Everyone has the right to enjoy life in their own way provided they do not upset the people living near them.  

We believe that good neighbours should communicate with one another and be able to understand that different lifestyles can affect others. 

Antisocial behaviour includes everyday incidents, such as overgrown gardens or noise nuisance from music, dog related nuisance and shouting, to more serious incidents such as threatening behaviour, harassment and hate crime. 

We take all incidents of antisocial behaviour seriously and will help you to resolve the problem. However, we are not responsible for the behaviour of our tenants and can only take action if there is a proven breach of tenancy.  

We will expect you to take responsibility to resolve disputes with neighbours and to use mediation services. 

If you would like to discuss antisocial behaviour, please contact us on 01206 507341 or contact our customer services on 01206 282514.  You can also email asb@cbhomes.org.uk or complete the referral at the bottom of this page 

All calls and conversations are confidential. 

Please note; Tell us and the Police immediately if you have been assaulted, threatened or are the victim of a hate crime, contact the Police directly by dialling 101 or report it online. If you are concerned about the welfare of an adult, or a child, please report this to Essex County Council

Hate Crimes

Hate crimes are unwelcome or hostile acts, including harassment or violence, which are related to the victim’s:

• gender
• age
• race
• religion
• colour
• beliefs
• ethnic or national origin
• sexual orientation
• marital status
• disability

We consider hate crimes to be any incident that is perceived as a hate crime by the victim or any other person.

What can CBH do if I am a victim of a Hate Crime?

We take all hate crime very seriously. We will record and look into every report we receive. We work closely with the Police and other agencies to make sure you remain safe and that you receive the support you need.

If you want us to, and it is appropriate, we will take action against any tenant or leaseholder who is committing hate crime.

To show our commitment to tackling Hate Crime, Colchester Borough Homes have Staff that are fully trained Hate Crime Ambassadors. We also have a separate Hate Crime Policy.

How do I report a Hate Crime?

You can report a Hate Crime directly to us, to Home – Stop Hate UK, to Stop Homophobic, Transphobic, Racial, Religious & Disability Hate Crime – True Vision (report-it.org.uk) or, contact the Police by dialling 101 or report it online.

Essex Police have lots of useful information on their webpage too.

Please Remember; In an emergency please always call the Police on 999 or 101.

If you have been effected by crime of any kind, you can contact Victim Support or call them on 0808 178 1694

How we deal with antisocial behaviour

In most cases, we will contact you within five working days of your complaint being received. If the incident involves incidents of a more serious nature, including hate crime, we will contact you within one working day.

What we do afterwards will depend on the type of issue you are reporting.

We could:

• Speak with the person to explain the effect of their behaviour on neighbours
• Refer you to our ‘Living in your Community’ guide to assist you in dealing with the issue yourself · Refer cases to an independent mediation service, free of charge
• Advise and help victims and witnesses on how to get the best evidence
• Issue warnings such as Acceptable Behaviour Agreements (ABC’s)
• Refer you to relevant support agencies
• Provide extra security measures where needed
• Consider taking more robust enforcement action
• We may ask you to download the Noise App to gather evidence relating to noise issues

Colchester Borough Homes are part of The Safer Colchester Partnership (SCP). This is a collection of organisations, including Essex Police, colleagues in the NHS, Essex County Fire and Rescue Service, Colchester Community Voluntary Service, The Garrison and Probation. Our aim is to work together to reduce crime and disorder. The SCP play a very important part in making Colchester a safer Place to Live, work and visit.

What is Mediation?

Mediation is free. It is also a great way of resolving neighbour disputes without the need of going to court.

It helps you and your neighbour to reach an agreement. It is a voluntary process but by taking part, it could help you resolve your problem(s) with your neighbour without involving other agencies.

Mediation cannot be used if there has been a serious act of violence or a criminal act.

Other reasons to choose mediation include:

• It allows you to reach a mutually acceptable solution
• It is confidential
• It is informal
• It aims for a win/win situation
• It let’s you decide what happens

Mediation is a free service

How does meditation work?

Mediation can be arranged with or without both parties meeting face-to-face. The mediator will work with both parties to help them communicate better. The mediator will also help them to understand each other’s concerns and jointly come up with solutions to help resolve disputes.

The mediator’s role is to arrange a meeting on neutral ground. They will encourage each person to:

• Talk freely
• Explain their point of view
• Find common ground
• Come up with an agreed way forward

In some cases, where this is not possible, the mediator can act as a go-between. They will pass messages between each party until you both reach an acceptable solution.

The Mediator cannot take sides, but they can encourage you both to work towards a solution you can be happy with, which will prevent the situation getting out of hand.

If you would like to participate in mediation, please contact us. Alternatively, you can self-refer to the mediation service

• Speak to your neighbour about the problem
• Plan what you are going to say before seeing your neighbour
• Listen to your neighbour; your neighbour is more likely to do the same
• Avoid shouting or using abusive or threatening language
• Consider leaving your neighbour a politely worded letter detailing the nuisance or issue. Consider using THIS or THIS letter to download and complete
• Read our ‘Living in your community’ leaflet for more help, advice and tips

What can I do if am not happy with the way my ASB case has been dealt with?

CBH have a complaints Policy. If you are not happy with the service you have been provided, you can tell us HERE

If you think your case could have been dealt with differently, you have another way of getting this looked at. The Antisocial Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act means victims are given the right to have their ASB case reviewed. If you are not happy with the way your case has been dealt with, if the criteria has been met, you can ask for an ASB Case Review (or Community Trigger)

What is the Community Trigger?