Anti-social behaviour

Learn more about our approach to anti-social behaviour, how to report it, and what we'll do to make sure you feel safe in your home.

Anti-social behaviour is acting in a way that causes or is likely to cause alarm or distress to one or more people not in the same household.

Anti-social behaviour and harassment can have a devastating effect on communities and individuals.  It is very important that we work with everyone living in the communities where we operate to ensure that that all our residents feel safe.

The prevention and appropriate handling of anti-social behaviour is a key factor in Look Ahead meeting your expectation that we provide you with safe and comfortable home environment.

How you can report ASB

If you or someone you know feels they are in immediate danger should 999 immediately.

If you would like to report ASB, you can:

You can also report ASB by:

  • Reporting to it to your support worker or any other member of staff at your service, either verbally, by telephone call, or email. You can also raise concerns during resident/house meetings.
  • Reporting it to your Housing Officer or Estates Officer
  • In writing to the your local service or to Look Ahead, Kings Building, 16 Smith Square, London, SW1P 3HQ
  • Via an authorised advocate or external support person.

Anyone who feels they are in immediate danger should 999 immediately.

Levels of Anti-social Behaviour and What We Will Do

Level 3:  Low level

This is a lower level of  anti-social behaviour that is unlikely to cause harm in the short-term.  Examples may include but are not limited to:

  • Overgrown gardens
  • Car repairs
  • Occasional noise
  • Fly tipping
  • Unauthorised use of car parks
  • Dog fouling
  • Items left in communal areas
  • Acts which cause annoyance or irritation

For low level anti-social behaviour we aim to contact the complainant within 10 working days of receiving the report by either phone or email.

If the circumstances change, or if new information comes to light (in interview with the complainant, for example) a case may be re-categorised at a different level.

Any interviews will be carried out at mutually agreed time by both parties by phone or any other suitable means.

Level 2: No immediate threat

Anti-social behaviour where there is no immediate threat to the complainant or others.  Examples might include but are not limited to:

Problems associated with groups of young people

  • Damage to property
  • Using the home for an unlawful purpose, drug dealing
  • Loud shouting and arguing in and around a property.
  • Animals causing damage to property belonging to someone else within the vicinity
  • Behaviour of visitors that seriously impacts on the quality of life of customers, neighbours or the wider community
  • Playing music or television so loud that it causes a disturbance and can be heard outside of the home.

For anti-social behaviour where there is no immediate threat we aim to arrange and carry out an interview with the complainant within five working days of receipt of the complaint.  The interview arrangements will be confirmed in writing to the complainant.  Interviews can take place in person, by phone or virtually.

Level 1: Very serious

Most serious or urgent types of anti-social behaviour. Examples might include but are not limited to:

  • Racial harassment.
  • Other hate crime.
  • Verbally abusive or intimidating behaviour.
  • Domestic violence.
  • Arson or attempted arson.
  • Behaviour resulting in danger to a child.
  • Behaviour resulting in danger to the complainant or others.

For very serious anti-social behaviour we aim to arrange and carry out an interview with the complainant within one working day of receipt of the report of anti-social behaviour, this will either be by phone or in person.

We reserve the right to gather information in any way suitable.

 

The Housing Duty Service

If you need help you should go to your Housing Officer as the first point of call, but if you don’t know who your Housing Officer is, or if you can’t get hold of them, you can get in touch with our housing management duty service.

The housing management duty service is for queries which can’t be dealt with by our Customer Contact Centre in relation to housing management. This can include customer queries about rent accounts, complaints about anti-social behaviour or other breach of tenancy or police enquiries about properties.

If you call into our contact centre with one of the above queries, they will provide you with the applicable number depending who is on duty.

You can get in touch with our Housing team by sending an email to LandlordServices@lookahead.org.uk.

This is the best way to submit queries to the team, raise ASB complaints, query your rent account, or request more information about your tenancy.

 

Prevention and Management

Look Ahead use a victim centred approach to the management of ASB and recognises the importance of putting in place preventative measures to prevent or minimise ASB. As well as, developing and working in partnership to prevent and to deal effectively with ASB.