Success in reducing antisocial behaviour is to be rolled out across the Highlands

The successful and innovative model for tackling antisocial behaviour used by the Inverness Response Team, is to be rolled out to other areas across the Highlands.

The initiative which was established in September 2014, won the Highland Council Quality Award for “Supporting strong, safe and empowered communities” in November. Two criteria for the Quality Award included that the project must demonstrate leading practice and be capable of replication elsewhere.

Over the past year, the multi-agency Inverness Response Team has managed 987 complaints from 294 separate addresses. The complaints from 283 addresses have been resolved and the remaining 11 are subject to ongoing partner involvement through the Response Team.

Most importantly, there has been a 13% reduction in assaults and serious assaults and a 12% reduction in Breach of the Peace and Disturbances.

The Highland Council has a primary responsibility for the management of the response of antisocial behaviour in the area supported by the Police Service of Scotland and other Community Planning Partners. 

Inverness Response Team was launched in September 2014 to address anti-social behaviour issues on a daily basis. It shares resources and provides a daily tactical response to incidents of antisocial behaviour across the 7 Inverness Wards.

The core partners Highland Council, Police Scotland, Scottish Fire & Rescue Service participate in a daily conference call. They share intelligence and react to incidents of anti-social behaviour in the previous 24 hours across the 7 Inverness Wards. The agreed partnership actions are identified, actioned and reviewed on a daily basis until the case is resolved.

Other agencies from the public, private and third sectors for example Victim Support, Albyn Housing, Cairn Housing, BID Inverness, Social Work Services, and NHS are involved in a case by case basis.

This model of partnership working has recently been rolled out to the Caithness Area for local partners to replicate in a model fit for their purpose and case load.

Scott Hay Local Senior Officer for Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said: “This initiative has demonstrated the real power of agencies coming together to tackle a problem, with a partnership approach. The reduction in antisocial behaviour in Inverness underlines the success of this model and we will be looking at how we can apply the learning in a tailored way to manage local needs in other areas in the Highlands.”

Chair of the Communities and Partnerships Committee, Cllr Hamish Fraser said: “The Inverness Response Team has been very successful in delivering an increased partnership focus on prevention and early intervention around antisocial behaviour. Their actions on a daily basis have shown that cases of low level antisocial behaviour can be prevented from escalating into more serious behaviour and crime, making our communities safer and more pleasant places to live. Everyone who has been involved in this ground-breaking work should be congratulated.”