Anti-Social Behaviour Policy 2025-2028

Contents

Introduction

Bassetlaw District is a rural district in North Nottinghamshire, bordering South Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Derbyshire.

We have four main Towns – Worksop, Retford, Harworth & Bircotes and Tuxford. In addition, there are numerous villages and attractions such as Clumber Park and Sherwood Forest.

Bassetlaw District Council (“the Council”) aims to deliver services to enhance and improve the quality of life for all our communities. The Council recently refreshed our Vision 2040 Plan and set several priorities for achieving this objective.

One main aim is to maintain a Healthy District. This policy is part of that ambition.

www.bassetlaw.gov.uk/bassetlaw-vision-2040

The Council will collaborate closely with our partner agencies to support victims and tackle offenders. The Council will have a Victim First Approach and we will adapt our services to individual needs with an overall aim of preventing problems of Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) and occurrences of Crime and Disorder.

Bassetlaw District Council is committed to reducing ASB in our communities. We recognise the damage and harm that persistent ASB can cause to the stability, cohesiveness, and health of our communities. The Council will intervene appropriately where it can and use enforcement relating to ASB when most appropriate. This approach will be made clear to all businesses, residents within and visitors to the district.

Scope and Aim of Policy

This policy provides understanding and clarification of the Council’s role, responsibilities and how it will address ASB.

It confirms the Council’s purpose and operating principles, on how we collaborate with partners and what the communities of Bassetlaw can expect.

Note as a landlord the Council has a duty to respond to all acts of ASB relating to its tenants and any such acts affecting its properties. (Housing Dept)

Landlord duties, powers and tools can at times be used in conjunction with the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 (when appropriate) to address acts of ASB that affects the wider communities within Bassetlaw District. The Council can take enforcement action against residents residing in council property, for breach of their tenancy conditions. This approach will be made clearly communicate to all tenants and prospective tenants.

This joined up approach to ASB ensures close working relationships between internal BDC Departments, plus external statutory and non-statutory partners / stakeholders. 

Victims of ASB expect a multi-agency problem-solving approach is taken to address their needs and issues that are affecting their lives, families, and relevant locations.

This document covers enforcement powers and how they could apply both to Council tenancies and the wider community. This policy ensures that the victim(s) are at the heart of the approach in tackling ASB. 

The Council has a responsibility to protect staff members whilst they are undertaking Council business. The Council will not tolerate any violence or ASB directed towards staff and any perpetrators will receive timely and robust action against them for engaging in such behaviour.

Policy Principles

Bassetlaw District Council is committed to tackling ASB via working in partnership with our local organisations and residents. We have the aspiration for all neighbourhoods across the district to be places where people feel safe and enjoy living.

This Policy explains the steps that will be to achieve the Corporate Aim of delivering services that enhance the quality of life for the communities being affected by ASB.

Bassetlaw District Council respects an individual’s right to live the way they want to if their lifestyle does not severely affect or impact on the quality of life of others around them. 

ASB in any form is not acceptable and those conducting deliberate acts of ASB will be acted upon using appropriate tools, powers and legislation.  

Bassetlaw District Council will:

• Encourage and help individuals to solve their own differences wherever possible.
• This is often the easiest way of solving a problem, as often is the case people are not aware and do not realise that they are causing ASB. 
• The Council will act quickly and efficiently to tackle and address ASB.
• The Council will act fairly but firmly with perpetrators of ASB. The main objective being to discourage such acts and to support others to speak out about ASB incidents within their respective locality.
• The Council wherever possible will support families or individuals facing challenging times. Appropriate support will hopefully address unruly behaviour.
• However, if that support is not taken and adhered to, we will act against those who continually cause severe anguish to others.
• The Council in all its forms are committed to developing our communities as peaceful, safe, and secure places to live. ASB has a severe effect, the Council accept that in partnership it is our joint responsibility to help tackle any problems in a timely and professional manner.

The Council Community Safety Team, Housing Department, Environmental Health etc.... with the support of our Legal Department will take appropriate action when dealing with any disruptive tenants, residents, businesses and others causing annoyance, nuisance or harassment in our district and homes.

Policy Statement 

The Council will:

• Support all residents to enjoy their home and communities.
• Take all reasonable steps to ensure that all council tenants fully comply with their obligations under the terms and conditions of their tenancy.
• Always respect confidentiality.
• Respond to complaints in an effective, sensitive, and consistent way.
• Update complainants and work with other agencies to provide support if appropriate and/or necessary.
• Not tolerate any unlawful discrimination and/or harassment.
• Approach all complaints of ASB in a sensitive and professional manner, always taking a victim first approach.
• Ensure staff are appropriately trained to deal with incidents of ASB.
• Collaborate effectively with partners in dealing with and preventing ASB.

Roles

Different acts of legislation support Bassetlaw District Council to use a wide range of tools and powers to deal with reported incidents of ASB. 

This policy focuses on Community Safety and Landlord Roles in addressing ASB. 

Within the ASB Team you will encounter:

• Community Safety & Safeguarding Manager – Responsible for development of the ASB Policy for the Council, and the gate-keeper reference to cases that were enforcement requires court action. Monitored all High Risk ASB cases; will support the Legal Lead in responding to any complaints regarding the service and any ASB Case Review request made to the Council.
• ASB Team Leader – Responsible for managing and guiding the ASB Officers and Safer Street Wardens to resolve a range of community issues, managing complex cases, developing operational strategies, leading multi-agency efforts, ensuring compliance, and improving service delivery for effective anti-social behaviour prevention and resolution, often involving vulnerable residents and legal enforcement.
• ASB Officers - Responsible for dealing with major cases of ASB. These officers are responsible for identifying and notifying any safeguarding concerns or any high-risk victims’ cases with which they are directly dealing. Officers have delegated authority to take forward any enforcement action not requiring court action. They have delegated authority to issue fixed penalty notices.
• ASB Support Officer – Responsible for conducting an initial triage of cases reported to the Council. In addition, the officer will monitor and maintain the Council’s database of ASB incidents. The Officer will provide an initial response to incidents and support the ASB Officers in effectively performing their role.
• Safer Street Wardens – responsible for patrolling the Town Centre’s to support and assist with community and environmental ASB. They have delegated authority to issue fixed penalty notices.

There are other officers and departments within the Council that have a role to play in addressing ASB for example:

• Environmental Health Officer
• Environmental Services Officer
• Planning Officer
• Licensing Officer
• Officers within the Housing Department
• Building and Facility Manager

The above-mentioned officers have their own procedures which explain how they deal with enforcement action. There will be times when a multi-agency approach is required to be taken.

Joint Community Safety Partnership (NSB/CSP)

Under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, the Council has a duty to collaborate with the Police and other agencies to reduce crime and disorder in the district. 

The Council considers crime and disorder in all its decision-making across the Authority, we fully participate and take a key role in dealing with ASB of all kinds and support numerous projects and preventative work. 

The work that the partnership undertakes is to provide support to other agencies (including other teams within the Council) and we act to address ASB impacting the wider community. 

The enforcement powers used in Bassetlaw District are:

• Community Protection Notices and Warnings
• Enforcement of Public Space Protection Orders
• Criminal Behaviour Orders (CBO)
• Injunctions (with or without Power of Arrest)

The Council as a Landlord and Housing Provider 

Housing tenants who behave in an anti-social manner put themselves at risk of tenancy enforcement action.

Those who live in accommodation provided by private landlords may also put themselves at risk of similar action.

The Council will share information and support other Housing providers to enable their use of early intervention tools and offer guidance and support to them in developing effective policies to deal with ASB.

The use of legal remedies by other housing providers will be the responsibility of that landlord, however the Council will provide supporting evidence to them subject to the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1990, as amended and other relevant legislation.

The Council owns and manages a large and diverse housing stock and work closely with other Registered Social Landlords across the District. As a landlord, the Council understands the importance of making our neighbourhoods safer places to live and the need to address ASB as soon as possible.

Housing management will focus on supporting tenants and work towards changing unacceptable behaviours. This falls in line with the Council’s duties towards preventing homelessness where possible. An incremental approach will be taken to enforcement in line with the Tenancy Agreement

All tenants of the Council sign a tenancy agreement which sets out the rights and responsibilities of the tenant(s) and the Council. The tenancy agreement is a legally binding contract between the Council and the tenant(s).

The Council’s tenancy conditions clearly state it is a tenant’s responsibility in regard to nuisance behaviour relating to their household members and any visitor(s) to the property. The Council will ensure that tenants are made aware of their responsibilities regarding ASB at the tenancy sign up and during subsequent visits.

The Council can take specific enforcement action against its tenants which affects the use of the property and the security of tenure. This subsequently means that the Council can apply for possession of the property, relying on certain grounds for possession as set out in Schedule 2 of the Housing Act 1985 (as may be amended from time to time).

When considering this action, the Council will consider the tenant’s personal circumstances and the proportionality of the action the Council is deciding to take.

The Council does not always seek the court to agree to an outright order for possession but may invite the court to allow tenants to remain, on condition that certain terms are complied with, which will address their behaviour.

However, when a case is so severe the Courts can make an order for outright possession, meaning that the tenant and anyone living in the property could be evicted.

The ASB Crime and Policing Act 2014 (the Act) amended the Housing Act 1985 and provides an “absolute” ground for possession. This is a mandatory and expedited eviction process for tenants who have engaged in serious anti-social behaviour that has already been proven in court. This applies if the tenant, a person residing with them, or a visitor has:

1. Convicted of a serious offence (as specified in the act)
2. Breached an injunction. 
3. Breach of criminal behaviour order.
4. A closure order has been issued against the property.
5. The tenant, or anyone living in or visiting the property, has been convicted of a noise nuisance offence under Environmental Protection Act 1009.

What is Anti-Social Behaviour?

There is no single-adopted definition of ASB. For this policy, the Council has adopted the definition as contained in 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 that person’s occupation of residential premises, or
• Conduct capable of causing housing-related nuisance or annoyance to any person, or 
• conduct capable of causing nuisance or annoyance to a person in relation to that person’s occupation of business premises.

This definition gives the Council greater opportunity for applying appropriate ASB tools and powers to address certain behaviours, issues, or occurrences of ASB in respect of tenants and the wider community.

ASB covers a wide range of activities which affect individuals, families, and communities daily. 

ASB may or may not include or consist of activity that is classified as illegal/criminal and if this is the case the Council may refer you to the Police as part of our actions. 

ASB can be categorised under these three headings, although some types of ASB can fit under more than one category. 

ASB may include but not limited to the following:

• Environmental:
  
  • Criminal damage
  • Vandalism
  • Graffiti
  • Littering
  • Fly-tipping
  • Dog-fouling
  • Noise
  • Abandoned vehicles
• Community 
  • Noise
  • Rowdy behaviour
  • Unreasonable behaviour
  • Drug misuse and dealing 
  • Vehicle nuisance 
  • Begging
  • Prostitution
  • Street drinking
  • Sexual acts 
• Individual
  • Animal nuisance
  • Threatening language
  • Aggressive behaviour 
  • Intimidation/harassment 
  • Hate related incidents 

Summary

ASB can be caused by:

• Council Tenants
• Owner or person in control of a property
• An occupant of a privately owned property
• Tenants of a private landlord

ASB affecting tenancy:

• Failure by tenants to prevent children of visitors from behaving anti-socially.
• Failure by tenants to adhere to all ASB related tenancy conditions.
• Any act which directly or indirectly adversely affects the Council’s housing management function as discussed above.
• Misuse of communal area (including parking issues) and
• Use of motor vehicles in an Anti-Social manner by tenants or visitors

Please note that legislation can also refer to housing-related nuisance or annoyance which can include interference with the day-to-day running and the strategic management of properties which could include:

• Maintenance and repairs
• Rent collection
• Estate management
• Other tenancy management

The impact of ASB can often leave victims feeling helpless, desperate and with a reduced quality of life in their homes and communities.

Behaviour / acts not amounting to Anti-Social Behaviour

Some types of behaviour complained about are not specifically acts of ASB and there are numerous circumstances that may not constitute an offence under ASB legislation.

For example, some behaviours that individuals perceive as being ‘Anti-Social’ are unavoidable and may be day to day activities or out of the control by the other person.

The Council will consider how to effectively address these types of issues to try to secure a positive outcome, for all parties, even working with the perceived perpetrator of the behaviour.

Listed below are behaviours which may not constitute ASB:

• Living or domestic noises
• A baby crying,
• Ordinary conversation levels through walls,
• Noise from children playing in a garden.
• Domestic activities such as vacuuming, toilet flushing or using a washing machine.
• Children playing in the street or communal area.
• People gather socially.
• Parking
• DIY and car repairs.
• Civil disputes between neighbours (e.g., shared driveways, boundaries)
• A person looking at another person or their property.

The Council will consider the facts of the complaint, history and nature of the behaviour and will determine the action, if any, to be taken.

It is also important to acknowledge that some complaints about ASB can be considered malicious, vexatious, trivial, or unreasonable.

Children playing in an area designed for play, e.g., a skateboarding park or multi-use games area, may fall within this category.

Other examples may be someone having a one-off event such as a milestone birthday party with some associated noise, a baby crying for attention, or a misplaced wheelie bin temporarily blocking access or egress.

Although the incident may be annoying at the time, it is the role of the Council’s officers when investigating complaints to decide whether the complaint is reasonable or not.

An ASB Officer will advise a complainant if they believe the complaint is unreasonable.

This is done because persistent unreasonable complaints can often be perceived as harassment by the subject and lead to a counter complaint being made.

Racial Harassment and Hate Crime

What is Racial Harassment?

Under the Equality Act 2010, racial harassment is unwanted conduct related to race that has the purpose or effect of:

• Violating a person’s dignity, or
• Creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment 

Race includes:

• Colour
• Nationality
• Ethnic or national origins
  Harassment can be:
  • Racist jokes or banter
  • Mocking a person’s accent or background
  • Exclusion based on race
  • Offensive Slurs

What is Hate Crime?

Any criminal offence that is perceived by the victim or any other person to be motivated by hostility or prejudice based on:

• Race or perceived race
• Religion or perceived religion (or no religion)
• Sexuality or perceived sexuality
• Transgender or perceived transgender
• Disability or perceived disability
• Individual characteristics including (alternative lifestyles, dress style, physical appearance, culture)
• Gender based hostility

What is a Hate Incident?

Any non-crime incident that is perceived by the victim or any other person to be motivated by hostility or prejudice.

If the behaviour towards a person does not meet the legal threshold for a crime but still involves prejudice or hostility it will be recorded as a hate incident.

Bassetlaw District Council will not tolerate any form of racial harassment or hate crime and will work to address such issues by doing the following:

• Being initiative-taking in preventing racial harassment and hate crime.
• Recognise incidents of racial harassment and hate crime.
• Respond to incidents of racial harassment and hate crime quickly and effectively.
• Always act professionally in the support of victims and witnesses.
• Have clear procedural commitments to respond to incidents of racial hate.
• Ensure that a clear unambiguous message is sent to perpetrators that racial harassment and hate crime will not be tolerated in any form.

Domestic Abuse

Bassetlaw District Council will not tolerate any form of Domestic Abuse.

The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 provides a legal definition of ‘Domestic Abuse’. The Act allows for wider recognition in relation to domestic abuse related crimes as well as recognition to victims, survivors, and perpetrators.

Domestic Abuse is not just physical violence, it can also be emotional, controlling, coercive and economic abuse.

This definition includes ‘honour’ based abuse, female genital mutilation (FGM) and forced marriage.

Domestic abuse may fall within acts of ASB and as such all reports will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

We will be mindful of the needs of the victim to ensure they are supported.

The use of ASB enforcement tools to tackle Domestic Abuse may be appropriate in some circumstances to protect the victim and/or reduce the impact upon the wider community.

Where required, a DASH Risk Assessment will be completed, and appropriate high-risk cases may be heard at the MARAC (Multi-agency Risk Assessment Conference).

The DASH risk assessment tool (Domestic Abuse, Stalking, Harassment and Honour Based Violence Assessment) is part of the Multi Agency Risk Assessment (MARAC) referral process. It is a risk assessment form to help officers work out the risk level for the victim.

The Council will collaborate with the Police, Council Domestic Violence Coordinator and other relevant agencies to take informal steps and use legal remedies to address such incidents. 

Support of victims will be:

• Victim & Family provided immediate support. Completion of a MASH Referral.
• Seek Professional advice from the Domestic Violence Coordinator.
• Provide safe space / accommodation if required / necessary.
• Partnership Work with specialist agencies.

Safeguarding and Vulnerability 

Bassetlaw District Council is committed to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults.

Safeguarding is ‘everybody’s business’ and if Council officers are concerned about the welfare of children or adults, they will complete appropriate referral form and information sharing will be undertaken. This is the officer receiving the information or having concerns specific duty and responsibility.

The Council has representation at a strategic level across public protection forums such as Safeguarding

Boards/Partnerships (adults and children), multi-agency risk assessment conferences (MARACs), multi-agency public protection arrangements (MAPPAs), health and wellbeing boards, and community safety partnerships.

We actively participate in multi-agency arrangements to safeguard children, young people, and adults.

It is not uncommon for safeguarding concerns to arise during an ASB investigation.

If concerns are raised about a child, young person or an adult’s welfare and you believe they are or are likely to suffer harm, appropriate information will be shared with colleagues in Children’s Services, Adult Social Care.

If the decision is made to share the information without consent, the person should be informed, but any risk to the person in doing so will be considered.

A victim of ASB is distressing for anyone who is affected, the Council recognise that for some people the impact may be far worse because of an identified vulnerability.

Vulnerable victims are likely to be disproportionately affected by ASB and vulnerabilities can be a cause of a wide range of factors, such as; isolation, mental health condition, physical disability, age, or substance misuse.

Sometimes it will be necessary to make a safeguarding referral and cases that require this course of action will be additionally recorded as part of our corporate safeguarding procedures. Concerns about ASB and safeguarding often overlap which reinforces the necessity for strong partnership working.

Supporting Victims of ASB

In accordance with the principles of the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, the Council will give priority to supporting victims of ASB. To support the focus on victims, the Council will conduct the following actions:

• Refer cases to the commissioned service in our area for offering support to victims of ASB and crime. This is currently provided by Victim Care and is commissioned by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner.
• Set up multi-agency meetings to identify how vulnerable victims could be best supported and take agreed actions; 
• Train our staff to identify vulnerability and feel confident in taking appropriate action;
• Work closely with other agencies to share information where appropriate so that victims do not get overlooked; and 
• Conduct and record a risk assessment of victims to ensure vulnerable victims are identified at an early stage. 

The Council takes the welfare and support of victims of ASB seriously and will continue to collaborate with our communities to ensure that victims feel that they are listened to and supported. Complaints regarding ASB can be made online, by telephone, or in person and. These reporting options are important to ensure that victims can access the services they need as easily as possible.

Multi-Agency Working

Bassetlaw Council plays a significant role in addressing and managing ASB, caused by its tenants and by others whereby the behaviour impacts on the wider community.

The Council takes this responsibility seriously both in responding to issues/complaints and in preventing occurrences in the first instance through proactive working.

Issues reported by members of the public may be complex and contain multiple issues.

A Council Officer assigned to investigate an ASB (ASB Officer) may draw upon additional and/or specialist service providers or other key stakeholders to manage certain aspects of the case.

The Council seeks to ensure that the person responsible for the case is identified quickly, and appropriate agencies are worked with to identify and resolve the problem(s), prevent recurrence, and reduce the risk of harm particularly the most vulnerable.

The expectation is that residents and communities play an active part in resolving issues.

By working with partners and sharing information, the Council is able to adopt the best method to deal with each individual case and in many cases enforcement action is jointly taken forward. Sometimes the Council may be the lead enforcement agency whereas on other occasions it may play a supporting role. This depends on the nature of the ASB and the matters being enforced.

The Council is an active partner of the Bassetlaw, Newark and Sherwood Community Safety Partnership (BNSCSP) and will support this partnership to improve community safety generally and tackle ASB across the district.

Response to Anti-Social Behaviour

A report of ASB is a request for service made to deal with the behaviour of tenants, members of their households and visitors to tenant’s homes and other individuals within the community.

Reports of ASB may be made by letter, in person, by telephone, through the Council’s online services or by email. There is no requirement for a report to be written. Referrals are often made through partner agencies and services, e.g., Environmental Health,

Police and Schools. If a referral by a third party is made, we will contact the victim directly to obtain more information.

The Council has several officer roles which may be involved in a complaint of ASB. This includes the Council’s ASB Caseworkers who will deal with the more complex, higher risk housing related ASB and wider community ASB.

The Council also has a team of Tenancy Management Officers who focus on housing related ASB and breaches of tenancy agreements.

Investigation Process 

The Council will use different methods to investigate complaints about Anti-Social Behaviour.

The complexities involved in investigating ASB cannot be readily mapped out as a “one size fits all” process and each case will require a tailored and proportionate response by the appropriate team. However, there are up to six strands of activity that may be considered to ensure investigations are thorough and effective:

• Victim contact, Risk & Vulnerability Assessments;
• Accused contact & Vulnerability Assessments; 
• Evidence collation & statement taking; 
• Prevention / Early intervention / Diversion
• Partnership Working
• Enforcement.

When a report is received, it will be subject to review and triage. If reports are not actionable or there are no realistic lines of enquiry to progress a report, these may be recorded and closed.

A Victim Vulnerability Risk Assessment and Investigation Plan may be completed at the initial interview. The risk assessment outcomes are categorised as: High; Medium or Low. These assessments help inform us about the potential impact of the report we have received and we may signpost or refer victims for additional support based on these. It is important that all complainants and witnesses understand the importance of collaborating with us, this may include completing tasks such as (but not limited to):

• responding to calls/ letters 
• providing information during the investigation stage 
• providing written statements if required to support legal action. 
• attending court to give evidence 
• participating in methods of resolution.

Evidence collation may include but is not restricted to: 

• Statements taken during interviews with victims/witnesses/perpetrators; 
• Personal observations during visits; 
• Photographs; 
• Professional witness evidence (Police, Out of Hours Response Officers, Housing Officers etc.); 
• Documents / records; 
• Visits to neighbours and the wider area; 
• Shared intelligence; 
• CCTV / Body Worn Camera Footage; 
• Noise App / Noise recording equipment
• Diary Sheets 
• Third party disclosures via Section 115 (Crime & Disorder Act 1998) or other information sharing arrangements

The Council will take an uncompromising approach to the initiation of enforcement action for cases of ASB to achieve this goal and protect victims. However, the Council also recognises that behavioural change can be achieved in many other ways and will therefore explore all reasonable interventions that could bring about the desired change in behaviour and this will always be our initial focus whilst maintaining the right to take enforcement action, where appropriate.

Wherever possible all requests for cameras and other recording equipment to gather evidence for ASB will be referred to by the ASB Team, who will make the decision on the necessity and priority of the deployment of the equipment with a Legal Input if necessary. 

In relation to the investigation of alleged noise nuisance under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, the Council’s Environmental Health Department may use noise monitoring equipment without the ASB Team’s knowledge.

Anyone utilising covert or overt recording equipment will comply fully with the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

Decision-Making

The Council will:

• Assess all relevant evidence.
• Consider any legislative test including the reasonableness and proportionality of the action, 
• Consider personal circumstances of both the victim and perpetrator.
• The Equality Act 2010 will be considered when decisions are being made and enforcement action is being considered. 

The ASB Team may during any investigation decide that Court action is a possibility due to careful consideration of all the evidence.

Cases where Court action is a possibility will be referred to the Legal Department for immediate attention and guidance. 

Monitoring

Cases will be subject to regular review ASB Team Leader and/or Community Safety and Safeguarding Manager to assess progress.

The success of our approach will be measured through a combination of: 

• Expedient resolution of cases, we will aim to deal with 70% of cases within 3 months but will not seek to close cases based on this criterion. 
• Case studies of positive outcomes from partnership working. 
• Increase in the percentage of residents who feedback they are satisfied with the service provided. 
• Reduced number of repeat complaints from ASB 
• A reduction in recurring incidents across ‘hot spot’ areas of the District.

Performance is monitored in a variety of ways:

• Number / percentage of cases or incidents where action was taken to reduce/ manage ASB. 
• Customer Satisfaction Surveys 
• Number of open cases at the close of the quarter 
• Average length of time cases is open. 
• Peer Review

Enforcement

Bassetlaw District Council utilise a wide range of tools and relevant legislation to address reports of ASB. 
We attempt to resolve all matters relating to ASB without using a formal legal process especially if those involved are willing to engage with early intervention proven methods. For example, by completing and participating in mediation.

If early intervention and preventative measures are not successful in resolving issues, then proportionate enforcement actions will be considered. Enforcement may be conducted, for example, under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014. Action can also be taken under housing legislation e.g., possession proceedings. This would be done in partnership with the relevant landlord or managing agents. There are also sanctions under criminal law, such as Harassment Warnings or Public Order offences.

Court cases may be taken which can result in fines, the issue of court orders, injunctions, and even imprisonment. In all cases these powers will be used proportionately and only when considered appropriate. Whenever enforcement powers are used, they will be in accordance with the principles set out in the Corporate Enforcement Policy. Preventative measures will be pursued either before or alongside formal enforcement action.

The Council will take an approach to dealing with ASB, which is proportionate and appropriate to the behaviour being produced or complained about and table one below outlines some of the main actions we will take. Whilst the Council will do all that it can to prevent ASB, at the same time it will take proportionate enforcement action and will do so at the same time as employing preventative measures if necessary.
The Council will make use of the preventative measures’ powers and tools available to us, which include:

• Warning – These can be verbal or written and used to highlight the issues and explain how to resolve them. Verbal warning will also be recorded on the case notes. 
• Conduct Home Visits - Home visits are a useful tool for raising awareness of a particular problem face to face and to identify what needs or support may be required to address the problematic behaviour. These may be undertaken with other agencies.
• Mediation - The Council may utilise mediation if appropriate and depend upon the circumstances of the case. Mediation works best when each party is willing to participate and can often help sort problems in the initial stages. External Service Provision.
• Acceptable Behaviour Contracts (ABC) - An ABC is a written voluntary agreement between a person and the Council and often the Police. This could include an approach not to conduct certain acts, which could be ASB or to undertake positive requirements.
• Community Protection Warnings and Notices (CPN / CPW) - Community Protection Notices can be served to stop a person aged sixteen or over, business or organisation committing ASB which spoils the community’s quality of life. 
• Note that a written Community Protection Warning must be served before a Community Protection Notice is used.

A CPN may contain:

• A requirement to stop doing things;
• A requirement to do specified things;
• A requirement to take reasonable steps to achieve specified results.

Note that a breach of a CPN can result in a Fixed Penalty Notice being served or could result in prosecution. Any CPN should be reviewed 12 months from the date of service and decisions made whether the CPN should remain in place.

Referrals to Support Services - There are a range of support services available, some of which are provided by the voluntary sector. This may also include diversion into Youth Services.

CCTV - The Council has a network of monitored cameras that it provides to function as a deterrent for those who would commit acts of ASB. Evidence may also be collected on the cameras to support enforcement activity.

Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) - The ASB Team and Police will consider a CBO against a person who commits serious and persistent ASB. This is an order which is applied once a person is convicted of a criminal offence. The criminal offence can be completely unrelated to the ASB.

Civil Injunction - The injunction under Part 1 of the Act is a civil power which can be applied to deal with anti-social individuals. An Injunction is an Order of the Court and prohibits certain acts or provides instructions relating to a course of action, including exclusions from certain areas or property. The power of arrest can be attached to the injunction order.

Closure Order - A closure notice can be served by the Police or Council, which closes premises for up to 24 hours but can be extended to 48 hours. The effect is that the premises are closed to a group or class of people save for the owner and persons habitually resident at the premises. The Notice must be presented to the Magistrates Court who can then make a closure order for up to 3 months and can be extended for a further 3 months (a maximum total period of 6 months). The closure order can close the premises to those who own the premises or are habitually resident.

Possession Proceedings - Where there is a breach of a council tenancy, the Council can apply to the Court for a Possession Order of a property. This could lead to a person or family being evicted from their home.

This type of action requires detailed evidence, and complainants may be asked to compile detailed evidential diary sheets of incidents.

Absolute Ground For Possession - The Act introduced a new absolute ground for possession of secure and assured tenancies where ASB or criminality has already been proven by another court, for example where there has been a relevant criminal offence has been committed. These possession proceedings mean that the Court has less discretion to allow the occupants to remain on the property.

Tenancy Demotions - A Secure tenant can be demoted under the Act, which reduces the rights and security of the tenure for a period of up to 12 months.

Fixed Penalty Notices (FPN) - Certain offences and behaviour are subject to fixed penalty notices where prescribed by legislation. Fixed penalties provide the Council with an effective and visible way of responding to low level areas of no compliance or unacceptable behaviour. Fixed penalty notices should only be used for the more minor offences, breaches of statutory Orders or Notices. Payment will be required within the specified period as set out on the notice and at the Contact Centres within the District.

Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPO) - these aim to restrict the actions of people or groups committing ASB in a public space.

Publicity

The Council will consider the use of publicity to pursue legitimate aims including, but not limited to, supporting and reassuring communities, informing communities of methods of reporting ASB, informing communities of positive case outcomes and to provide reassurance to residents in its ability to tackle and prevent ASB.

Publicity may take many forms including media coverage, targeted leafleting or use of the internet, the Council website, and/or social media. When considering whether to publicise by what means and over what period. The Council will take account of the circumstances of each case and whether the proposed publicity is necessary and proportionate.

Case Closure

Although we will seek to resolve cases to a complainant’s satisfaction, this will not be possible in all cases and the Council may choose to close the case when it is appropriate to do so. Whether a case is closed is decided on a case-by-case basis and after review.

ASB Officers will ensure the complainant is kept fully informed of action taken and when officers are completely satisfied that nothing more can be done for a complainant then the complainant(s) will be advised, in writing that the case is to be finalised and closed.

A case may be closed for several reasons (this is a non-exhaustive list):

• Action that has been taken has resolved the matter.
• If, after a reasonable amount of time, there have been no further problems.
• when we have completed an investigation into the case and have exhausted all viable solutions, where this occurs, we will look at support options for the complainant(s)
• where mediation is a reasonable solution and has been offered to both parties but has been declined by the complainant.
• There is no real and tangible evidence that any ASB is occurring.
• when another agency is leading on the case and no longer requires our involvement
• Non-engagement and failure to respond to our requests by the complainant.

If you have questions about why an ASB case has been closed please contact the ASB Team Leader to discuss it.

If an individual is unhappy with the outcome or closure of a case, they have the right to request a review of their case via the ASB Case Review. This process is outlined below.

To improve services, the Council provides a customer satisfaction form to complainants to obtain their views on the service they have received and identify any improvements which can be made once a case has been closed.

ASB Case Review (Formally Community Trigger)

The Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 introduced specific measures designed to give victims and communities a say in the way that complaints of ASB are dealt with.

The ASB Case Review (formally referred to as the Community Trigger) gives victims of persistent ASB reported to any of the main responsible agencies (such as the council, police, housing provider) the right to request a multi-agency review of their case where a local threshold is met.

The ASB Case Review process is different from a single agency complaints process which looks at faults in the way an agency has responded. The ASB Case Review aims to bring agencies together to take a joined up, problem-solving approach, to find a solution and stopping the ASB. 

Compliments and Complaints

The Council is committed to always providing the best possible service, but sometimes mistakes are made. If this happens, we want service users to contact us and let us know.

Where complaints cannot be resolved by local managers through the Council’s complaints procedure, complainants may be referred to either the Local Government or Housing Ombudsman, depending on the case issues and the complainant’s tenure.

If you have a comment, compliment, or complaint, you can talk to the member of staff concerned or their manager or you can: Contact on:

Telephone: 01909 533533
Use the online form at: www.bassetlaw.gov.uk
Email us at: customer.service@bassetlaw.gov.uk  

Staff Training and Development 

The council is committed to training our staff and will ensure that all staff dealing with ASB Cases follow this policy.

Refresher training and updates for changes in legislation or good practice changes will also be provided at appropriate times.

Information Sharing and Confidentiality 

Any information provided to the Council will be treated in confidence and will be used and managed in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018 and UK General Data Protection Regulations (UK GDPR) or as may be amended from time to time and the Council’s privacy statement on ASB.

Information will not be shared, without the consent of the person who provided the information unless the law allows it, and/or it is necessary to do so to protect life or prevent crime or harm.

Sharing information can help inform and advise the wider communities about the work the Council and agencies with whom they work are doing to tackle ASB. This may take the form of local media coverage or targeted leafleting.

There are reciprocal responsibilities to share information between partner agencies as set out in the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 and in accordance with data sharing protocols. The various agencies that make up the NSBCSP have all signed an Information Sharing Protocol which enables the sharing of relevant and appropriate information when dealing with cases of ASB.

To avoid conflicts of interest, where a member of staff has a known personal connection with any reported complainant, witness, or perpetrator, their involvement in the case will be closely monitored by the appropriate manager, and wherever possible avoided.

Bassetlaw District Council is a Statutory Partner of Bassetlaw, Newark, and Sherwood Community Safety Partnership therefore we are under a duty to act to reduce crime and disorder and will share information where it is necessary to do so to achieve this objective.

The sharing of Information has a clear basis in law including the Crime & Disorder Act 1998 and Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 and is in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018 which has provisions for crime and legal proceedings.

Policy Review & Updates

This policy will be reviewed every three years. However interim amendments may also be required to reflect any legislative or procedural changes.

Glossary of Terms

Term	Definition
Acceptable Behaviour Contracts (ABC)	An ABC is a written voluntary agreement where conditions are agreed upon to prevent the person from engaging in ASB.
Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB)	The term ‘ASB’ covers a wide range of unacceptable activities which can affect the lives of many people daily. ASB may or may not include or consist of criminal activity. The key factor in deciding whether behaviour is anti-social or not, will be the impact of that behaviour on others.
ASB Case Review	Refer to Website
Closure Notice / Closure Order (Closure Power)	The Closure Power (Anti-Social Behaviour Crime and Policing Act. 2014) can be used to protect victims and communities by closing premises that are causing nuisance or disorder. A Closure Notice can be issued by the Council or the Police to close premises for up to 48 hours. A Closure Order can be issued by the Magistrates Court for a period of up to 3 months. This can be extended by the Court for a period of up to 6 months.
Community Protection Notices (CPN)	A Community Protection Notice (Anti-Social Behaviour Crime and Policing Act. 2014) can be used to stop a person aged 16 or over, business or organisation committing ASB which spoils the communities quality of life. A breach of a CPN is a criminal offence
Community Protection Warnings (CPW)	A CPW is a warning that must be issued prior to the use of a CPN.
Fixed Penalty Notices (FPN)	A fixed Penalty Notice (sometimes referred to as a ‘fine’) is a financial penalty that can be issued in relation to some offences.
Mediation	Mediation is the process by which we help parties to talk about and agree a solution to resolve a dispute. This tool can be used if all parties agree and it is appropriate.
Perpetrator	Someone who is responsible for causing ASB and/or committing an offence.
Police Community Support Officers (PCSO)	Police Community Support Officers (PCSO) are uniformed civilian employees of the Police who have several powers to deal with low level crime and anti-social behavior.
Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO)	Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPO) are intended to deal with a particular nuisance or problem in a specific area that is detrimental to the local community’s quality of life, by imposing conditions on the use of that area which apply to everyone.
Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA)	The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, regulating the powers of public bodies to carry out surveillance and investigation.
Risk Assessment Matrix (RAM)	A risk assessment tool to enable agencies to identify the most vulnerable, or those suffering the most harm.

Version 1.0 | 12th March 2026.

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Last Updated on Thursday, June 18, 2026