Acceptable Behaviour Contract (ABC) or Acceptable Behaviour Agreement (ABA): This is an agreement signed by someone who has caused anti-social behaviour which explains the behaviour that is expected of them. If breached, it may be used as evidence in Court to support action.
Action Plan: A plan that sets out next steps with a customer at the start of an ASB case. This sets out steps that the Stonewater colleague (case owner) will take, as well as anything required of the customer making the report.
Affidavit: A written description of events that have been witnessed by someone. This is sworn on a religious book such as the bible.
Affirm/Affirmation: Confirm the truth of something in Court (this is used as a non-religious alternative to an affidavit).
ASB Case Review/Community Trigger: A local multi-agency review available to anyone who is unhappy with the way an ASB case has been managed. Victims of persistent antisocial behaviour have the right to request a case review where a local threshold is met.
ASBCPA: Anti-Social Behaviour Crime and Policing Act 2014, the primary legislation used to tackle ASB for housing providers and other partners.
ASBRAC: Anti-Social Behaviour Risk Assessment Conference – a local partnership meeting where cases are discussed, and actions agreed by partners.
Barrister: A legal representative that can put someone’s case to the Court and question witnesses.
Breach: When the terms of a Court Order have not been kept.
Committal case: A case where the judge hears evidence and decides whether to send the person to prison.
Community Protection Notice (CPN): A notice served by police, local authority (or those with delegated authority) that orders an individual, business or organisation to do or stop doing a certain action that causes a detrimental impact to an area.
Community Protection Warning (CPW): The warning letter that must be served prior to a Community Protection Notice being served.
Community Safety Partnership (CSP): A statutory partnership group that operates within each local authority area across the country. Although each local CSP operates differently, they all share the same objective to work strategically and in partnership to help reduce ASB and crime in their area.
Complainant: The person who suffered from, and complained about, an incident of anti-social behaviour.
Contempt of Court: When someone disobeys the Court.
County Court: A Court where civil cases are heard.
Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO): An order granted by the Magistrates or Crown Court on Conviction of a crime linked to ASB. Applied for by the local authority or Crown Prosecution Service
Defendant: The person against whom legal proceedings are brought.
Demotion Order: An Order that ends an existing assured or secure tenancy, replacing it with a tenancy with less security of tenure.
Ex-Parte injunction: A type of injunction that does not require notice to be served to the Defendant. These are usually used in the event of a very serious incident.
Harm risk assessment: A set of questions used to establish the harm caused and risk to the individual reporting ASB. This helps us prioritise how we allocate our cases and measure risk throughout an investigation.
Hearsay evidence: Evidence based on what someone has told the witness and not from direct experience.
Injunction: An Order from the Court that tells someone to stop undertaking a particular action against someone else. This will usually be a Civil Injunction if applied for under ASB Crime and Policing Act 2014.
Interim injunction: A temporary Order made in Court in advance of the full hearing.
Information Sharing Agreement (ISA): -The way we share information with our partner agencies.
Magistrates’ Court: A Court where criminal proceedings are heard, that deals with the less serious offences.
Multi-agency: An approach where we work together with other local agencies to tackle anti-social behaviour.
Notice of Seeking Possession: A legal notice (under the Housing Act) that sets out the grounds for seeking possession of a tenancy. Once the notice period expires, we must then issue a claim at the County Court and await a hearing where a judge will decide if the case is ‘reasonable and proportionate’.
Parenting Order: An Order which requires a parent of a child causing anti-social behaviour to access support to improve their parenting skills.
Perpetrator: The person causing anti-social behaviour.
Plaintiff: The person or organisation that is bringing the case to court.
Possession case: A hearing to decide if a tenant should be evicted from their home.
Possession Order: An order that entitles a landlord to legally evict a tenant.
Postponed Possession Order: A Possession Order deferred on the condition that the behaviour is not repeated.
Public Sector Equalities Duty (PSED): A part of the Equality Act 2010 that sets out certain duties that we must do as a Registered Provider of Social Housing to ensure our actions are lawful.
Solicitor: A legal representative who can put someone’s case to Court and obtain the use of a Barrister in Court.
Statement: A written record of events that a witness signs as a true record of what has been witnessed.
Suspended Possession Order (SPO): An order made by the court where possession/eviction is suspended. The order outlines a set of terms that a tenant must meet within a timeframe decided by the court. Once the period has finished, the full tenancy is reinstated.
Suspended sentence: A prison sentence that is only enforced if the perpetrator breaks the Court Order within a timeframe set by the judge.
Swear-on-oath: Confirm the truth of something in court that is sworn on a bible or other religious book.
Tenancy Agreement: A legal contract between a landlord and a tenant that defines the tenant’s right to occupy and the landlord’s right to receive rent.
Undertaking: A promise made to the Court by the perpetrator to either do or not do something.
Witness: A person who is providing evidence to support a court case.
Witness Care Unit: A service provided by the Crown Prosecution Service that offers support for victims and witnesses throughout the court process