Community Trigger

What is Community Trigger?

The ASB Crime and Policing Act 2014 sets out the Antisocial behaviour (ASB) Case Review process, more commonly known as Community Trigger.

Community Trigger is used for victims of persistent ASB which has been reported to any of the main responsible agencies at least three times in the last six months.

By using Community Trigger, victims can request a multi-agency review of their case when a locally-set threshold has been met.

If the threshold has been met, relevant bodies (local authorities, the police, health providers and providers of social housing) must undertake a case review.

Following the review, they will inform the requester of any actions to be taken.

Who can raise a Community Trigger?

Any victim of ASB can make a request for Community Trigger. In addition, they can ask a third party to make the request on their behalf.

The third party may be a family member, friend or local elected representative (a councillor or MP).

The victim may be an individual, a business or a community group. However, you cannot request Community Trigger anonymously.

How Community Trigger works

Each local area sets a threshold, which must be met for the Trigger to be used.

In each of Cleveland’s four areas, your local council is the designated lead agency for Community Trigger.

The locally-set threshold in each area of Cleveland is the following:

• An individual has made three or more separate reports about the same problem in the last six months to the council, police or landlord
• More than one individual, business or community group has made five or more reports about the same problem in the last six months to the council, police or landlord

The relevant bodies and responsible authorities, who undertake the case review, are the following:

• Councils
• Police
• Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs)
• Registered providers of social housing

Relevant bodies must publish their Community Trigger procedure to ensure that victims are aware that they can apply to activate the procedures in appropriate circumstances.

The information should be provided on the websites of all relevant bodies. It should signpost the public to the lead agency’s website, a point of contact and the procedures for activating the process.

Make a request

You can make a Community Trigger request via your local council. Click the following links to visit the website of your local council:

What happens next?

Agencies must decide whether the threshold has been met and tell the victim after he/she requests a Community Trigger.

The review encourages a problem-solving approach aimed at dealing with some of the most persistent, complex cases of ASB.

Consideration should always be given to how victims can best express the impact that the ASB has had on their lives.

If the threshold is met….

The relevant bodies undertake a case review. As a result, agencies share information on the case, review action taken and decide whether they can take additional action. In order to do this effectively, the local CT procedure should clearly state the timescales in which the review will be undertaken.

Following the review, the victim is informed of the outcome. Agencies also discuss an action plan with the victim where further actions are necessary. This will include timescales.

In addition, the relevant bodies should consider whether further practical and emotional support can be offered if the victim is considered to be particularly vulnerable.

If the threshold is not met…

Although formal procedures will not be invoked, relevant bodies have an opportunity to review the case to determine whether more can be done.

The number of local case reviews: