We receive a range of enquiries from victims every day relating to anti-social behaviour. So, we thought we would answer some of our most frequently asked questions to help you on your journey.
‘I am experiencing ASB, can you take action?’
ASB Help are a charity who offer advice to empower victims of ASB and assist practitioners in the field. As per our terms,
‘…although we have constructive and proactive relationships with ASB practitioners across England and Wales, we do not have any jurisdiction over them. Any actions taken by agencies are determined locally and we cannot take any responsibility for the outcomes of any cases we offer guidance on.’
Should you provide us with brief details of your case, including what action has been taken so far and the agencies you have reported to, we will endeavour to respond to you with the most appropriate advice and guidance from our team of specialists.
‘So, who do I report ASB to?
There are a number of different agencies who work to tackle anti-social behaviour, with the main three being:
- Police- you can report anti-social behaviour to the Police on 101 (or 999 if you are at immediate risk of harm). They also have an online reporting tool should you not wish to talk on the phone initially.
- Local Authority- each Local Authority may have a different way of dealing with anti-social behaviour. For example, noise nuisance can be dealt with by either Environmental Health or a Community Safety/Anti-Social Behaviour Team (or both!). Whichever way it is managed in your area, there will be someone at your Local Authority to report ASB to and investigate the ASB you are experiencing.
- Housing Associations- some Housing Associations have a dedicated officer/team to deal with ASB. Many Housing Officers are trained to deal with reports of ASB in the same way specialised ASB Practitioners are. Similar to the Local Authority, there will be someone at your Housing Association you can report ASB to!
Take a look at our ‘ACT NOW GUIDE‘ to help you decide who you should report the ASB you are experiencing to.
‘Is what I am experiencing anti-social behaviour?’
Ultimately, anti-social behaviour is determined by it’s meaning: ‘…behaviour by a person/s which causes, or is likely to cause, harassment, alarm or distress to persons not of the same household as the person.’
There is a very blurred line in what can be deemed as anti-social behaviour owing to it’s meaning. For example, should you be experiencing noise nuisance as a result of the neighbour upstairs having laminate flooring in their property, on it’s own this is not ASB, however it is still causing a nuisance and annoyance to you and therefore the harm and impact on you, the victim can be substantial. But this issue should be dealt with under the Housing Policy and Procedure in place by the landlord/letting agent.
The ASB Practitioner/Landlord should manage your expectations from initial conversations about whether or not they are able to take action on the issues you are experiencing and be proportionate in their response.
We recommend reading the ‘Spotlight on noise complaints’ report by the Housing Ombudsman to help with further clarity on this question and noise related ASB.
‘I am experiencing ASB but have been told that no action can be taken unless I keep a diary and consistently report the issues. I fear reprisals?’
For any agency, whether that be the ASB/Community Safety Team at your Local Authority, Housing Association or the Police, to take action, you will need to ensure that you are reporting all the issues you are experiencing.
- Keeping a log of incidents on paper (you may be given diary sheets to do this) or e-mail, helps you to keep track of your reports and helps the practitioner/s to take action.
- It’s sometimes difficult to recollect when incidents have occurred especially over a sustained period of time when it all merges into one, but keeping an accurate up to date record, will help you if you were to attend court later on and provide a statement.
- You can choose to report this anonymously and provide an anonymous statement in court proceedings; this is known as hearsay evidence. However, it does not have as much weight as first-hand evidence.
We would advise you speak with the organisation you have reported matters to, and they will be able to explain the options available. They will also be able to discuss what happens if there are reprisals and swift actions that can be taken where there is a clear threat of harm (physical, psychological, emotional harm).
It is worth noting that in some cases, it would be difficult to discuss the ASB incident(s) with a perpetrator without them knowing who has reported it. For example, if you have had a verbal interaction with your neighbour and you do not wish for the perpetrator to be spoken to because they will know who has reported the incident, the options available to address the issue are limited.
‘I have experienced ongoing ASB for a number of years and I feel that no one is listening to me or taking action. What should I do now?’
If you feel that you have not had a satisfactory response to your reports and feel that more could be/needs to be done, despite reporting at least 3 incidents in the last 6 months, you should then take a look at the ASB Case Review (formerly known as the ASB Case Review). We have a page dedicated to the ASB Case Review on our website as well as a directory to all the Local Authority’s ASB Case Review processes. The threshold for the ASB Case Review can vary between each area, so make sure you read the requirements for your own Local Authority in detail before completing your application.
‘I have exhausted all avenues of reporting ASB, including the ASB Case Review/ASB Case Review. What is my next option?’
If you are not happy with the response you have had from your ASB Case Review application/meeting, you should look to see if you have grounds for appeal and follow their process.
Complaints are different to the ASB Case Review, the latter is about problem solving and developing an action plan in an attempt to resolve the ongoing ASB you are having to endure. If your matter relates to a complaint you have about service provision, then you can submit a complaint to the agency/s you are unhappy with. Complaints generally start with a Stage 1, which you can then progress to a Stage 2 if you are still not pleased with the response. Should you feel the responses from both the ASB Case Review and complaints process have not resolved your complaints or the issues you are experiencing, you could consider contacting the Housing Ombudsman.
‘ASB is having a detrimental impact on my health and well-being, who should I turn to?’
We know that for many victims, anti-social behaviour can have a huge impact on their health and well-being, as well as affecting relationships both personal and professional.
Victim Support offers advice and support to victims of both Crime and Anti-Social Behaviour- https://www.victimsupport.org.uk/
If you are struggling with mental health and/or thoughts of suicide, please call and make an urgent appointment with your GP. You can also contact Samaritans for 24 hour support should you be having thoughts of suicide- https://www.samaritans.org/
We also have a Victim Services Directory on our website where you may be able to find some support more local to you.