Anti-social behaviour (ASB) occurs when someone is causing harm or distress to people outside their own home in the neighbourhood.
The Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 defines it as:
- “Conduct capable of causing nuisance or annoyance to a person in relation to that person’s occupation of residential premises,” and;
- “Conduct capable of causing housing related nuisance or annoyance to any person.”
Examples of ASB can be:
- Arson
- Anti-social drinking
- Intimidation, harassment and verbal abuse
- Dangerous animals
- Dumping rubbish
- Shouting, swearing and fighting
- Noise, including loud music and parties at unsociable hours
- Graffiti and vandalism
What isn’t anti-social behaviour
We don’t normally investigate one-off incidents as ASB (unless there’s a crime or abuse reported to the police or another agency) or routine daily sounds and activities such as:
- Everyday living noises (footsteps, doors closing, lights turning on/off)
- Household activities (cooking smells, appliance use)
- Babies crying, people talking
- Low-level sounds from TVs or radios.
If we do not think any intervention by Hexagon is required, we will say so and explain why.
We will always ask you to report criminal activity to the police or anonymously to Crimestoppers 0800 555 111 https://crimestoppers-uk.org/
How to report ASB
If you are suffering from nuisance or harassment and you have not already reported it to Hexagon, please tell us about it. You can contact us by telephone 020 8778 6699 or by email to asbreporting@hexagon.org.uk.
We take a victim-centred approach and work in partnership with local authority departments, the police and other relevant organisations to deter and tackle anti-social behaviour and hate incidents in the neighbourhoods where we provide social housing.
We take all reports seriously and will always:
- Carry out a risk assessment and agree an action plan with you
- Acknowledge your report in writing and send you a copy of the action plan
- Confirm your preferred method of communication while managing your case.
- Investigate your report and follow up on all evidence provided.
- Monitor the action plan at least once a month to check progress and keep you updated.
- Contact you at least once a month while a case is ongoing.
- Work with other agencies that may have information regarding your antisocial behaviour report or may be able to help in managing the case.
- Where appropriate, make a referral to an independent mediation service. We will always seek your agreement first.
- Consider legal action when all other methods of resolving anti-social behaviour have failed and there is sufficient evidence to support such action.
- Support you if you are required provide witness statements and attend court
- Take legal action where there is evidence of a Hate Crime
- Keep a record of the anti-social behaviour and any action taken.
- Speak to you before closing a case and follow up in writing.
- Signpost you to agencies that can offer you support and assistance.
- Be clear what outcome can be expected.
Privacy
We will not disclose your identity to the person you are making a report about without your agreement.
All cases are logged onto our ASB management system and access to any information you disclose will be limited to investigating/senior officers only.
More Information
FAQs on our ASB policy and how we will manage ASB can also be found in your MyHexagon account. You can read our full ASB Policy on our website.
You can also listen to this mini-podcast with Melonie Wheatle, Antisocial Behaviour Officer, where we discuss what counts as Antisocial Behaviour (ASB) and what doesn’t. Plus, strategies to deal with it, looking at one of the most common issues raised, noise, as an example.
