Adult and Community Services

Dealing with racism and racial harassment

1. Our policy

1.1 We adopted a firm policy for dealing with racial harassment on 18 October 1989. Please ask for separate booklet on this.

1.2 We will not tolerate harassment of any resident on the grounds of race, colour or creed. On 21 January 1998 we re-stated our commitment to the provisions of the Race Relations Code of Practice in rented housing, to help eliminate racial discrimination and promote equal opportunities, as far as is practical.

A copy of this code is available for inspection at your local community housing office.

2. Carrying out our policy

2.1 We try to deal with incidents sensitively and efficiently. We will visit and discuss any incidents with you and with your agreement liaise with the Racial Equality Council and where appropriate the Police Force, to try and deal with incidents.

2.2 As of February 2004, we are working with tenants to strengthen our Conditions of Tenancy, particularly with regard to antisocial behaviour. Our current Conditions of Tenancy help us deal with racial and other types of harassment. If you need a copy of the current Tenancy Conditions please contact your local community housing office. An Audio cassette tape version is available in English upon request.

2.3 Our aim is to take action against the perpetrators of any incidents of racial harassment, but we need your support to do this. We will try to protect you as much as possible if you are experiencing incidents of harassment and, if appropriate, improve the security in your home with:

Special film on your windows to protect them
A special letterbox to protect you from offensive or dangerous materials put through your letterbox
More secure/additional locks

3. Current timescales we work to

3.1 We work to certain specified time scales at our area offices and work to designated performance standards:

Within 1 working day efforts must be made to contact the victim, confirm our policy of support and complete and distribute the standard incident report sheet
Within 7 working days where threats of or actual violence to a person or property has occurred, visit the victim with where possible, representatives of the Police and local Racial Equality Council and via this multi agency approach, offer appropriate support
Within 14 working days where practical and with agreement of the Police, interview any perpetrator or note their comments and make a decision upon whether or not proceedings or other action is required
Where the multi agency approach determines the need for the victim to be re-housed, progress this by the Management Transfer policy and refer such cases to the appropriate officer in the Needs and Allocations Section within 2 working days

We are interested in your views

It is important that we receive comments on the effectiveness of our Policies and details of any changes or additions that need to be made to them. Any comments that we receive will help us to improve our service and perhaps develop new ways of dealing with the problems of racism.

We are very interested in your comments. Please complete the questionnaire attached and hand it in at your local community housing office.

Racial harassment policy statement

Racial harassment is any activity which, has the intention or effect of depriving anyone of the peaceful enjoyment of their homes, or of access to local facilities, on the grounds of their race, colour or creed or that of members of or visitors to their household.

We will not tolerate harassment of any resident on the grounds of race, colour or creed. As well as the distress such behaviour causes to people of ethnic minorities, it damages all our community.

We will take legal action against any tenant, lessee or owner occupier found harassing a person because of their race, colour or creed and will work closely with the police and other recognised groups to combat racial attacks and harassment.

Residents are reminded that they are responsible for the activities of members of their household and visitors to their homes.

Useful telephone numbers

If you, or your neighbour, is subjected to racial harassment you should contact your local community housing office, or

Barking and Dagenham Racial Equality Council|

18 North Street

Barking

IG11 7NF

Tel: 020 8594 2773

Police (emergency only): 999

Barking Police Station|

6 Ripple Road

Barking

IG11 7NF

Tel: 020 8594 1212

Dagenham Police Station|

561 Rainham Road South

Dagenham

RM10 7TU

Tel: 020 8594 1212

Citizens Advice Bureaus|

55 Ripple Road

Barking

IG11 7NT

Tel: 020 8594 6715

Victim Support|

Unit 5

St George's Centre

St George's Road

Dagenham

RM9 5AJ

Tel: 020 8595 4455

Questionnaire|

Adult and Community Services

Dealing with racism and racial harassment

1. Our policy

2. Carrying out our policy

3. Current timescales we work to

We are interested in your views

Racial harassment policy statement

Useful telephone numbers

Contact