Adults, Communities and Integration Directorate
Community Safety and Housing
Community Safety
Role outline
Takes a lead role (on behalf of the Council) in all Community Safety related issues
Helps to deliver the Council’s and VISION2030 strategic priorities – ‘strong and distinctive’ communities
Helps to deliver the Council’s and VISION2030 strategic priorities – ‘strong and distinctive’ communities
Assists all Council Departments to deliver Community Safety and Crime Prevention initiatives
Assists all Council Departments to deliver Community Safety and Crime Prevention initiatives
Co-ordinates and supports the Community Safety Partnership, including the development and management of the Community Safety Partnership Plan and Domestic Abuse Partnership
Works with other agencies and strategic partnerships to develop Community Safety initiatives (including the GM Deputy Mayor’s Police & Crime Team)
Statutory Duties
Response to Anti-Social-Behaviour concerns reported to the LA, e.g. neighbour disputes, reports relating to alarm, harassment and distress
Use of civil tools and powers, including Injunctions and Closure Orders to prevent and deter ASB and disrupt criminal activity e.g. organised crime, exploitation
Statutory reviews – ASB Case Reviews, and Domestic Homicide Reviews identifying opportunities improve multi-agency working
PREVENT and CHANNEL statutory duties aimed at preventing people from being drawn into terrorism
Hate Crime and tension monitoring
Domestic Abuse and commissioning key stat services, such as victim support, refuge and safe accommodation
Serious Youth Violence
Community Housing Services
Role outline
Community Housing Services broad range of teams providing services within two themed areas of work:
- Accommodation Services Group and
- Housing Options and Advice Services Group
By providing an integrated range of services supporting the betterment of housing circumstances through:
- Provide Advice & Assistance
- Provide access to affordable housing with our Bolton Community Homes partners and access to private rented
- Support to people to maintain their accommodation and prevention of homelessness
- Interventions to improve physical housing conditions & take enforcement action where necessary
- Direct assistance when needed to alleviate homelessness and pressing housing needs.
Statutory Duties
Services have a range of duties under:
- Housing Act 1996 (a amended by the Homeless Reduction Act 2017)
- Assessment: An authority must assess an applicants housing needs when the authority is satisfied a person is eligible and either homeless or threatened with homelessness.
- Prevention duty requires an authority to take reasonable steps to help the person to secure that accommodation does not cease to be available to them.
- Reasonable steps might include mediation with the persons landlord, assistance with applying for social housing, or private renting.
- Relief duty an assessment and personalised housing plan should inform all action. The local authorities is to ‘help to secure’ accommodation.
The authority can discharge the duty by securing accommodation for the person and their household, but they are not required to provide accommodation directly. There must be a reasonable prospect of the accommodation being available for at least six months.
- Equality Act 2010
- National Planning Policy Framework – traveller sites 2015
- Housing and Planning Act 2016 provides powers that permit local authorities to impose a civil penalty of up to £30,000 as an alternative to prosecution for a range of offences under the Housing Act 2004.
Team provides advice, information and enforces relevant legislation on many aspects of private sector housing including:
- Housing disrepair and safety hazards (Housing, Health & Safety Rating System)
- Houses in Multiple Occupation – flats, bedsits, shared houses etc.
- Houses in Multiple Occupation – mandatory licensing
- Empty homes
- Accommodation certificates for immigration purposes