What are Sutton Housing Partnership’s procedures for dealing with complaints of Anti-Social Behaviour?
How to report Anti-Social Behaviour
Our staff are trained to deal with your complaint sympathetically and in confidence. We will take all allegations seriously and treat the information given confidentially. When you first make a complaint we will ask you for details of the problem and record what you tell us. You will be asked your ethnic origin to assist us in checking that we deal with all groups fairly. You do not need to give this information if you do not wish to.
We will tell you who will be dealing with your complaint, usually the Neighbourhood Manager, and when you can expect to be contacted, usually within five working days. If the complaint involves violence or what is described as hate behaviour i.e. verbal abuse due to someone’s race, disability or sexual orientation, we will contact you within two working days to take more details. This may be done over the phone or by interview at home or at our Sutton Gate office if you prefer.
We will write down what you tell us and ask you what you would like us to do about the problem. Then we will talk to you about what the options are likely to be and the next course of action. If appropriate, we will give you advice about other agencies that can help, advise or support you.
At this time you will be advised if the complaint is something we are likely to be able to assist with, in which case further investigation will be required. To investigate your complaint fully we will need to contact, in confidence, other parties who have witnessed the problem or incident and approach the person you have complained about.
If you are unwilling for us to do this, or the case is one we cannot help with, you will be given advice and the case closed. The type of complaints we cannot take further are mainly those where we have no powers or duty to assist, for example where there has been a one-off incident and no indication that it was of a serious nature, or that it would reoccur. Where a criminal offence may have been committed, e.g. an assault or criminal damage by unknown persons, these are matters for the police to investigate. We will however work closely with the police and will make a decision if we are able to take any additional action under the legal powers that we have.
We may close your case if we have previously investigated and the problem is either not one we can assist with or there have been no new incidents.
What happens next?
In the majority of cases, with your agreement, we will need to approach the person you have complained of and record their version of events. We will aim to do this within 7 working days of taking down the full details of your complaint. Wherever possible, we aim to resolve the problem amicably so as to maintain good neighbourly relations.
If the person you complained of does not respond or denies the allegations, we will look for any other evidence that may assist us in deciding the possible courses of action. You may be asked to keep diary sheets of further problems. If legal action is necessary, full details of incidents including dates and times and what happened will be important.
What does Sutton Housing Partnership do to tackle serious Anti Social Behaviour?
Legal action is seen as a last resort and the options open to the Council include:
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Mediation is a confidential and voluntary process by which a neutral third party intervenes in a dispute. Trained mediators, who are usually volunteers themselves, work with both parties in an impartial way to reach an agreement which is acceptable to both. We are able to refer suitable cases to the Merton and Sutton Mediation Scheme. The service is free.
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Acceptable Behaviour Contracts (ABCs)
An ABC is a contract of good behaviour between the Council, the Police, other partner agencies and the person responsible for anti-social behaviour.
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Warning Letters
Sometimes a warning letter from the Council will resolve the problem.