Social landlords should monitor hate crime incidents across homes and may need to work with other bodies to resolve ASB: Housing Ombudsman

The report, published yesterday (2 July), observes that hate incidents are not always about race, and that ASB directed towards disabled residents occurs frequently in the Ombudsman’s investigations.

It notes: “These incidents require separate recording, policies, and procedures - but this good practice may not be universal across the sector.”

In the report, the Ombudsman draws attention to the issue of landlords “not acting on evidence” in ASB cases – outlining a case study in which a resident who experienced nightly noise made 115 recordings, but was met by “limited and late responses” by their landlord.

In another case, a resident whose windows were smashed waited 14 months for repairs. In a further case, the landlord took 22 months to repair doors that could have reduced noise.

The regulator warned: “Essential tools for effective ASB handling, including risk assessments or action plans, are either missing or mishandled.”

Outlining learning from multi-agency cooperation, the Ombudsman observed that working with other agencies, such as the police, is often “key” to resolving ASB, noting that “without effective partnership working, landlords are not taking advantage of the full range of tools at their disposal.”

The report added: “When partnerships work well, information is shared quickly. This allows for safe interventions that reduce risks and minimise resident distress. However, effective multiagency working can be undermined where there are limited resources, poor information sharing or poor relationship management.

“Landlords should consider whether those are underlying causes when reviewing complaints, and how to reduce them.”

The report concludes with three questions for landlords to consider in regard to anti-social behaviour:

• What do hate incidents mean for social landlords?
• How can landlords coordinate repairs and ASB handling more effectively?
• What does good complaint handling look like in an ASB case?

Richard Blakeway, Housing Ombudsman, said: “Like all tenures, ASB can happen. But because social tenants can move less easily, the importance of good neighbourhood management is even greater.

“This ensures the benefits of building strong roots in communities through longer tenancies does not tip into feeling trapped when there is ASB.

“This report asks why we repeatedly see similar failings. It provides an opportunity for landlords to reflect on the fundamentals of ASB: what is their role, how to manage expectations, and where to work with others.

He added: “I have met with some inspirational practitioners working on ASB since our last severe maladministration report. Their openness around learning lessons and absence of defensiveness is positive. We also find fewer service failings in ASB cases than in other areas.

“Given the challenges and individual nature of each case, this is a considerable achievement. Landlords continuing to take lessons from our casework will benefit from seeing further improvements.”

Lottie Winson