Anti-Social Behaviour Dealt Another Blow in Sheffield

A pioneering Sheffield Homes anti-social behaviour prevention scheme is set to be rolled out across the north of the city following its success in the Parson Cross, Foxhill and Herries area.

 

The innovative Neighbourhood Action Team was originally launched in March 2004  with funding for two years from the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund, the Government resource made available to help improve deprived communities.

 

But its success has persuaded Sheffield Homes to make it a permanent fixture and employ its anti-social behaviour prevention skills – which includes its recently launched Witness Support Scheme to provide help and advice for residents wanting to report cases of anti-social behaviour - across a much larger part of the city that will now include Burngreave, Hillsborough and Stocksbridge.

 

Notable successes of the four-strong team over the past two years include working in partnership with the police, various youth agencies and Sheffield Homes’ Safety Wardens to pinpoint ‘youth hotspots’ – areas where incidents of anti-social behaviour were regularly occurring.

 

Their first piece of work was the introduction of ‘Good Neighbour Agreements’ in association with local tenants and residents associations which encouraged residents to sign up to a charter which spelled out their aims and aspirations for their own area.

 

This was closely followed by ‘Good Trader Agreements’ for local businesses who agreed to, for example, keep their shop fronts tidy, not sell alcohol to under 18s and a host of other guidelines issued to minimise anti-social behaviour problems.

 

The team personally spoke to every primary school class in the Parson Cross, Foxhill and Herries area – over 4,000 kids – using everything from VIP guests to poster competitions to help teach the children about the negative effects anti-social behaviour can have on the wider community

 

Paul Webb, Assistant Director for Housing Management, said: “The Neighbourhood Action Team has been a real success story in Sheffield Homes’ fight to tackle anti-social behaviour and it’s great news that so much more of the city is going to benefit from their skills in the future.

 

“It’s success is very much down to its ability to encourage the local communities to be part of the solution to good neighbourhoods rather than being part of the problem.