In January internal auditors conducted an audit of our antisocial behaviour (ASB) service here at Red Kite. The audit involved:
- An in-depth analysis and testing of our ASB case management
- Benchmarking our ASB policy and process
- Reviews of:
- The guidance and communication on ASB that we give to tenants and other stakeholders
- Our partnership working with other agencies
- Staff training on ASB
- The information on ASB that is reported to management
- Any complaints on ASB handling.
The following month we were delighted to receive the final report from the auditor, giving us a Green assurance rating with no recommendations!
The report's executive summary says:
“We take the view that Red Kite has robust policies and controls in place to govern its approach to ASB management. There is a clear framework in place to categorise and assess all ASB reports that are received, and our sample testing confirmed that these are adhered to in practice.”
Last year, we revamped our ASB process to ensure it effectively tackles all types of antisocial behaviour. We included a wide range of scenarios in our testing, from minor inconveniences (outside the scope of ASB) to serious targeted harassment. This allows us to provide the right level of support, whether it's signposting to relevant services or addressing serious complaints.
We've also adopted a more nuanced approach, following recent guidance from the Housing Ombudsman. This means managing expectations around noise complaints, offering practical advice, and clearly distinguishing between ASB and non-ASB issues. This new approach is proving effective in addressing complex ASB issues, and we're thrilled with the audit results.
We've had several successes (see below) over the past 12 months in ASB legal cases and very positive working partnerships with the police, the local authority, and other agencies, so we're particularly pleased that this was recognised by the auditor as it is so vital to resolving ASB.
