New apprenticeship standard boosts response to anti-social behaviour

Derby Homes is celebrating both an employee milestone and a first for the social housing sector, with their apprentice Renee Beesley successfully completing the first ever Anti-Social Behaviour and Community Safety Officer apprenticeship.

The Anti-Social Behaviour and Community Safety Officer apprenticeship standard was launched in 2022 to help professionalise the role of the Anti-Social Behaviour Officer and broaden the appeal of a career supporting local communities.

An initiative driven forward by local authorities, social housing providers and the police, including Derby Homes, For Housing, Manchester City Council and Essex Police, the objective of the apprenticeship is to set the foundations for expanding and developing the community safety workforce and to provide better places for residents to live, explains Kit Salt, Head of End-Point Assessment at SFJ Awards. 

“Tackling anti-social behaviour is vital to create safer communities for all,”

“This apprenticeship standard provides a path to support organisations to recruit and retain more staff in this field, whilst upskilling the existing workforce to ensure they are better placed to deliver on local and central government priorities with regard to anti-social behaviour.”

Local authorities and housing providers from across the country have been enrolling their apprentices on the programme since it was first approved for delivery two years ago. Of this first cohort, Derby Homes’ apprentice Renee Beesley recently completed her End-Point Assessment with SFJ Awards; achieving a distinction to become the first person in the country to qualify as an Anti-Social Behaviour Officer through the apprenticeship route.

“Renee has done fantastically well; sailing through her apprenticeship and passing with flying colours. We are all very proud of her,” said Nick Bale of Derby Homes.   

Renee is part of a team of 11, responsible for Derby Homes’ response to anti-social behaviour involving their tenants. As a provider that looks after 12,419 properties across the city, Anti-Social Behaviour Manager Nick stresses the role apprenticeship training has in helping to facilitate a multi-agency approach.

“Resolving anti-social behaviour can be complex, and it is vital to manage cases swiftly and effectively for everyone involved. Developing skills in the classroom and in real life scenarios working with multiple agencies provides a solid grounding for supporting our tenants and communities.”

Jacky Ellison, Head of Learning & Development at Resolve, the UK’s leading community safety organisation and the centre responsible for delivering the anti-social behaviour training for the apprenticeship, agrees.

“The opportunity to earn and learn whilst having a solid career trajectory to aspire to is huge in terms of attracting and retaining new recruits,” comments Jackie.

“Moreover, by ensuring that Anti-Social Behaviour and Community Safety Officer training conforms to certain national standards, local authorities and social housing providers will be better equipped to effectively tackle anti-social behaviour.”

The apprenticeship was launched in light of feedback from Resolve’s members (predominantly local authorities and housing providers) and supports the objectives of the government’s 2023 Anti-Social Behaviour Action Plan, which sets out a new approach to working with local agencies to tackle anti-social behaviour across England and Wales.

The most recent Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) showed that there were approximately 1 million incidents of anti-social behaviour reported to the police in 2023. However, YouGov research commissioned by Resolve estimates that the actual figures are potentially much higher.

The research suggests that there were 5 million incidents of anti-social behaviour across the UK last year alone and that that almost half of victims and witnesses of anti-social behaviour do not report it.