Your weekly ASB update: Right to Rent, PSPOs and sector insights
In This Weeks Edition:
- New training for Registered Providers: Right to Rent
- Domestic Abuse Masterclass Slides Now Available
- New Article From Dr Ben Archer on PSPOs
- Criminal Behaviour Orders : Cleveland Case Highlights Persistent ASB Management
- This week’s top tip from Paul Duffey
- Be part of our ASB Careers Series in 2026
- Pat Harman Warm Coat Appeal
- Darren & Janine’s Weekly Round Up
Right to Rent for RPs: New Half Day Training Available
Many teams tell us that Right to Rent is one of the least understood parts of tenancy onboarding, so we’ve launched a new half day course to give Registered Providers clarity, confidence and consistency.
Delivered by solicitor Paul Gorton, the session breaks down what Right to Rent actually requires, how to approach checks in a way that is both fair and legally robust, and the points where teams are most at risk of slipping into non-compliance. It also covers statutory excuses, handling sensitive situations without discrimination, and how changes in circumstances link to tenancy enforcement.
Using recent case examples, Paul translates the legal framework into practical steps that housing officers, neighbourhood teams, lettings staff and tenancy sustainment colleagues can apply straight away. It is designed to support organisations who want to strengthen internal processes and avoid common pitfalls.
Domestic Abuse Masterclass Slides Now Available
This week we welcomed Dr Kelly Henderson CIHCM and Deborah Alderson from AddressingDA for a powerful masterclass on domestic abuse perpetrators and the role housing professionals play in safe and effective responses. Thirty colleagues from across the sector were nominated to take part in this sponsored session, delivered as part of our ongoing commitment to strengthening practice around high risk and complex cases.
The session explored how perpetrators present, the tactics used to minimise behaviour, the role housing teams play in perpetrator management through MATAC, how to use Clare’s Law confidently, and what good policy and practice look like when perpetrators are involved. A central reminder was that manipulation is common, and when professionals understand these behaviours it becomes far easier to keep the focus on safety and prevent victims from being sidelined.
To ensure the insight continues to support practice beyond the live event, we are sharing the slide deck from the session. It reflects the core learning covered by Kelly and Debs and is a useful resource for teams reviewing their approach to domestic abuse cases.
New Article from Dr Ben Archer on PSPOs
Many of you will remember Dr Ben Archer from his session at the #ASB11 conference, where he explored the realities of using ASB tools and the pressures around public space governance. Ben has now published a new open access article in Punishment and Society that will be of real interest to practitioners working with PSPOs or reviewing local approaches.
The paper examines how PSPOs are enforced across England and Wales and highlights several themes that resonate strongly with frontline experience. These include the blurred boundary between civil and criminal responses, the risks of inconsistent or discretionary enforcement, and the disproportionate impact on vulnerable groups such as people experiencing street homelessness. Ben also looks at how principles of procedural justice are invoked in theory but not always visible in practice.
For ASB teams, the article offers a useful lens for reflecting on proportionality, fairness and what good governance looks like when using powers that sit in the grey area between support and sanction.
You can read the full open access paper here
Pat Harman Warm Coat Appeal
For all our North East colleagues, we wanted to highlight an initiative being led by Dr Kelly Henderson that is already making a real impact this winter.
The Pat Harman Warm Coat Appeal is collecting good quality, warm coats that can go straight to people across the region who need them. The target is 100 coats donated.
If you are clearing space after Black Friday, or getting organised ahead of Christmas, this is a simple way to help. You can drop a coat at any charity shop and let Kelly know so it can be added to the total.
There are also dedicated drop off points at:
- Crisis, City Road, Newcastle
- Yarwood Holmes Law, Gladstone House, Church Street, Cramlington
- Yarwood Holmes Law, The Square, Whickham
- Yarwood Holmes Law, Stanley Street, Blyth
If you are based in the North East and able to contribute, it would be appreciated. Small, practical actions like this sit at the heart of community support during winter.
Criminal Behaviour Orders : Cleveland Case Highlights Persistent ASB Management
A recent case in Cleveland has seen a two year Criminal Behaviour Order granted against a repeat offender following persistent complaints of theft and antisocial behaviour in the Eston area. The order prohibits entry to named retail premises and bars nuisance behaviour towards staff and customers across Redcar and Cleveland.
While the circumstances are local, the case is a useful reminder of how CBOs are being used to manage entrenched behaviour that has not responded to earlier interventions. It also reinforces the importance of clear evidence trails, partnership alignment and consistency in documenting impact when behaviour is persistent and causing harm in the community.
For teams reviewing their enforcement approaches ahead of 2026, the conditions granted in this case reflect the court’s expectation that restrictions must be specific, enforceable and proportionate to the pattern of behaviour presented.
This Week’s Tip - Addiction & ASB
Last week was Addiction Awareness Week – and a lot of conversations in the sector were focusing on what genuinely shifts behaviour in cases where addiction and ASB intersect. Enforcement has its place, but when you look at what actually changes trajectories, the same theme keeps coming up.
This week’s top tip comes from expert Tony Duffin, a long standing harm reduction and social policy specialist who has spent decades working directly with people affected by addiction, where he gives his perspective on the approach that encourages engagement over exclusion when addiction is present in ASB cases:
“Exclusion isn’t a solution – it’s a barrier to change.
Engagement = Everything. Without it, you have nothing.
When ASB is linked to addiction:
- Exclusion or eviction should not be the focus – prioritise inclusion policies.
- Health and Safety should enable engagement, not justify exclusion.
- Never exclude someone from all services.
- Engagement fosters innovation: services must adapt to clients, not the other way around.
Total exclusion pushes people deeper into crisis. Inclusion and tailored support reduce harm and drive change.”
A clear reminder that engagement is the lever that makes progress possible, not an optional extra.
ASB Careers – Be Part Of Our 2026 Series…
Next year we will be continuing our ASB Careers Series of interviews and articles, highlighting the people behind the work and the varied routes that lead into ASB, community safety and housing roles. The contributions so far have shown just how diverse the sector is. Some colleagues have come through youth work or policing, others through housing management, legal backgrounds or community development. Many moved into ASB roles unexpectedly and found a career that plays to their strengths.
The purpose of the series is to create space for practitioners to share what drew them to this field, what has shaped their approach, and the insights they would offer to others exploring ASB work. It is also a helpful way for organisations to demonstrate the breadth of skills within their teams at a time when recruitment, progression and professionalisation continue to be major themes.
We are now preparing the next set of profiles and would welcome contributions from across the sector. Whether you are early in your career, have recently transitioned into ASB work, or have years of experience that could support others, we would be pleased to include your perspective.
If you would like to take part or nominate a colleague, email us at info@greenandburtonasb.co.uk and we will share the short set of questions for taking part.
Darren and Janine’s Weekly Round Up
We’ve been busy this week supporting a range of organisations across housing and community safety. The work has been a mix of case advice, reviews and wider discussions with teams about the pressures they are managing and the support they may need going into 2026.
Darren has been busy chairing the final few ASB Case Review panels for 2025 on behalf of different Local Authorities up and down the country. We can’t underestimate the importance of hearing firsthand accounts from victims regarding the impact that ASB is having on their daily lives. The ASB Case Review is a really useful way to identify learning, make collaborative and achievable recommendations and facilitate positive change in our neighbourhoods.
Alongside this work, we’ve continued shaping our plans for next year, focusing on the areas where we know organisations are looking for clarity, consistency and practical guidance. If your organisation needs support with casework, internal processes or training planning, we are here to help.
Have a great rest of the week…
Darren & Janine