What does our specialist Housing Anti Social Behaviour and Enforcement Team do?

HASBET provides a centralised support service to Community Housing Offices and other YHN teams in Newcastle.

The primary role of the team is to tackle anti-social behaviour when:

• the anti-social behaviour is allegedly caused by Newcastle City Council tenants
  
• the anti-social behaviour is affecting Newcastle City Council tenants
  
• the anti-social behaviour is within the private sector and HASBET are providing a service to the City Council’s Private Rented Service, Community Safety Unit or Registered Social Landlords (RSLs).

The key objectives of HASBET are:

• to adopt a multi-agency problem solving approach to anti-social behaviour with Safe Newcastle partners via intervention, prevention and engagement. We will always aim to resolve the complaint without taking legal action and with a view to sustaining the tenancy where possible
• to liaise with and instruct Newcastle City Council’s Legal Services in respect of enforcement cases
• to ensure victims and witnesses are supported throughout every step of the investigation and ongoing action by offering a dedicated Victim Support Service
• to support the Community Housing Teams by offering specialist advice and progressing all cases where legal action is required to resolve the anti-social behaviour
• to keep the victim and Community Housing Team informed of case progress
• to contribute pro-actively towards Newcastle City Council’s Anti-Social Behaviour Strategy
• to support YHN staff subject to abuse while carry out their duties.
  Tools to tackle Anti Social Behaviour used by HASBET.

Non-legal tools

• Effective case management
• Mediation
• Home visits/joint visits with front line staff
• Graded response warning letters
• Acceptable Behaviour Agreements
• Support plans with Children’s Services Drug & Alcohol Support Workers (DNA) and Youth Inclusion Support Panel (YISP)
• Multi-agency case meetings
• Parent Contracts
• Liaise with diversionary activities such as YHN’s Access to Basketball (A2B) with the Newcastle Eagles  

Legal tools

• Injunctions
• NOSP’s, Possession Proceedings for Secure & Assured Tenancies
• Demotion of Tenancy
• Introductory Tenancy Notices (ITN)
• Extension of an Introductory Tenancy
• Anti-Social Behaviour Order (ASBO)
• Family Intervention Tenancies 
• Restrictions for Right to Buy and Mutual Exchanges

Victim Support

Witnesses will be referred to the dedicated Victim Support Officer who is part of the HASBET team.

The Victim Support Officer is available to offer support to all victims and witnesses of anti-social behaviour and victims can be referred to the Victim Support Officer without making a referral to HASBET.


The Victim Support Officer also ensures that those who are prepared to go to court are supported throughout the legal process and can be contacted via the HASBET team by telephone.