1.Reporting And Initial Assessment

When you report an ASB incident, we categorise it based on its severity. This helps us prioritise our response:

• High priority cases: We aim to respond within 1 working day Examples: domestic abuse, violence, hate crimes, criminal activities
• Medium priority cases: We aim to respond within 5 working days Examples: verbal abuse, criminal damage, ongoing noise nuisance, intimidating behaviour
• Low priority cases: We aim to respond within 7 working days Examples: noise complaints, animal nuisance, vehicle-related issues
• Anonymous reports of ASB: without information of the incident or reporter we are unable to respond or take action against perpetrators. Lancaster City Council will support victims of ASB throughout the whole process.

Please note: There's no need to chase us about your report unless we haven't responded within these timescales.

2.Evidence Gathering

Our Housing Officers thoroughly investigate all ASB complaints. We collect evidence from various sources, including:

• Victims or complainants
• Other residents
• Partner agencies (e.g., Police and support services)

This comprehensive approach ensures we have a clear picture of the situation before taking action.

3.Action Planning

Once we've gathered the necessary evidence, we'll:

• Evaluate the available tools and powers at our disposal
• Decide on the most effective course of action
• Discuss the action plan with you (the complainant)
• Agree on the most suitable approach to resolve the issue

In some cases, we may offer mediation as a potential solution. Please see our section on mediation here.

4.Your Role In The Process

Your active engagement is crucial for a positive outcome. We may ask you to:

• Report every incident of what you feel is ASB in a timely manner to your case officer
• Submit additional evidence as required by your case officer, ensuring it is detailed and factual.
• Participate in mediation (if appropriate)
• Be prepared to give evidence in a court of law should we progress down a legal route to resolve the ASB.

This will be a big commitment from you as the reporter, but without your continued support in reporting evidence to use, we are unlikely to achieve a successful outcome. Your Community Safety Team will act impartially at all times and use a twin track method of support and enforcement to perpetrators, whilst supporting you as the reporter.

By working together, we can more effectively address the ASB issues affecting your community.

5.Case Closure

We'll close an ASB case when:

• The issue has been resolved
• There's insufficient evidence to take further action
• The victim or complainant doesn't respond or engage with us
• We determine the complaint to be vexatious or unreasonable

We'll always inform you when we close your case. If you disagree with our decision, you have the right to request a review by our ASB Team Leader.

Lancaster City Council Housing is dedicated to tackling anti-social behaviour and creating safer communities. We'll:

• Take your complaints seriously
• Respond promptly based on the priority of your case
• Work with you and other agencies to find effective solutions
• Keep you informed throughout the process
• Treat all information confidentially

By working together, we can address ASB issues and improve the quality of life for all our residents.

Need to report anti-social behaviour? Click Here