Did you know we offer free mediation for you and your neighbours?
This really happened, and we've just changed the names. Last updated 05/08/24.
This blog was written by Lyn, a Community Resolution Officer at the Trust.
ASB isn't just about legal action
Miss X and Miss Y are neighbours. They live very different lifestyles with very different personalities.
Miss X has been living there for a while - she works and is happy with her quiet life. Miss Y had just moved in. She's a young care leaver, living in her first home and independent for the first time in her life.
Miss X complained that Miss Y was having lots of late night parties with lots of young people in her home until the early hours, playing music and shouting - causing Miss X's dog to bark all night. Miss X was becoming increasingly frustrated - she felt she was getting no sleep and it was affecting her work.
Miss X tried to have a chat with Miss Y.
We always recommend to just talk to your neighbours first - they might not even know that they're causing an issue. This is because when you report anti-social behaviour to the Trust before talking to your neighbours (when it's safe to do so!), it can frustrate your neighbours and make the problem first. Miss X did the right thing.
Communication problems
However, in some cases, talking to your neighbour can make things worse. This what happened with Miss X and Miss Y.
Not everyone can communicate their thoughts and feelings very well, and being frustrated or angry can make you even less able to talk through an emotional problem. This can sometimes cause a 'tit for tat' situation between neighbours - intentionally aggravating eachother. This makes the anti-social behaviour get worse and worse in a vicious cycle, which is exactly what happened with these ladies.
Living harmoniously
I spoke to both women. They weren't communicating with each other, and they weren't aware of the problems their own behaviour was causing. More importantly, they both wanted to resolve the situation and live harmoniously.
So, I suggested that Miss X and Miss Y attend mediation. We use a company called ADR for mediation. We cover the costs, so it's free for you to use them.
Why you should consider mediation
The benefits of mediation in these situations are:
- It’s a people-centric approach to resolving complaints. This means you're at the heart of the resolution.
- It resolves issues at an early stage
- Diffuses complaints and prevents escalations
- Provides an opportunity to hear and understand the complaint from the individual’s point of view
- Gain valuable insight to improve operations and prevent similar complaints
- All parties have a say in the outcome, meaning the resolution can last long term
How mediation helped
Both women agreed to mediation and this gave them both the opportunity to get their own voices heard by their neighbour.
The goal was to come to an agreement on how they could both still live their different lifestyles, but at the same time, be respectful and considerate to their neighbours.
I'm very pleased to say the mediation sessions were successful. Both women have signed a document which outlines how they're going to move forward.
This was a really positive outcome for Miss X and Miss Y. It helped Mixx X understand that sometimes you can cause anti-social behavour without realising that you are. It also helped Miss Y with life skills - this was her first tenancy, as a care leaver, and she didn't want to lose it.
ASB isn't just about 'bringing down the law'
This example with Miss X and Miss Y shows that not all ASB cases that our Customer Support and Enforcement Team work on results in involving the police, the courts, and legal action.
We're here to help our customers resolve issues amicably - for both you and your neighbours.