Strategic Housing Service

Housing Solutions

Target Hardening Scheme Policy

POLICY

Document Status: Final

Originator:

Gemma Sidaway

Updated:

Owner:

Rob Barnes

Version:

0.1

Date:

May 2016

Approved by

Document Location

This document is held by Tamworth Borough Council, and the document owner is Rob Barnes

Printed documents may be obsolete. An electronic copy will be available on Tamworth Borough Councils Intranet. Please check for current version before using.

Revision History

Revision Date / Version Control / Summary of changes

Approvals

Name / Title / Approved

Document Review Plans

This document is subject to a scheduled annual review. Updates shall be made in accordance with business requirements and changes and will be with agreement with the document owner.

Distribution

The document will be available on the Intranet and the website.

Contents Page

Introduction

Aims of the Scheme

Funding

The Scheme

Eligibility Criteria

Referrals to the Scheme

Process

Monitoring the Scheme

Further information

Complaints

Introduction

Households at risk of or experiencing domestic abuse, race or hate crimes often have to leave their homes because of the risk of repeat incidents of abuse. Refuges and temporary accommodation can provide safe alternatives but many households, for different reasons, do not wish to leave their homes or would like to return home, despite the risks.

Since its approval by Cabinet in 2007 Tamworth Borough Council offered Sanctuary measures to residents of the Borough who wished to remain in their own homes who were victims of these crimes, and where it would prevent homelessness.

Following a recent review of the Council’s Sanctuary schemeevidence suggests that the scheme was successful in preventing the homelessness of those who remained in their homes once Sanctuary measures had been installed. However, many of the installations were often made up of mainly broader target hardening measures rather than full Sanctuary schemes. On this evidence and given other national shifts in policy towards Target hardening approaches, the Council has reviewed its policy and procedures for those experiencing domestic abuse, race or hate crimes. The result of this review is a shift in policy for those experiencing these types of crime.

The council will now offer Target Hardening measures, but only where this is considered to be the best option for the victim. Prior to this a range of other measures will be utilised by the Council to try and prevent homelessness working with partners, including crime prevention measures or a house move where this may be deemed more appropriate for the victim, but all measures will be dependent on each persons individual circumstances and wishes. This will allow the Council to be more responsive to individual needs, offer a more personalised service to the victim and work in close partnership with other agencies that may be involved with the victim and contribute to it managing its housing stock more effectively when the victim is in a council property.

Aims of the Scheme

The overall aim of the scheme is the prevention of homelessness across all tenures by ensuring that, by the addition of appropriate security measures, survivors of domestic abuse hate, race and other violent crimes are able to remain in their homes and feel safer and more secure in doing so.

Funding

Tamworth Borough Council will provide funding for the scheme from the Homeless Prevention Grant, but will seek to identify additional funding from partnersincluding, but not limited to, the Community Safety Partnership and the Police and Crime Commissioner and Pathways. It may also work with key partners on specific initiatives.

The Scheme will:

  • Enable victims to remain in their own homes, whenever this is possible and desired, rather than being forced to move, thereby maintaining education, and employment, family, friend and community networks.
  • Target Hardening Measures can be installed up to the cost of £2000. Where measures are going to cost more than £2000 a homeless application will be taken unless the applicant refuses. The council retains the right to place a charge against an Owner Occupied property, for measures installed which improves the security of the home and prevents them from becoming homeless.

This figure may be exceeded in exceptional circumstances:

  • Where a move to alternative accommodation would be difficult due to family size, physical disability, housing related debt or other factor.
  • Where the cost of moving would be greater than the additional expenditure via the scheme
  • Any other circumstance not covered by the above and where the expenditure is authorised by the Housing Solutions Manager or the Head of the Strategic Housing Services.

Eligibility Criteria

  • The scheme is available to any person living in Tamworth Borough who is threatened with homelessness due to domestic abuse, hate crime, racial harassment or other violence. This will be confirmed by the Housing Solutions Officer who will liaise with Police and other partners to establish the details of the crime. Checks will also be conducted to ensure the applicants are resident in Tamworth and this could include the checking of other Council records including council tax.
  • The householder must have expressed a willingness to remain in the property, if it is safe to do so, and is believed that they will remain there for at least six months.
  • The scheme is available to all households subject to abuse or violence, regardless of family composition or tenure.
  • When the property is owner occupied and the perpetrator is named on the mortgage or where there is a joint tenancy, an occupation order may be required to keep the perpetrator away from the property.
  • The perpetrator must not be resident in the property that is the subject of the scheme
  • The Council must be satisfied that without the scheme measures, the victim would be likely to make an application on the grounds of homelessness, in accordance with Part VII of the Housing Act 1996 (as amended by the Homelessness Act 2002)[1].
  • The level of security available through the scheme should be sufficient to meet the identified requirements of the householder.
  • The householder (and landlord where appropriate) must agree to ALL recommended security measures being installed. The council will require written consent from all parties before measures are installed.
  • The property needs to be in good state of repair to allow target hardening to be installed and for the measures to be fully effective.
  • Tamworth Borough Council’s aim through this scheme is to prevent homelessness. It is not the responsibility of Tamworth Borough Council to maintain the safety of the victim(s). Although the Target Hardening measures may make the house structurally more secure, the Police are ultimately responsible for keeping the victim and their family, where applicable, safe and work to prevent crime. Any higher level installations will be on the recommendation of the Crime Reduction Officer.
  • The Housing Solutions Officer must also be satisfied that Homelessness will be prevented for at least six months. If the Council does not believe this then it retains the right to refuse any installation.

Referrals to the Scheme

Referrals will be considered from:

  • Recommendations from the meetings of the Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC)
  • The Community Safety Partnership
  • Tamworth Vulnerability Partnership (TVP)
  • Any other agency, where sufficient information is available to assess appropriately a client’s eligibility.

Process

  • Once a referral is received, the property being considered for target hardening would initially be assessed by a Housing Solutions officer. Dependant on the degree of measures needed to be installed it may then necessitate a joint visit to the property by the Housing Solutions Officer and Crime Prevention Officer (CPO). Good practice also dictates a member of the Fire and Rescue service (FARS) is also in attendance if there is a risk of arson. For lower level works such a lock change this would not require a visit by the CPO or FARS.
  • All relevant parties must give consent for any measures to be installed; this would include private landlords, estate management, registered providers and the applicant themselves. This consent must be obtained in writing and held on file.
  • Once the recommendation is received back from the CPO, quotes will then obtained from providers and approval would be sought from the Housing Solutions Manager to proceed with the works.
  • If the installation of target hardening goes ahead the police partnership manager should be notified of the measures installed for the local policing teams to be notified and a flag placed against the address.
  • Before any installation the council would expect to see other measures in place or considered to protect the household remaining in the property; this could include non molestation orders, occupation orders, restraining orders or other measure to ensure long term safety to the household. Where these are not in place there should be a risk assessment by the Police.
  • Were a referral is made from the police and where the applicant is in agreement the council would expect to see a skyguard in place in the interim period before target hardening can be installed in order to protect the household.
  • The Housing Solutions Officer would be responsible for updating all relevant parties regarding the progress of the works.
  • The council is responsible for the ordering, authorising installation, payment of the measures and customer satisfaction only. Where damage is caused to any target hardening measures caused by a deliberate act of the applicant or through wilful neglect the Council may recharge applicants for the cost of any maintenance work or repairs required.
  • The installation will be followed up the Housing Solutions Officer at regular intervals and after 6months.

Monitoring the Scheme

The scheme will be monitored on a quarterly basis by the Housing Solutions Policy Officer to identify:

  1. The total number of referrals
  2. The number of referrals refused and why.
  3. The number of successful referrals.
  4. Demographics and circumstances of applicants to ensure the scheme is inclusive and cross tenure
  5. The cost per household and the average cost.
  6. User satisfaction rates at installation and after 6months.
  7. Equality monitoring of the scheme to ensure it remains fair and equitable.
  8. The success of homelessness preventions (6 months from installation).

This data will inform an annual review which will be shared amongst partners to ensure the scheme is still fit for purpose.

Further information

If you would like further information about this policy please contact Tamworth Borough Councils Housing Solutions Team

In writing:

Marmion House,

Lichfield Street,

Tamworth,

Staffordshire,

B79 7BZ

By telephone:

01827 709709

By email:

Complaints

Tamworth Borough Council has an established corporate complaints procedure for dealing with complaints. Information on how to make a complaint is outlined in the “Tell Us” leaflet that is available at all Tamworth Borough Council Offices and on the website.

Policy date:May2016

Review date:May 2017

Approved by:

1

[1] As set out in section 177 of the Housing Act 1996, it is not considered reasonable for a person to continue to occupy their current accommodation if it is probable that this will lead to domestic violence or other violence against them, any person who normally resides with them or any person who might reasonably be expected to reside with them.