South Holland District Council vows to improve performance for housing tenants on anti-social behaviour and domestic abuse

Senior members of South Holland District Council have highlighted the need for greater focus on tackling anti-social behaviour and domestic abuse for its housing tenants.

Ahead of an inspection by the Regulator of Social Housing, set to take place between April and June, a report on the council’s progress in meeting consumer standards was presented to its cabinet on Tuesday (February 18).

The report included a self-assessment showing that only 49.7% of tenants were satisfied with the council’s approach as a landlord to addressing anti-social behaviour.

Out of six specific expectations listed in the self-assessment under 'anti-social behaviour and domestic abuse', only one was given a green RAG rating—indicating the council was meeting the required standard. The others were rated amber and red, meaning they were either partially met or not currently met, though comprehensive plans were in place.

The regulator is expected to publish its findings in July 2025.

During the meeting, Coun Bryan Alcock (Independent) asked if the council was "robust enough" in tackling anti-social behaviour and domestic abuse in housing.

Coun Tracey Carter (Conservative), portfolio holder for strategic and operational housing, responded: "Are we robust enough? I don't think we are, and we recognise that."

Officers told members that work was already underway to address this, including the creation of a role within the council to focus on anti-social behaviour issues and the development of an enhanced ASB programme.

"Being a landlord is both a privilege and a responsibility," Coun Carter added. "While a number of targets are partially met or not met, these items are included in the transformation programme, with evidence-based plans in place to deliver them."

Following the meeting, she stressed the need for tenants to be involved in the process. "There is more that we can do," she said, highlighting the work previously mentioned by officers.

"I'm really keen that the tenants are the big piece of that. What do they need us to do? How do they need us to respond? We also need to manage expectations within it. I think communication is where things can sometimes break down.

"If someone raises a complaint, we need to keep that tenant informed. They need to know the process, the time expectation, and what the potential outcomes can be."

When asked how serious of an issue this was, Coun Carter responded: "It's not like it's volumes of numbers, it's just that on that self-assessment, we've looked at it and said, 'we can do better.'"