A leading local housing association has announced a new team dedicated to helping build stronger, safer communities across Staffordshire and Shropshire.
Working in partnership with local councils, the police and other agencies, Housing Plus group’s Community Safety Team will be working to improve community safety by reducing incidents of anti-social behaviour (ASB) on local estates.
Housing Plus group, which includes Stafford and Rural Homes, South Staffordshire Housing and Severnside Housing will work with neighbourhood teams, to support customers who may be experiencing ASB.
Sam Allcott, Head of Neighbourhoods at Housing Plus group explained: “The safety and wellbeing of customers is always our number one priority and ASB can have a significant impact on people’s mental health and sense of security, as well as harming the wider community.
“After listening to the concerns of customers, we’ve launched the team to offer an easy way to report incidents and to ensure reports are acted on quickly. We will be working in partnership with other organisations to resolve any issues and, where necessary, bring offenders to court.
“This approach marks another significant step in our mission to make a positive difference to homes, lives and communities.”
The official launch of the Community Safety Team, led by group community safety manager Julie Harvey, coincides with a national campaign that is bringing together people and organisations from across the country to take a stand against ASB and make communities safer.
Running until July 25, ASB Awareness Week is organised by community safety specialists Resolve and backed by the Home Office, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Local Government Association, National Police Chiefs’ Council and the National Fire Chiefs’ Council. It aims to encourage communities to take a stand against ASB and highlight the options available to those facing it.
Rebecca Bryant OBE, chief executive of Resolve, commented: “We need to change the way we think about ASB. It is not low-level crime. It devastates the lives of victims and communities and can be a precursor to more serious crime.
“As the nation begins to recover from the impact of the pandemic and our society and economy celebrates the start of return to normal life, it is important that the challenge of ASB continues to be given the priority it needs nationally and locally so that people feel safe in their homes and communities.
“We are delighted to have Housing Plus group involved in this hugely important and successful campaign. It is vital to develop partnership approaches across communities to deal with the growing challenges around ASB.”
The efforts of Housing Plus group to build stronger, safer communities have also been welcomed by its partners, including Shropshire Police Safer Neighbourhood Teams (SNT), an integral part of policing within West Mercia Police that has Inspectors, Sergeants and teams of Police Constables and Police Community Support Officers covering each area.
Sgt Ingrid Tozer commented: “We will work with all partners and communities on community priorities as well as helping our partners like housing associations with their regulatory responsibility to help tackle Anti-social Behaviour and prevent crime.
“So, we welcome this initiative and look forward to working with them as it unfolds.”
Anyone who would like to report an incident, or ongoing anti-social behaviour relating to a home managed by Homes Plus, should contact their local customer services team or report it online.