RESPECT Task Force Newsletter, Oct 06

 

 

I’ve been touring the country throughout September with the second phase of the Respect academies, at which I’ve been challenging frontline workers not only to confront and change anti-social behaviour, but also to deal with the underlying causes of disrespect, such as poor parenting.

More than 3,000 practitioners have taken part in the academy events since June this year.

 

Community safety officers, police, anti-social behaviour co-ordinators, neighbourhood managers, youth and social workers and housing and regeneration specialists were urged to go further in their efforts to help the most vulnerable families and join forces to prevent the next ASBO generation.

Materials from the events including handouts, presentations and fact sheets are available on the website at www.respect.gov.uk.

 

The importance of positive parenting in preventing and tackling poor behaviour in children is a key theme of the Respect programme, and one which was explored in detail at the academy events last month. The establishment of a national network of family intervention projects will be key to tackling the root causes of anti-social behaviour.

 

Research published this week by the Department for Communities and Local Government (http://www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1503791) has shown that intensive family support around parenting and other problems can turn around anti-social behaviour in eight out of ten cases. This research shows that providing a combination of challenge alongside intensive support for these most difficult families is a win-win solution – families stay together, improve their behaviour and avoid eviction, and the local community enjoys an improved quality of life.

 

Now we need to ensure that families and communities around the country benefit from similar projects. The Respect Action Plan made a commitment to establishing a national network of support schemes and we are currently working with local authorities to establish these by the end of the year.

A guide to Respect family intervention projects is available on the website at www.respect.gov.uk.

 

Anti-social behaviour involving fireworks ranges from fireworks being set off late at night with no regard for the noise nuisance this causes, to deliberate physical harm, or threat of harm, caused to people, animals and property.

This sort of behaviour can cause communities to live in fear. Any action where fireworks are used to harass, intimidate or cause damage to others is criminal and anti-social.

 

A wide range of powers have been made available to local agencies to tackle firework misuse, and we have produced a guide to using these powers. This step by step guide offers practitioners from a range of local services tips and knowledge to take action now to tackle the problem of fireworks-related anti-social behaviour. Download the guide from www.respect.gov.uk/fireworks.

 

On 30th October we’ll be launching the new Respect website, www.respect.gov.uk, packed with information on how to intervene when problems occur and how to broaden your efforts to address other areas of poor behaviour, how to use the tools and powers available to tackle anti-social behaviour, examples of best practice, forums where you can share your experience with others in the same field, and much more.

 

The Respect ActionLine, 0870 220 2000, will also be available to provide practical advice and help when you need it. The ActionLine will be available 9am-5pm Monday to Friday.

 

Thank you for your continued work to bring relief to suffering communities. The Government will be unremitting in confronting bad behaviour, and working with you on the frontline to promote a culture of respect. Together we will work to ensure that people can live safely in the kinds of communities they have the right to expect.