What actions can we take
There are a number of actions that we can take against someone who is acting in an anti-social manner. The action that we can take will depend of the type and the severity of the ASB. These include:
Warning Letters
Warning letters are one of the first tools used to stop people behaving anti-socially. They are sent to the person causing the anti-social behaviour to deter them from continuing to do so and set out what action will be taken if they do not. Warning letter provide an opportunity to stop this at an early stage and before legal action is needed.
Mediation
Mediation is used to try and resolve differences between neighbours. It is a free, independent service and the mediators are trained to work with neighbours to try and find a solution that everyone can live with.
Injunctions
An injunction is a court order that will forbid someone from doing something for example going within a specified distance of a property or making contact with a named person. Injunctions are usually effective for a 3 or 6 month period.
An example of the use of an injunction would be to protect someone who had been threatened or attacked by a neighbour.
Acceptable Behaviour Contracts and Parental Control Agreements
Acceptable Behaviour Contracts are voluntary written agreements between an individual and Swan, and sometimes will involve other agencies such as the police. The agreement will state what an individual should or shouldn’t do, and are used to try and persuade people to change their behaviour.
Parental Control agreements are used when the child causing anti-social behaviour is under 10. We know that often parents may not be aware of what activities their children are involved in, or may find it difficult to deal with their behaviour and these agreements will detail what steps the parents should take to stop this from happening in the future.
Possession Proceedings
This is court action that can lead to a tenants being evicted from their home. Before court action is started residents will have received several warnings and been given many opportunities to change their behaviour. To evict someone from their home, we would require substantial evidence of anti-social behaviour and would have to prove this to the Court.