Intervention a cost-effective solution to anti-social behaviour
Shelter Cymru’s Valleys Inclusion Project (VIP) was established in 2005 to provide support to households in Caerphilly and Rhondda Cynon Taf county boroughs who are at risk of homelessness due to alleged anti-social behaviour (‘ASB’).
The principle behind the work of the VIP is that ASB is often the result of unmet support needs and that many alleged perpetrators are themselves vulnerable and socially excluded.
The project is funded by the Big Lottery Fund, BBC Children in Need and Caerphilly Supporting People. The VIP is one of only a handful of ASB preventative projects in Wales working exclusively with households accused of ASB, in order to bring about long term changes in behaviour and prevent the displacement of the problem from one local community to another.
A recent evaluation of the VIP found that between October 2010 and December 2011 there had been a cessation of ASB in 80% of the households whose cases had been closed and a reduction in a further 13% of households.
Meanwhile homelessness had been prevented in 73% of households. The evaluation also found that the average total cost per closed case for the period of the VIP from 2008 to 2011 was £8,205.
In one actual case, the estimated cost of intervention by the VIP was £19,780, whereas the potential cost of non-intervention was in the region of £63,430 – a cost saving of £43,650.
The estimated cost of non-intervention did not include wider associated costs such as mental health services, substance misuse support and the impact of ASB and eviction on opportunities for employment, training and education. When these are factored in, the effectiveness of intervention both financially and socially appears even greater.
The VIP has also enabled us to develop some very effective and productive working relationships with other organisations. In Caerphilly County Borough, we work alongside the SOLAS ‘Lasting Interventions’ project, which was established in 2010 and provides intensive support to some of the most challenging and vulnerable households in the county borough.
Lasting Solutions Family Intervention Project is funded by Caerphilly County Borough Council, Monmouthshire County Council, Monmouthshire Supporting People, Charter Housing Association and Melin Homes and covers the county boroughs of Caerphilly, Monmouthshire and Newport.
It provides intensive support of up to nine hours per week for each family involved in the service and takes a holistic approach addressing the needs of all family members. An evaluation in November 2011 found that the project had achieved many positive outcomes for families and agencies, including a marked reduction in ASB, significant success in sustaining tenancies, so avoiding eviction, and supporting family members back into employment education and training.
Other outcomes included preventing children becoming looked after and improved partnership working that is tailored to the needs of the families involved. The evaluation concluded that Lasting Solutions had provided exceptional value for money offering a net return on investment of 426%.
The VIP and Lasting Solutions work closely with Caerphilly County Borough Council in order to offer as comprehensive a solution as possible to the recurring problem of ASB, for the benefit of local communities, landlords, and alleged perpetrators.
The feedback from clients and partner organisations has been extremely positive. The following are just a few examples:
“The VIP does an amazing job, you’re an inspiration to people that think there is no turning back…you have helped me so much just knowing that I could contact you at any time.” (VIP client)
“If it was not for the VIP’s involvement the children would have come into care quicker and the family would have been evicted. As a result …mum has remained in the property and the children continue to have contact with her and have a family home they can return to.” (Social worker)
There is no doubt that the VIP and Lasting Solutions are very resource intensive, but it is equally clear that they get results and have significant cost benefits. Simply moving households accused of ASB can only ever be a short term solution. It is only by addressing the root causes of anti-social behaviour that we can help both victims and alleged perpetrators and repair the damage to communities in the long term.