- Green Light to Tackle Anti Social Behaviour
A STRATEGY outlining a multi-agency approach to tackle anti social behaviour on Council housing estates was given the green light at a recent meeting of Executive Board Members.
The strategy, which sees close links with the Community Safety Partnership,
Golden Gates Housing (GGH), and the Council's Environment and Regeneration department, has been subject to thorough consultation with Council tenants, leaseholders, residents, Councillors, GGH staff, partners and stakeholders.
Through the Community Safety Partnership, other agencies will help address
anti social behaviour and provide support for victims of privately owned
properties and registered social landlords.
Having received the go-head from Executive Board, the strategy will now be
put into place by GGH who will ensure that:
* Measures are in place to prevent nuisance and anti social behaviour.
* Where possible - rehabilitation of perpetrators takes place.
* Tenancy conditions are enforced using all legislation.
* Good practice is adopted to ensure a progressive approach to problem solving.
* The interests of witnesses and victims are at the centre of any approach.
* The diverse nature of communities is reflected.
David Cowley, Principal Policy and Strategy Manager, said:- "The anti social
behaviour strategy is all about tackling nuisance and anti social behaviour
on Council housing estates.
Now we have received the go ahead for the strategy we can get down to grass roots and begin the challenge of tackling anti social behaviour and promoting peaceful communities across the borough."
The definition of anti social behaviour (ASB) includes:-
MAJOR ASB
* Intimidation/assault
* Damage to property
* Hate crimes/harassment, i.e. racial homophobic, sexual or domestic
violence
* Using/selling drugs
* Criminal behaviour
MINOR ASB
* Verbal abuse noise
* Alcohol abuse
* Nuisance from vehicles
* Unkempt gardens
* Dumping rubbish
* Uncontrolled pets
* Gathering of youths
* Unauthorised business use
What is anti social behaviour or neighbourhood nuisance?
The Council recognises the personal stress caused by anti-social behaviour
such as harassment, racial harassment, domestic violence and nuisance
generally. The Government's definitions of these acts are provided for
guidance and are as follows:
* Anti-Social Behaviour - comprises behaviour that opposes society's
norms and accepted standards of behaviour. This can include criminal acts
and less serious nuisance such as dumping rubbish.
* Harassment - is behaviour deliberately intended to cause suffering
to a particular person or family. Harassment may take many forms of
threatening behaviour; either verbal or physical, against property, people
or their pets. Tenants may be harassed due to their race, age, sex, colour,
religion, sexuality, illness or disability.
* Racial Harassment - comprises violence which may be physical, verbal
or both, which includes attack on property as well as the person, suffered
by persons because of their colour, race, nationality or ethnic or national
origins, where the incident is perceived to be racist by the victim or by
any other person. (Taken from the Stephen Lawrence enquiry definition of a
racist incident).
* Nuisance - is behaviour that unreasonably interferes with other people's rights to the use and enjoyment of their home and community, such
as playing loud music at night. The term has legal standing in relation to
nuisance grounds for possession and statutory nuisance.
* Domestic Violence - is the mental, physical, sexual, emotional, psychological and or economic abuse of one person by another who is in or
has been in a relationship with the other. The relationship may be between
partners or ex partners or family members. Children involved may also
suffer direct or indirect abuse.
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Temper tantrums and food allergies
IF YOU are all too familiar with temper tantrums and childish wobbles, from your children, turn your attention to the role that food could be playing in your misery - warn Warrington Trading Standards.
A government-funded survey has revealed a link between food colourings and
behavioural problems in young children.
The survey reveals that food colourings, which are added to food to make its appearance more appealing, may be responsible for one in four temper tantrums.
The affect of food additives was tested on 277 three-year olds over the course of a month. For two weeks the children drank fruit juice dosed with artificial food colourings Tartrazine (E102), Sunset Yellow (E110), Camoisine (E122) and Ponceau 4R (E124), and the preservative Sodium Benzoate (E211) - ingredients that are commonplace in food and drink.
Another group of children were given a placebo to compare the affects. Researchers conclude that there were 'significant changes in children's hyperactive behaviour'.
Cllr Mike Hannon, Executive Board Member for Community and Wellbeing, said:-
"The irony is that it is perfectly legal to supply these foods as long as they are properly labelled. Trading Standards are therefore urging consumers to always read the label to avoid such additives. As well as working towards better labelling, Trading Standards will be urging local food producers to avoid using such additives. This is the only way to ensure the effective protection of the community."
The Food Commission have put together a list of more than 200 products
containing additives:- http://www.foodcomm.org.uk//Additive.PDF.
Researchers estimate that if the problem additives were removed from all children's diets in the UK, the rate of hyperactivity would go down from one child in six to one child in 17.
Research has found colourings are used in:- 78% of children's
desserts
42% of children' milkshakes
93% of children's sweets
18% of cereal bars
24% of children's cheeses
23% of children's cereals
14% of dried fruit packs
41% of children's drinks
32% of crisps and savoury snacks
15% of children's frozen burgers
£1m sports hall to keep Dingle fit and healthy
A NEW £1 million sports hall will help people in Dingle stay fit and healthy.
Liverpool city council has approved plans for the new Beaufort Park sports and arts activity hall, next to Beaufort Park Primary School.
The hall is to be used by children during the school day and will be available to the rest of the community out of school hours in the evenings, weekends and school holidays.
Beaufort Park will be used to encourage people to adopt an active lifestyle and will give them the chance to take part in activities ranging from badminton and ball games to trampolining, gymnastics and aerobics.
The hall will also give people a chance to develop their cultural streak, with plans to host arts activities including concerts, plays, dance classes and storytelling.
Work will start in January, with the hall set to be complete in time for the start of the new school year in September 2005 with funding from Liverpool City Council, and the aid of a £550,000 grant from Sport England.
Councillor Warren Bradley, executive member for leisure, said:- "The new sports hall will serve the whole community and shows our commitment to providing high quality sports facilities in Liverpool.
It will allow local people, particularly children, to lead a fit and healthy lifestyle by taking part in a wide range of sporting activities.
Beaufort Park also represents another step forward in the regeneration of Dingle."
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