Birmingham Youth Offending Service (YOS) Prevention Team shows support for ASB Awareness Week 2022

Running from 18 to 22 July, ASB Awareness Week 2022 aims to encourage communities to take a stand against ASB and highlight the actions that can be taken by those experiencing it. 

Organised by Resolve, the UK’s leading ASB and community safety organisation, the week features a series of events all across the UK involving Councils, Police Forces, Housing Associations, charities, community groups and sports clubs.

As a new and invigorated Prevention Team based in YOS, we offer voluntary preventative support and guidance to children across Birmingham. We support family and community cohesion, assisting children and their families understand what changes can be made to benefit them and prevent offending or ASB. We work with key partners to make sure language used is fully understood by children and their parents, and that formal letters and other actions issued for ASB based behaviour are proportionate to the concerns raised.

The YOS Prevention Team has also redesigned and updated their ASB guidance where children aged under 18 are involved so that partner services, victims, and families fully understand the process and their rights.

During ASB Awareness Week, on 20/07/22, the YOS Prevention Team will be working alongside Northfield ASB Police team in the community offering advice, guidance and support to help prevent children from engaging in ASB.

Recent YouGov research commissioned by Resolve found that more than half of people (56%) believe that ‘more needs to be done’ to tackle ASB in their community. However, after they witnessed or experienced ASB, a similar proportion of the public (57%) said that they did not report it to anyone.

Incidents of ASB can be reported to the anti-social behaviour team at the local Council, or to the Police if people feel that they are at immediate risk or in danger.

Commenting, Birmingham YOS Prevention Manager, Asaybi Snape said: "We recognise that those children engaging in ASB might have suffered trauma and adverse childhood experiences. Therefore, our service will be offering support to the children and families going through the ASB process, whilst working closely with West Midlands Police to create ASB warning notices that are consistent, fair, and supportive. ‘Prevention – We are here to help’.

Rebecca Bryant OBE, Chief Executive of Resolve added: “ASB is not low-level crime. It can have a long-lasting impact on the lives of victims and communities and can be a precursor to more serious crime. It is important that the challenge of ASB continues to be given the priority it needs so that people everywhere feel safe in their homes and communities.  

“We are delighted that the Birmingham YOS Prevention Team is supporting this hugely important campaign. It is vital to develop partnership approaches across communities to deal with the growing challenges around ASB.”

For more information about ASB Awareness Week – visit www.resolveuk.org.uk/asbawarenessweek  

About Resolve

Resolve is a centre of excellence solely focused upon community safety and anti-social behaviour (ASB). We strongly advocate that community safety issues and ASB can be tackled effectively, and everyone has a right to feel safe. ASB should be treated as a priority, it is not low level and is a precursor to serious crime.

It is our mission to professionalise the sector by helping organisations to effectively deal with community safety and ASB issues through training, support, guidance and sharing best practice.

Tackling ASB and community safety is core business for all of our members, including social housing providers who collectively manage more than 3 million homes throughout the UK. Other members include Local Authorities, who make up 25% of our membership, housing law solicitors, mediation services and the Police.

For more information visit www.resolveuk.org.uk