Housing sector draws up new charter for tackling anti-social behaviour
The housing sector has launched a revised charter for tackling anti-social behaviour that will replace the Respect Standard for Housing Management.
The new charter – called Respect – ASB Charter for Housing – has been drawn up by the Chartered Institute of Housing, the Social Landlords Crime and Nuisance Group, and Housemark.
The organisations behind the initiative said the charter would continue to be voluntary and was a key part of the new, co-regulatory approach within housing. They emphasised that the charter was not intended to be a wider community safety charter, but was rather about landlords’ ASB services.
The charter – which is designed to be outcome-focused rather than prescriptive or process driven – contains seven core commitments:
- Demonstrating leadership and strategic commitment
- Providing an accessible and accountable service
- Taking swift action to protect communities
- Adopting a supportive approach to working with victims and witnesses
- Encouraging individual and community responsibility
- Having a clear focus on prevention and early intervention
- Ensuring a value for money approach is embedded in the service
The commitments are supported by a series of building blocks based on sector good practice. The charter was developed after a consultation that included the views of tenants.
“By signing up to the charter, landlords are making public their commitment to provide a high quality ASB service, and their accountability to tenants for its delivery,” the document says.
“Smaller landlords with fewer resources may need to take a proportionate view of the commitments and building blocks within the Charter, while maintaining their key focus on outcomes for tenants.”
A copy of the charter can be downloaded here. The original standard was introduced in 2006 and eventually had more than 500 signatories.
