What is harassment?
Harassment is deliberate behaviour intended to intimidate,
dominate or harm an individual or a group. It can include:
- physical assault
- damage to property
- abusive graffiti
- arson
- verbal abuse
- threatening or abusive behaviour
We condemn all forms of harassment and are committed to taking
action.
What you can do
If you are suffering from harassment, you can:
- report it to your Housing Management Officer or any other
member of staff
- report it to the police or ask your
Housing Management Officer to report it
for you
- contact the Citizens Advice Bureau, a solicitor or law
centre
You should write down what happened with times, dates and
descriptions of those responsible. Ask your
Housing Management Officer to give you a
diary sheet to use.
What we will do
When you report a harassment incident to us we will:
- aim to visit you at your home or see you in our offices no
later than one working day after you contacted us. If you would
prefer to see someone of the same gender as yourself, please let us
know
- talk to you about what happened and record the details
- if you agree, report the incident to the police
- do emergency repairs to your home within 24 hours, if it has
been damaged in an incident
- remove abusive graffiti within 24 hours
- add extra security to your home, such as extra door or window
locks, if necessary within 24 hours
- discuss and agree an action plan with you
- carry out the agreed action plan, usually within two weeks
- do what we can to find out who has been harassing you. If it is
a resident of ours and they do not stop their harassment, we will
take steps to try to evict them. If it is an employee, contractor
or agent, we will take disciplinary action against them
- put you in touch with
local advice and
support groups and help you take legal action if you want to.
If there have been at least two incidents of harassment, then under
the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 you can apply to the courts
for an injunction to prevent the person from harassing you. If the
harassment caused you to fear violence, the person may be
prosecuted for a criminal offence and could go to prison
- find you a new home if it is not safe for you to stay in your
own home
What everyone can do
If you see or hear an incident of harassment on or around our
estates, report it to your Housing
Management Officer even if you are not directly involved.
Anything you say will be treated in
confidence.