At One Vision Housing we are committed to ensuring our customers enjoy their homes and our dedicated team work hard to make our communities a better place, without anti-social behaviour (ASB).

During 2021 to 22, we responded to 100% of ASB cases within 24 hours and received over 88% customer satisfaction for case handling and outcomes.

• What is anti-social behaviour?

  ASB is problematic behaviour in a person that is likely to distress or harass people of a different household. This can have a negative impact on a person’s mental health and well-being if not dealt with properly.

  The Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 defines ASB as:

  • Conduct that has caused, or is likely to cause, harassment, alarm, or distress to any person
  • Conduct capable of causing nuisance or annoyance to a person in relation to their occupation of residential premises
  • Conduct capable of causing housing-related nuisance or annoyance to any person

  Some examples of this may include playing loud music, violent behaviour towards neighbours, or criminal damage like graffiti or vandalism.

• What isn’t classed as anti-social behaviour?

  Certain types of behaviour are not classed as ASB. These may be things like:

  • children playing
  • one-off incidents of noise and/or music, such as a children’s party or New Year’s Eve celebration
  • general disputes and disagreements
  • household noise
  • comments on social media

  Crimes can often be mistaken for anti-social behaviour. It is important to note that crime is doing something forbidden by law, and in this instance you should contact the Police.

• How can I report anti-social behaviour?

  For emergency assistance, please call 999.

  Reaching out for help can sometimes feel difficult, but we’re here to help you.

  We strongly urge anyone being affected by anti-social behaviour to contact One Vision Housing immediately by calling 0300 365 1111 or emailing enquiries@ovh.org.uk.

  You can also use our interactive Victim Support Directory, which will help you access local support services based on where you live.

  Please be assured that any information given to us in confidence will not be passed to the other party unless you give your consent*.

• When should I contact the Police?

  For emergency assistance, please call 999.

  Crime is doing something forbidden by law, and in this instance you should contact the Police.

  Crimes that can often be mistaken for anti-social behaviour include:

  • Cuckooing is a crime where gangs exploit vulnerable people. A common form of cuckooing is when a vulnerable person’s home is taken over and used to conduct illegal activities.
  • Cannabis is an illegal drug, its use and/or supply should be reported to the Police. If a customer is identified as using and/or supplying cannabis in their home and this is witnessed by Police, One Vision Housing will explore enforcement action.

  One Vision Housing work closely with the Police and other partners to help resolve ASB cases and look for useful long-term solutions to local problems.

• What are my responsibilities as a customer?

  You are responsible for ensuring that anyone living in or visiting your home does not behave irresponsibly.

  You should:

  • Check the volume of your radio, TV, or music to ensure it’s not too high
  • Avoid causing interference or annoyance to neighbours, such as shouting, slamming doors, swearing and/or late-night parties
  • Park your vehicle responsibly
  • Keep rubbish in bins provided

  You should not:

  • Allow your dog to bark and/or whine for long periods of time, or foul in communal areas
  • Allow children or visitors to cause annoyance to people living nearby, for example playing ball games next to someone else’s property
  • Allow your garden to become overgrown or full of rubbish
• Why do I need to report anti-social behaviour?

  We take all reports of ASB seriously and will work with you to try and resolve the issue, but we cannot do this without your help.

  Your report will give us the information and evidence that we need to take action to stop the ASB from happening. Without this we are unable to understand what you are going through and how often something is happening.

  When appropriate, we can also share information with our partners, like the Police, so that they can also investigate the problem swiftly and work with us to resolve it.

  Any action we take is in line with our policy and procedures – and we need evidence to take this forward.

  Your reports can also help us to understand if someone may need help or be at risk.

• Can I report anti-social behaviour anonymously?

  We can record anonymous reports, however this will mean that our case officer will not be able to update you on actions being taken to resolve the report.

  We promise to keep your details confidential.

  In some cases, it may be apparent to the alleged perpetrator of who has made the complaint. For example, if you are complaining of loud music and you live in the only adjoining property.

  There are certain things that we have a duty to report, for example where a child or vulnerable person may require safeguarding. If we need to disclose your information to a third party in these circumstances, we will always attempt to tell you first.

• Should I speak to my neighbour before contacting you?

  Sometimes, the best course of action could be to, calmly and politely, discuss your concerns with the person who is causing a problem, to see if an agreement can be reached.

  For example, asking a neighbour to turn their music down after a certain time in person or by letter.

  We understand that sometimes this isn’t possible, or that you may be worried about how the person will react. If you want to talk through the issue before you decide on the best course of action, please contact us.

• What happens after I report anti-social behaviour?

  All reports are stored on our internal case management system and can only be viewed by One Vision Housing employees.

  We will aim to contact with you within one working day following a report of ASB and where appropriate, you will be offered an interview with your Neighbourhood Services Officer or Community Safety Officer.

  When we contact you, we may need to ask you quite a few different questions to fully understand what has happened. These questions will also help us to identify any risks that we may need to help you manage, particularly in cases around domestic abuse or hate-related harassment.

  During this interview we will agree an action plan with you and discuss how we are going to progress the case.

  The action plan will depend on several factors, including:

  • the type of ASB that is being reported
  • how often it happens
  • risks to others
  • evidence
  • who is being affected

  We will need evidence to show that allegations made to us are true. Evidence can be provided though photos, videos, or recordings.

  For noise complaints, you may be offered The Noise App which can be downloaded onto your smartphone or tablet. You can record instances of noise which will be sent directly to us.

  We would not encourage you to obtain evidence if it is not safe or appropriate to do so.

  Most reports we receive are resolved quickly, however some can be more complex. For more complex cases, we may take one or more of the following actions:

  • verbal warning
  • written warning
  • yellow and red card notice
  • mediation
  • restorative practice
  • acceptable behaviour agreements
  • parenting agreements

  In some cases, legal action may become necessary, including an injunction, possession, or demotion order. The Police and Local Authority have additional authority to stop ASB.

  If your case goes to court (and you are a victim/subject), you will have a named Officer who will support you through this process. They will be with you on the day and can arrange for transport and refreshments. They will talk to you before the hearing so you know what to expect, and you will get an opportunity to speak to the solicitor who is handling the case.

  If following the court hearing a judge grants an Order, we will explain what this means and what happens next. We will keep in touch with you regularly after the court hearing to ensure the situation has been resolved. If you need any further support, this will be arranged for you.

• I’m a Leaseholder. Can you help me with ASB?

  We do not offer a full ASB service to  Private Rent, Shared Ownership, Flat, Shop or Garage Leasehold customers.

  We will still provide you with advice and signpost to other agencies, and depending on the type of nuisance being reported, we may be able to take some form of action.

  Please contact the Leasehold and Commercial Team for advice.

• I’m not a customer of One Vision Housing, but one of your customers is causing anti-social behaviour. Can I report this to you?

  Our ASB service is supported by rent payments received from customers who live in social and affordable rental properties. These customers and anyone named on their tenancy agreement as a member of their household can use the service.

  If you own your own property, or live in privately rented property, your first point of contact should be your Local Authority’s Anti-social Behaviour Team.

  We often work in close partnership with the relevant Local Authority to investigate reports of ASB committed by our customers affecting non-customers.

• What happens if the person I’m reporting is not a customer of One Vision Housing?

  If the person you are complaining about is not our customer, we may still be able to help you to resolve the issues you are experiencing.

  This may include actions such as arranging mediation for you and your neighbour, or in serious cases where you are at risk of harm, we may obtain a civil injunction to prohibit your neighbour from behaving in this way.

• Can you evict my neighbour? What is a ‘Notice of Seeking Possession?’

  Evicting a customer is always a last resort and will only be considered an option for cases where there is evidence of serious ASB and/or where all other means of resolving the issue have been attempted.

  A Notice of Seeking Possession is the first step for One Vision Housing to take back possession of a property. There are two different grounds that a Notice can be served:

  1. Discretionary grounds – this means that the Notice being served can be defended in court and a judge will decide whether to grant possession of a home back to One Vision Housing. A court hearing will only be applied for if ASB continues following the notice being served.
  2. Mandatory grounds – under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 landlords were given powers to ask the courts for mandatory possession if a customer has already been convicted of certain ASB in criminal court proceedings.
• When is my case closed? Can it stay open forever in case the problem starts again?

  Cases are normally closed once the ASB issues have been resolved, and when you and One Vision Housing have come to an agreement to close it.

  There may however be occasions when a case may be closed without an agreement or resolution from all involved parties.

  We understand that you may be concerned about a problem starting again, however we cannot keep a case open continuously if all actions have been met and/or the problem is resolved. Your case will remain on our management system, so One Vision Housing employees can review it in the future if needed.

  If your problem reoccurs, you can contact us and request that the old case is reopened.

• I’m not satisfied with the how my case is being handled and/or the outcome of my ASB report. How do I make a complaint?

  All cases are regularly audited, and we independently attempt to survey all closed cases to get feedback on our service. If you are not satisfied with how your case is being handled, or the outcome, please contact us and ask to speak to Neighbourhood Services Team Leader for your area. They will discuss your case handling and/or outcome to see if there is anything further that can be done.

  If you are still not satisfied, you can make a complaint.

  If you feel your reports are not being taken seriously by us, or any other support agencies such as the Police, you can raise a Community Trigger.

*Information may be shared with partner organisations where this is appropriate and allowed by legislation (specifically the Data Protection Act 1998 and Crime and Disorder Act 1998) or where this is felt to be necessary to protect the public interest. You can also find out more about your previous cases raised but requesting a review through the Community Trigger – you can do this by contacting us on the telephone number or email address listed above.