Anti-social Behaviour and Safeguarding

Guidance for Safeguarding Adults Practitioners

Anti-social behaviour (ASB) and adult safeguarding are closely linked areas of practice. The Care Act 2014 concerned with the well-being and safeguarding of adults with care and support needs includes guidance around individuals who may not be able to keep themselves safe from abuse and harm. Practitioners working with adults in community, health, housing, social care, and voluntary sectors may encounter individuals who are either victims or perpetrators of ASB, and who may also have safeguarding needs. This guidance aims to support practitioners in recognising, responding to, and managing ASB within the context of adult safeguarding, ensuring a collaborative and person-centred approach. This is vital as some agencies (including police and local authorities) will have legal powers in accordance with the Crime and Policing Bill to support other practitioners to reach a safe resolution.

What is Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB)?

Anti-social behaviour covers a wide range of unacceptable activity that causes or is likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to an individual from another household or to the community or to the environment. In some instances, it can leave victims feeling helpless, desperate and with a lower quality of life.

The Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2024 defines anti-social behaviour as “a conduct that has caused or is likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to any person, conduct capable to cause nuisance to a person in relation to that person’s occupation of residential premises or conduct capable to causing housing related nuisance or annoyance to any person”. This behaviour could be towards one person or a group of people causing them to feel distressed or unsafe. This can be a one-off event, or an ongoing occurrence.

Examples of ASB include:

graffiti and flyposting (sticking advertising posters on walls and other public property)
litter, including drug-related equipment
fly-tipping (dumping rubbish on the street, pavements or green areas)
nuisance, rowdy or inconsiderate neighbours
persistent dog barking or uncontrolled animals
some types of noise nuisance

It is important to report ASB. Reports help the team understand the problem, build up evidence and take necessary action.

What is not ASB?

It is also important to understand some behaviours that are sometimes confused with ASB. These could include children playing in the street or communal areas, young people gathering socially, being unable to park outside your own home, DIY and off-road car repairs, a clash of lifestyles including cultural differences, different working patterns, a one-off party/ event or general living noise.

Criminal activity vs ASB

Criminal activity should not be reported as ASB. You must report criminal activity to the police. This includes:

abuse, intimidation or harassment
drug use and drug dealing
misuse of airguns
inappropriate use of fireworks
aggressive begging
vandalism

If there is an emergency or someone is at immediate risk, call 999. The non-emergency number is 101 or you can report criminal behaviour online.

Residents who live in an estate owned by a Housing Association or Registered Social Landlord should also be encouraged to report any ASB to them.

ASB in Islington

There were 9,863 public space ASB reports (excluding environmental, noise and neighbour complaints) between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025 to the police and council. This was an 8% increase from the same period in 2023-24. Overall, 7.5% of ASB reports in 2024-25 were flagged as youth related and 70% of all street based ASB reports were to the police and 30% to the council.

How does ASB and safeguarding intersect?

ASB can be exhibited by individuals from any demographic, regardless of a certain age or gender. Practitioners should remain professionally curious as there is often a possibility that behaviours reported as ASB may be indicators of wider safeguarding concerns for both victims or perpetrators of ASB including neglect, exploitation or hate crime. It is essential for practitioners to approach each situation with sensitivity and an open mind, avoiding assumptions and considering the broader context of the individual's life and circumstances.

Who is at risk?

ASB can affect anyone in the community who may be a victim; however, individuals with care and support needs, disability, or ill-health could be at an increased risk.

This can be due to potential cognitive impairments, such as dementia or learning disabilities, making it harder for them to recognise, avoid or report ASB. Additionally, adults with care and support needs may have fewer close friends or family members to assist them, making them easier targets for the perpetrators.

Reliance on caregivers for daily necessities can also heighten risks, as caregivers may choose to avoid certain areas or postpone visits due to exposure to ASB in a particular area.

Adults with care and support needs can also be perpetrators of ASB. This may stem from underlying mental health conditions or past trauma and often shows a wider issue than the behaviour itself, such as finding difficulty in articulating their needs and often use aggression or property defamation to express frustrations. E.g. individuals with Autism sometimes particularly find it challenging to interpret social cues, and non-verbal communication leading them to respond in ways that may be perceived as inappropriate by others.

Individuals who struggle to comprehend or express their emotions may occasionally exhibit disruptive outbursts, viewed as ASB.

It is crucial for practitioners to support people overcome these challenges for effective safeguarding and support and ultimately keep the adult safe from any abuse or harm.

What can the impact on adults with care and support needs be?

For victims of ASB who also have care and support needs, the resulting anxiety and stress can be significant. The heightened fear may prevent them from leaving their homes to access necessary care, ultimately impacting their social interactions and health for example they may not leave home to attend a hospital appointment. As they become increasingly reluctant to leave their home, their independence limits, leading to a greater reliance on caregivers for support.

ASB may discourage caregivers or family members from visiting or providing care, potentially leaving the individual feeling isolated and unsafe in their own home.

Alternatively, individuals with care and support needs can be coerced into engaging in ASB to another person. This situation can be difficult to identify, making referrals essential to the appropriate teams for further exploration.

For perpetrators of ASB who have care and support needs, it is important to investigate the root cause of the ASB rather than relying solely on the criminal justice system. Often these behaviours are a symptom of unmet support needs such as mental health issues, substance misuse or trauma. Research shows systemic issues in reporting, multi-agency collaboration and the need for integrated support services to address underlying vulnerabilities. Impactful intervention by practitioners is particularly important to help break the cycle of repeated ASB and provide long term benefits to the perpetrator.

How can you support someone who may be involved in ASB?

ASB can have a huge impact on its victims and on the wider community. It is important for practitioners to follow a multi-agency and person-centred approach when dealing with a person who may have care and support needs and may be carrying out the ASB. Practitioners should consider the following:

Engage with the person to understand underlying causes, such as mental health needs, substance misuse, or unmet care needs.
Focus on the individual’s experiences, preferences, and desired outcomes. Engage in meaningful dialogue and respect their autonomy.
Proportionate Response: Assess the seriousness of the ASB and safeguarding concerns and respond appropriately. Not all ASB incidents will require safeguarding intervention.
Practice a Trauma Informed Approach: this will be crucial to help identify early life experiences or trauma and focus on what may be causing this behaviour.
Multi-Agency Collaboration: Work in partnership with other agencies, such as police, housing, health services, and voluntary organisations. Share information lawfully and effectively to support the adult.
Risk Assessment: Undertake a thorough risk assessment considering physical, emotional, and environmental factors.
Empowerment and Advocacy: Support adults to make informed choices and access advocacy services if required. Ensure their voice is heard throughout the process.

The importance of culturally competent and linguistically appropriate services should be explored.

What is the procedure?

When responding to ASB, practitioners should:

Discuss the case with your line manager
Contact the police if there is imminent risk to the victim or perpetrator
Assess whether the ASB is linked to broader safeguarding concerns, such as financial abuse, neglect, domestic violence or exploitation, hate crime etc
If the victim does not have care and support needs, refer them to the Islington Council Anti-social behaviour team
If there are care and support needs identified, raise a safeguarding adults concern with the Adult Social Care Integrated Front Door team by calling 0207 527 2299 or complete a safeguarding adults concern form online for the victim
To find out about the procedure for managing perpetrators of ASB who have care and support needs, refer to Appendix 1 below
Open a section 42 safeguarding enquiry
Consider whether a risk assessment and mental capacity assessment is required
Ensure the persons wishes and feelings are central to decision making and are recorded clearly
Ensure you record any reasons for your decisions
Reassure the person about confidentiality and advise them on their basic legal and human rights
Find out and record names and contact details of any support already available
If you are concerned about any children in the household, please contact Children Services Contact Team (CSCT) at Islington Council. This will ensure effective intervention is offered as soon as possible to tackle any issues emerging early for young people and families.
Work with other agencies involved such as housing provider and police where necessary to address environmental or criminal aspects of ASB
Provide signposting to support services, including mental health, drug and alcohol abuse, advocacy as relevant to the individual case
Develop a protection plan in collaboration with the adult and relevant agencies
Monitor outcomes and review the plan regularly.
If the above steps are proving difficult you can also refer the case to the Community Risk MARAC (CMARAC) – details of how to make a referral are here - Community MARAC | Islington Council for an informal chat about a referral please contact CommunityRiskMARAC@islington.gov.uk

Remember – all professionals, no matter which organisation they work in should use the principles of person-centred safeguarding. Find out more information about Making Safeguarding Personal here.

What should I do if the person lacks mental capacity to consent to the referral?

The Mental Capacity Act 2005 starting point is the assumption that all adults have the capacity to make decisions for themselves. You should presume that an individual has capacity to consent to a referral. BUT if there is a reasonable belief that the person lacks capacity to make an informed decision (unable to use, retain or weigh up the information to consent to a referral), you should make a best interest decision. Remember you have a duty of care to report to the police if the victim is at risk of harm even if consent has not been given.

You MUST also complete a capacity assessment. Remember- capacity is time and decision specific.

Who can you report it to?

Instances of ASB can be reported to the Police through their website or you can report it to the dedicated Anti-social Behaviour team at Islington.

Islington Anti-social Behaviour Team:
Tel: 020 7527 7272
Website: Report anti-social behaviour or noise - Urgent incidents - My Islington

Police:
Tel: 101 (if someone is at immediate risk please call 999)
Website: Report antisocial behaviour | Metropolitan Police

What will the ASB team do?

All reported ASB and noise will be recorded on the ASB system and given a reference number. In all cases, the ASB team will try to get back to you within two working days to give you general advice or guidance.
They may refer you to another organisation or person who can help you with your issue, like a housing provider or the police.
Where necessary, a case officer will be allocated who will develop an action plan and work with colleagues and partners to obtain more evidence to assist with the case.

In many cases they will use solutions that stop the behaviour happening again and support the people involved in the reported activities.

If the anti-social behaviour continues and it is persistent and significant, the ASB team may take some of the following actions:

get a court order, which bans the person responsible from doing certain things
working with the police to prosecute the person responsible or to give them a fine
if the person is a council tenant, issue them with a tenancy warning.

Legally, the ASB team need evidence to support these actions, but they will do all that they can to ensure everyone can live peacefully and safely in our borough.

ASB review

You can request an anti-social behaviour review if:

you have reported three separate ASB incidents in the last six months
and you submit the review request within a month of the last incident because you think that no action has been taken since reporting it.

Find out how to request a review of an anti-social behaviour report.

Organisations that can provide support for ASB

If the person you are working with needs independent advice or support after experiencing anti-social behaviour, the following organisations can help them:

Victim Support is an independent charity for people affected by crime in England and Wales that provides practical help to support them in coping and recovering from the effects of crime.
Citizens Advice Witness Service is a network of independent charities offering free, confidential advice online, over the phone and face to face. They also support witnesses in every criminal court in England and Wales.
Samaritans offer support to anyone who is struggling to cope or needs someone to listen without judgement or pressure. Free support over the phone, by email or letter and in person.
Age UK advice line offer free advice nationwide for older people or those seeking advice for older friends or relatives.
Leaseholder advice service is Government-funded independent advice for residential leaseholders.

Useful links