Your weekly update and just one week till #ASB11 to go!
In this week’s edition:
- World Mental Health Day – When Enforcement Meets Empowerment
- London Met Police To Remove ASB Officer Roles
- Hate Crime Awareness Week – 11th – 18th October
- Regulatory Update: New Rights for Tenants to Access Information (STAIRs)
- One Week till #ASB11 – Have you got questions for our panel in advance?
- This Weeks Tip From A Resident Representative
- Janine & Darren’s Weekly Round Up
World Mental Health Day – When Enforcement Meets Empowerment
This Friday marks World Mental Health Day, and this year’s theme is “Access to Services – Mental Health in Catastrophes and Emergencies”. In ASB work, we often see the pressure points where crisis meets service gaps. The challenge is not just recognising vulnerability, but making sure pathways to help are open and responsive.
Our latest article, co-produced with sector experts, examines how reflective supervision, risk assessment, and multiagency approaches can help embed mental health awareness into day-to-day decisions. Not as an extra burden, but as core to better outcomes.
Met Police to Remove ASB Officer Roles
The Metropolitan Police is set to redeploy officers currently dedicated to tackling ASB into wider neighbourhood policing teams.
These specialist officers work closely with councils, housing providers and community partners, often dealing with persistent offenders and complex vulnerability. Their removal has raised concerns among London Assembly members that support for repeat and high-harm cases could become fragmented.
The Met has said the move is designed to increase visibility and align with the Home Office’s Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee. However, some sector commentators have questioned whether localised ASB knowledge and partnership continuity can be maintained under the new structure.
Hate Crime Awareness Week
Regulatory Update: New Rights for Tenants to Access Information (STAIRs)
On 30 September, the government published its Social Tenant Access to Information Requirements (STAIRs) policy statement.
The measures introduce new rights for tenants of private registered providers to access information about how their homes and services are managed, bringing them in line with council tenants who already benefit from the Freedom of Information Act.
Key dates:
- From 1 October 2026, providers must publish housing management information publicly.
- From 1 April 2027, providers must respond to residents’ information requests within 30 days.
The Housing Ombudsman will take on a new function to investigate concerns where landlords fail to handle information requests appropriately, with powers to order corrective action. The Regulator of Social Housing will oversee compliance with these new transparency requirements.
What this means for ASB practitioners:
The Ombudsman has previously identified poor information sharing as a key factor in many complaints. Under STAIRs, residents will have a statutory route to request details about how ASB cases are being handled. Landlords will therefore need clear case records, transparent decision-making processes, and consistent communication with residents.
Complaint handling will also expand to include failures in responding to information requests, increasing scrutiny of case management, evidence quality and how information is shared.
The Housing Ombudsman is expected to consult shortly on changes to its Scheme to reflect this new role. We’ll share updates as these emerge.
One Week till #ASB11: Have You Got Questions for Our Panel?
With just one week to go until the #ASB11 Conference, we are busy putting the finishing touches to what’s set to be our biggest in person event yet.
This year’s panel will bring together sector leaders to explore the future of ASB partnerships, looking at what’s working, where the barriers remain, and how we can strengthen collaboration across housing, policing and community safety.
If you’re joining us in Birmingham – or missed out on tickets this year – you can still be part of the discussion by submitting a question in advance. Whether it’s about co-location, data sharing, or how trauma-informed approaches fit within enforcement frameworks, your input will help shape the conversation on the day.
Send your questions to: info@greenandburtonasb.co.uk
This Weeks Tip : Record, Record, Record
At the upcoming #ASB11 conference we’re proud to have resident voices represented. Lindsey Gurrey, our resident representative, is clear on just how vital evidence can be when tackling ASB. Here’s her top tip, shared from lived experience:
“One of the things I have learnt through my own experiences is the importance of evidence in order for landlords to be able to take action. I now have a video doorbell which I wish I had installed sooner. It not only records individual incidents when they happen, but also shows a pattern of events, telling the full story of the true impact that ASB can have. It also provides me with a form of security, so I don’t feel so scared to leave my home. Having this in place sooner may have given my words more credibility, meaning my landlord took me more seriously and acted faster.
It is important, however, to comply with regulations around using video doorbells. The Information Commissioners Office provides information on things like the viewing angles and putting a sticker in your window.
I also know that different landlords have different approaches to video doorbells, so it is important that every tenant checks their responsibilities before installing one.
Whether it’s video doorbells, incident sheets or using a smartphone app, my advice is to Record, Record, Record!”
Resident representation is vital across the sector. True partnership working means listening to the lived experience of those affected by ASB and ensuring their voices shape the way we respond.
Janine & Darren’s Weekly Round Up
It’s been a full week of planning, final checks and catching up with speakers ahead of #ASB11 next week!
The conversations we’ve been having in the run up to the conference all point to the same thing… that partnership isn’t just a theme, it has to be the foundation of effective ASB practice. From how we share information to how we support vulnerable residents, collaboration continues to shape progress across the field.
On that note, with World Mental Health Day taking place later this week, our latest article – co-created with experts from across the sector in a true partnership piece – explores how enforcement and empowerment can sit side by side, and how practitioners can integrate mental health awareness into everyday ASB decision-making without adding extra layers of process but through working together.
We can’t wait to see so many of you in Birmingham next week. If you’re not joining us in person, keep an eye on LinkedIn where we’ll be sharing highlights and reflections throughout the day. You can follow the page here.
Our weekly mailing next week will not hit your inbox until after the conference when we have been able to digest the event – look out for a special edition packed with insights, highlights and reflections from the day.
Have a great week,
Janine & Darren