What is the Bournemouth Family Intervention Project?

This is a Bournemouth Borough Council project that works with households that are breaching their tenancy conditions and/or are facing legal action from the housing department or Dorset Police. The main aims of the project are to help families to:

1. stop their anti-social behaviour
2. enable them to keep their tenancy

What sort of legal action might the Police/Housing Department be considering?

An Anti-Social Behaviour Order (ASBO)

 

This is an order made on anyone over the age of 10, which lasts a minimum of two years. It orders the individual not to go to certain places or do certain things. Breaching the ASBO may result in a prison sentence, sometimes the order will be publicised through the local paper or a leaflet.

 

An Injunction

 

An injunction can be made on anyone over 17. They stop the person from causing nuisance or annoyance; they can also prevent them from entering specific areas or premises. You can be arrested if you breach some injunctions.

 

A Demoted Tenancy

 

A Demotion Order ends an existing tenancy and replaces it with a less secure one. If the anti-social behaviour continues action can be taken quickly to end their tenancy. This means they can be evicted more easily. It also removes some tenancy rights, like the right to buy or exchange.

 

Eviction Proceedings

 

Joining the project does not alter any action that has already been taken. For example, if you already have an ASBO then it will not be ‘cancelled’

 

What does the project do?

 

You will be asked if you want to join the project, if you agree the process is set out below:

 

Family Group Conferencing/multi-agency meeting

1. You, your family and all the agencies that work with you already will meet to make a plan. This is a good way for all those people to talk together to make sure they have the right information about you and you get the right help.
2. At this meeting you say what you think needs to change and what help you need to make those changes.

Family Contract

 

The Family Contract is drawn up and the contract is signed by each person in the family. It is very similar to the Tenancy Agreement you may have signed when you moved in.

 

Support Plan

 

1. The Support Plan will contain the help that each agency has agreed to give you.
2. The Plan will be in place for between three and six months and the co-ordinator will arrange to see you regularly to make sure you are sticking to the conditions and that you are getting the help you need to be able to do so.
3. It is important to remember that if your family’s behaviour does not improve, the council or the Police will carry out legal action against you.

What sort of things might be in my support plan?

 

The support plan could include some of the following:

1. access to children’s activities, youth projects or after-school clubs
2. parental support
3. help on maintaining your tenancy
4. help and advice on employment and further education.

On entering the project you agree to:

1. your situation being discussed at the Family Group Conference or meeting to help you
2. project workers asking other agencies for information about their involvement with you
3. information gathered can be used anonymously to enable the project to run better
4. engage with any support offered to you and comply with all aspects of your programme.

To make a referral or for more information please contact:

Bournemouth Family Intervention Project
Bournemouth Training Centre
Jewell Road
Townsend
BH8 0LT
Telephone: 01202 453949