Building Stronger Partnerships: Insight From This Year’s #ASB11 Conference
Reflections from a day that moved the conversation forward…
What a week!
On Tuesday we brought together hundreds of professionals from across housing, policing, local authorities and community safety for #ASB11 – Partnerships in Action.
It’s fair to say the room was buzzing. Not just because of the turnout or the calibre of the speakers, but because of the honesty in the conversations – helped in no small part by the way Matt Baird from The Social Housing Round Table chaired the day. His insight, humour and connection with the audience created the perfect balance between challenge and reflection, setting the tone for what became one of our most engaging events yet.
That’s what #ASB11 was all about.
Legislation in focus
We opened with the Crime and Policing Bill 2025 – a panel that pulled no punches.
With Kuljit Bhogal KC leading the discussion, the conversation quickly moved past the surface of the Bill into what it will mean for day-to-day casework. Questions of proportionality, evidence and risk assessment dominated the debate, with frontline voices like Jo Grimshaw (Surrey Police), Paul Murphy (Ealing Council), Lindsay Felstead (Clarke Willmott) and Associate Jack Madge (Teign Housing) adding valuable real-world perspective.
The takeaway? The legislation may evolve, but partnership and legal literacy will always be the foundations of effective ASB management.
Hate Crime, Humanity & Connection
Rose Simkins from Stop Hate UK reminded us that tackling hate is everyone’s responsibility. Her session showed just how easily bias can go unnoticed in the early stages of a case – and how housing and community safety professionals are often the first line of recognition and support.
The discussion couldn’t have been more timely, taking place during Hate Crime Awareness Week, and it reinforced the importance of shining a light on bias, belief and inclusion within ASB practice.
What stood out most was her message about humanity: when victims come forward, they’re not only looking for process. They’re looking for belief, safety and follow-through.
The Victim Voice
That theme ran straight into Charlie Hamilton-Kay’s session on the victim experience.
Through first-hand stories and recorded interviews, Charlie shone a light on what it feels like to live with persistent ASB… and how easily people can feel abandoned when agencies fall out of step with each other.
The challenge was clear: consistency, empathy and communication have to be non-negotiable, whatever pressures services are under.
Partnerships That Deliver
From there, Katie Mellon alongside her colleague Karl Simpson brought Solace in Gloucestershire to life. The model’s success isn’t just in its structure – it’s in the culture of accountability and shared ownership that underpins it. Her examples showed what happens when agencies work as one rather than as parallel systems: quicker interventions, more accurate assessments of harm and far better outcomes for residents.
Research Driving Practice
Dr Ben Archer’s session added an academic lens to that theme, unpacking what his national research into PSPOs is revealing about how powers are interpreted. It was a reminder that good practice isn’t static… It’s evidence-led, continually evolving, and built on honest reflection about what’s working on the ground.
The Art Of Conversation
The closing panel captured the heart of the day. Marie Coombes (ADR Mediation & Training), Oliver Henry (LBL Skills), Jon Bull (Counsellor), Charlie Hamilton-Kay (ASB Help) and Lindsey Gurray (Resident Representative) alongside Chair Matt Baird explored what really happens when communication breaks down – and how much courage it takes to have the difficult conversations that prevent conflict escalating.
It struck a chord because it wasn’t abstract. Everyone in the room recognised those moments where a single conversation can change the direction of a case.
Partnership Is Not A Buzzword
By the end of the day, one thing was obvious: partnership isn’t a buzzword. It’s the difference between progress and stagnation. The #ASB11 Conference proved once again that when practitioners come together with openness and curiosity, we build the collective confidence to tackle complex issues in smarter, more human ways. The knowledge, insight and ideas gained from the open conversations and networking throughout the day can be directly applied to the ongoing casework of the delegates who attended – which makes us know that this event was so worthwhile.
We’re incredibly grateful to all of our speakers, to our sponsors – Clarke Willmott Solicitors, CMSG, Remington Hall, ADR Mediation & Training CIC, The Social Housing Round Table and LBL Skills – and to every delegate who made the discussions so rich.
We’d also like to thank Matt Baird for chairing the day with insight and humour, helping to draw out the key themes and keep the discussion flowing throughout the programme.
If you couldn’t join us this year, keep an eye on LinkedIn over the coming weeks. We’ll be sharing reflections and short videos from the sessions.
The conversation is far from over – and the sector is stronger for it.