Working to improve community relations

Making our communities safer is always a key focus for our teams. One of the ways we do this is by working with local people to tackle anti-social behaviour (ASB) in the areas we support.

For our Community Safety team, it's about fostering safe, respectful, and supportive environments.

What is ASB?

The anti-social behaviour that NCHA can deal with is generally where our residents or their visitors behave unreasonably and cause a nuisance to their neighbours. This can include:

• Harassment and abuse
• Violence
• Excessive noise
• Misuse of illegal drugs.

Any nuisance behaviour motivated because of someone’s disabilities, religion, nationality or sexuality.

The Office of National Statistics reported that around 35.4% – over 1 in every 3 – UK residents experienced or witnessed ASB over the last year.

It can undermine a person’s sense of safety and belonging. Government research suggests around a quarter of people affected by ASB suffered with mental health issues following the incident, including difficulties sleeping, anxiety and lingering fear.

What we do

Our Community Safety team is responsible for investigating incidents, gathering evidence, and working closely with both victims and perpetrators to resolve issues in a way that prevents it happening again in future.

Understanding the root causes that motivate these behaviours is vital. We proactively engage with tenants and collaborate with local authorities and the police to prevent ASB before it starts so we can build stronger, more resilient neighbourhoods.

ASB is not just a nuisance; it’s a barrier to community cohesion and wellbeing. But it’s a barrier that we can overcome, especially when we work together. We want to emphasise the importance of recognising the signs of ASB and understanding how to prevent and report it.

How you can help

Many people endure these issues in silence, not knowing that help is available. We want to encourage residents to come forward and work with us to create safer neighbourhoods. Early intervention and community support often lead to positive outcomes.

We encourage everyone to take an active role in making your community a better place by:

• Reporting incidents
• Supporting your neighbours
• Not tolerating anti-social behaviour in any form.

To report ASB, please contact our Customer Experience team on:

• 0800 013 8555
• info@ncha.org.uk

Remember, ASB is everyone’s business. Together, we can create communities where everyone feels safe, respected, and valued, so our neighbourhoods remain places we’re proud to call home.

You can read our Community Safety promise and plans on our website.