediate attention and all cases are handled swiftly and appropriately.

“Reviewing our service is part of our ongoing commitment to continuous improvement. Our goal is to refine and strengthen our ASB service, so it truly meets the needs of our communities.

“We understand how important it is for our customers to feel safe and comfortable in their homes — and that’s why we take anti-social behaviour very seriously.”

Find out more about ASB.

For media enquiries contact our Communications Team.