Victims’ Champion secures national award for ‘exemplary’ partnership response to ASB

Police and Crime Commissioner Joy Allen has praised her Anti-Social Behaviour Victims’ Champion after she won a coveted national award for ‘exemplary partnership work’ to tackle anti-social behaviour.

Andrea Patterson, who was the first-ever Anti-social Behaviour (ASB) Victims’ Champion to be appointed by a PCC nationally, secured the Exemplary Partnership Award in the final of the UK ASB Awards organised by ASB experts Resolve, beating off competition from dozens of entries nationwide.

The awards, held at the Crown Plaza in Nottingham, recognise the top-performing individuals, projects and organisations from across the community safety sector and their work to prevent and address ASB.

Andrea was put forward for the award by the PCC for her relentless work bringing together the two Community Safety Partnerships (CSPs) in County Durham and Darlington to create a unified ASB Strategy, and for a raft of other improvements to enhance the experience of victims of ASB in the criminal justice system.

Through working closely with victims, the ASB Victims’ Champion led vital research into the victim’s journey throughout the justice system to deliver a more joined up response between multiple agencies from health and housing to policing and youth justice.

This work, which would not have been possible without the support of local partners, has informed a new victim-focused strategy based on eight key principles which seek to prioritise and strengthen the victim’s voice.

Among the many positive outcomes achieved by the partnership is an improved support system for ASB victims through the PCC’s award-winning Community Peer Mentor scheme where victims can access support on everything from money matters to health and wellbeing.

By focusing on and amplifying the victims’ voice and experience, the partnership has reduced repeat victimisation, with agencies working together to address the underlying causes of ASB through a prevention first approach.

Commissioner Joy Allen said: “This is a fantastic accolade to win and richly deserved by Andrea and the wider partnership. I am immensely proud of the team’s willingness and passion for listening and learning from the experiences of victims to deliver a response that meets their needs in every way.

“We recognised early doors that ASB cannot be tackled by one agency alone. ASB offending is complex and masks a whole array of other problems that must be addressed at source, and with the expertise of many professionals not just the police, to achieve lasting behavioural change.

“I am proud of our success, which has already put the Durham force area on the map. There is always more to achieve, and my new Police and Crime Plan will continue to emphasise the necessity of collaboration in tackling these problems.”

Andrea Patterson, ASB Champion, added: “I am truly honoured and humbled to receive such an award and would like to thank our PCC and all partners across County Durham and Darlington’s Community Safety Partnerships for embracing change and investing further in our ASB victims, placing them at the heart of service delivery.

“I would also like to thank our brave victims for sharing their lived experiences to help shape service provision. They are the real heroes and ultimate winners of this award - this is for them.”

Councillor Jim Garner, Darlington Borough Council’s cabinet member for stronger communities, said: “The council and the Community Safety Partnership works closely with the PCC, ASB champion and other partners to ensure Darlington is a safe place in which to live, work and visit.

“The Case Review scheme has given victims a greater voice in how issues are tackled and we’re thrilled that it has been recognised with this national award.

“It is just one of the ways we and our partners are working with victims and others, and I’m sure this award will inspire us to continue our efforts for the benefit of all in our communities.”

Graham Darby, Director of Housing and Communities at Livin, added: “We are delighted that the ASB case review system has been recognised with this award. As part of Safer Durham, and through our collaboration with key stakeholders and housing organisations, we will continue our collective efforts to provide support in addressing anti-social behaviour in our communities."

Alan Patrickson, corporate director of neighbourhoods and climate change at Durham County Council and chair of the County Durham and Darlington Community Safety Partnership, added: “Anti-social behaviour can have a devastating impact on communities and businesses, and it is something we take very seriously. By working together, we can share intelligence, expertise and resources to resolve issues quickly. The Safe Durham Partnership has therefore made anti-social behaviour one of its key strategic priorities over recent years

“I am delighted that our partnership working in County Durham has been recognised with this national award and although there is still work to be done, we are confident that by working together, and by placing victims at the centre of everything we do, we can continue to protect our communities.”

The partners developed a new three-step approach to tackling ASB to ensure victims know exactly how and where to turn for help.

Detailed research was undertaken to redesign the Case Review scheme which enables victims of ASB who have reported persistent incidents but are unhappy with the response they have received to hold those agencies responsible to account for solving their problems.

Durham is believed to be the first force area in the country to invite victims of ASB to the case review and to provide statements of the harm they have endured as part of a commitment to the Victim’s Code and the need to amplify the victim’s voice in the justice system.

The unique model also allows vulnerable victims to be risk-assessed for a Case Review – even if they do not meet the agreed threshold of three reported cases in a six-month period.

In other work, the PCC and partners have jointly funded diversionary projects such as Flashpoint which educates young people on the consequences of ASB through interactive performances in schools and an overhaul of the way ASB awareness is publicised to ensure residents know exactly where and with whom to turn to for help.

Meanwhile, Durham was one of the trailblazing forces to take part in the ‘Hotspot Policing’ pilot nationally which has seen the roll out of thousands of hours of hotspot enforcement patrols in key hotspots across the county which has driven significant reductions in ASB incidents.

Alongside unveiling a series of dedicated information pages on her website to help anyone impacted by ASB, the PCC and partners launched the ‘Don’t Suffer In Silence’ media campaign last year, launching a new interactive ASB Signposting tool directing people to the new resources where they can relevant access relevant support, find out about the Case Review scheme and report ASB to the appropriate agency whether the police, a local council or a housing provider.

The campaign, which used innovative approaches including enlisting Volunteer Police Cadets for targeted leaflet distribution, also aimed to reduce the number of inappropriate calls to the force by making the system for reporting ASB clearer.

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