The Respect Standard, which has played a role in driving landlords’ performance on preventing and tackling anti-social behaviour, will now be run by the housing sector rather than central government. This is in line with the Coalition Government effort to devolve power to communities. (This should be read in tandem with the article of the same date, ASBO housing plans.)
Following an announcement by Housing Minister Grant Shapps on January 11, the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) will take on and manage the new national Standard for preventing and tackling anti-social behaviour with the support of hundreds of signatories from within the social housing sector.
Working with the Social Landlords Crime and Nuisance Group (SLCNG) and performance improvement organisation HouseMark, CIH will refresh and update the five year old Respect Standard to reflect developments over the last few years.
Sarah Webb, CIH Chief Executive, said: “The Respect Standard has played a key role in supporting landlords and tenants tackle the blight on families and communities that is anti-social behaviour. CIH has played a key role in driving this forward and we are delighted that we will be the new home of standards around anti-social behaviour. CIH is about sector-led improvement and we fully support the government’s plans to pass ownership of excellence in practice back to the front line professionals. After all, these are the people who are responsible for the development and delivery of innovation and improvement that makes a real difference on the ground.”
Eamon Lynch, SLCNG Policy Advisor, said: “This is good news. More than 93 per cent of the landlords we surveyed were keen that the Standard should be retained and updated. From its inception the Standard has been a dynamic tool driving up performance and we look forward to building on that momentum.“
Deputy CEO for HouseMark Sam McGrady said: “HouseMark has a strong track record in anti-social behaviour performance improvement, and successful working partnerships with both SLCNG and the CIH. We are looking forward to working with them and the sector to develop a new approach to ASB.”
