Anti-social behaviour

Your complaint will be investigated and we will take any necessary action to resolve the situation.

All complaints will be treated in confidence, although if action is required we may not always be able to maintain confidentiality.

As part of the investigation we may:

• interview people involved
• refer cases to mediation
• liaise with Community Wardens and Community Police
• arrange for other agencies/services to assist
• issue advice and warnings as necessary
• refer cases to Legal Services in order to instruct legal action
• refer cases to your local housing team

Complaints from residents who live in privately owned areas will be referred directly to the Anti-Social Investigations Team.

If the tenant of a private landlord acts in an anti-social manner, it is the landlord's responsibility to take appropriate action.  In some circumstances, the landlord can apply to the court for an order to bring the tenancy to an end.

How quickly will my complaint be dealt with?

We aim to:

• acknowledge receipt of your initial complaint within 3 working days
• interview the complainant within 5 working days
• complete initial investigations within 15 working days
• notify the complainant of the outcome of the investigation within 20 working days

These timescales may not apply if the complaint is deemed to be of an urgent nature, if referrals are made to other agencies to assist, or if the investigations are lengthy or complex. Where it is not possible to achieve the specified timescales, Officers will advise the complainant of any revised timescales.

What can I do to help?

It helps if you can keep an accurate record of all incidents. For incidents where there is a risk of harm or involving vulnerability (for example Domestic Abuse), diaries are not appropriate and incidents should be reported as they are ongoing to Police Scotland on 999 (101 for non emergencies).

 We can issue you with an incident diary which will help you to record:

• dates and times
• specific details
• the name(s) of person(s) involved (if known)

We can only take formal action against individuals if during the course of investigations, independent evidence corroborates anti-social behaviour has occurred and that the individual is responsible for this, so it is important that you report incidents to Police Scotland or ourselves.

Before considering legal action we may try preventative measures such as Acceptable Behaviour Contracts which have been successful, particularly with youth disorder complaints. This is a voluntary agreement entered into with South Lanarkshire Council and Police Scotland where the person involved agrees to stop their behaviour.

If prevention doesn't work we may consider an Anti-Social Behaviour Order (ASBO). This is a civil order granted by a sheriff which prohibits the individual from continuing the anti-social behaviour. If further incidents occur, these must be reported to Police Scotland (preferably while ongoing) as this would now potentially be a criminal offence.

The action we take depends, not only on the quality of evidence available, but also on the willingness of those affected to attend court and provide evidence to the Sheriff.

Dealing with serious anti-social behaviour takes time and effort as there are usually no easy solutions and a multi-agency response is often required.  If legal action is required, this can take some time so please be patient and continue to work with us during that time.

What if I disagree with the outcome?

If you disagree with the outcome of the investigation, you can appeal the decision using our anti-social behaviour appeals procedure. Please contact us if you wish to do this, using the contact details shown.