If you would like to use any of the available help and support, call 0191 525 5000 or email safetyandsupport@gentoogroup.com
Our support officers will help you in any way they can. They will give you unbiased, non-judgemental support for as long as you need it. They will:
- offer you support and advice
- talk with you about your options and what you want to do next
- work with other organisations to get you the support you need
A Support Officer can meet you wherever you feel safest. If you want them to visit your home, they do not wear Gentoo uniforms or badges so your neighbours will not know they are from Gentoo.
They will talk about how to keep you safe and give you emotional and practical support. This may include:
- housing advice
- alternative safe accommodation if needed
- going to court with you
- arranging extra security measures like new window locks and strengthening doors
- help you deal with any agencies like the police and Sunderland City Council
- refer you to professional support bodies like counselling services
Mediation is our first choice and we offer an impartial mediation service.
An acceptable behaviour agreement or contract is a written agreement or contract that gets the person who is behaving in an antisocial way to recognise their behaviour and how it affects others.
The agreement is between:
- the person behaving in an antisocial way
- us
- the police
- any other involved agency
The agreement aims to:
- make the person responsible for their actions
- make the person admit to everyone involved that their behaviour may be unacceptable
- include information about specific incidents as examples of things they will stop doing
In most cases, before we serve a notice of seeking possession, we will send a tenant a letter to let them know we are going to serve them with a notice. The letter explains the parts of their tenancy agreement they are breaching and gives them time to change their behaviour before any further legal action.
We use CCTV and noise monitoring equipment in neighbourhoods to prevent, investigate and detect antisocial behaviour and crime.
If a tenant needs to be rehoused, we will find alternative housing for them. We usually find alternative housing when there is a proven threat of violence or intimidation and the person threatening or intimidating them knows where they live.
Positive engagement is support for people at risk of losing their tenancy and those behaving in an antisocial way because of:
- alcohol misuse or alcohol dependency problems
- drug misuse or drug dependency problems
- mental health conditions
Our experience has shown us that working with partners is essential to reduce antisocial behaviour and make people feel safer and more secure.
We work closely with agencies and partnerships, like the police, Sunderland City Council, Wearside Women in Need, and the Safer Sunderland Partnership. This allows us to develop a shared understanding of responsibilities with one another.
Our most important partner is our tenants and our neighbourhoods. We will listen to what people tell us and get involved with neighbourhoods to help:
- prevent and reduce antisocial behaviour
- change perceptions of antisocial behaviour
- telling people what we have done
