How Anchor manages reports of hate crime and supports residents

Hate crime

The population of any Anchor location is multi-generational and diverse and Anchor recognises that hate incidents and hate crimes may occur which can have a serious and detrimental effect on the quality of a person’s life.

Anchor believes that everyone has the right to feel safe and secure in their home. We also expect residents and their visitors to be respectful of neighbours, other visitors and people within the local community.

This page explains how to report hate crime and hate incidents to Anchor and how we support residents.

We have worked with resident groups to create this page and the related resources below.

What is a hate crime or hate incident?

A hate crime is any criminal offence where the person affected is targeted because of prejudice or hatred towards their identity or group. It’s perceived by the person affected or by others as being motivated by bias against certain characteristics, such as race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity.

A hate incident may or may not be a criminal act, but it still involves prejudice or hatred directed at a person based on the same characteristics.

Motivations for hate crimes or incidents include:

Race, colour, ethnic origin, nationality, or national origin
Religion or belief
Disability
Sexual orientation
Gender, including gender re-assignment or transgender identity

Forms of hate crimes and incidents:

Physical attacks (assault, damage to property, robbery, verbal abuse, offensive graffiti, arson)
Threatening behaviour (intimidating gestures / behaviour, letters, calls, social media abuse)
Verbal abuse or insults (offensive leaflets, posters, slurs)
Harassment (intimidation, malicious accusations, unwanted repeated communication)
Inciting hate (encouraging others to commit hate crimes)
Other forms of hostility

Reporting hate crime or hate incidents to Anchor

Residents can report hate crime or incidents to Anchor in several ways:

Online: Complete our online reporting form here
Location Manager: Residents can also report to their Location Manager in person, over the phone, by email, or by letter
Email: Send an email to [email protected] with "ASB" in the subject line. Your report will be assessed by the Customer Experience Hub and forwarded to the most appropriate member of staff
Phone: Call 0800 731 2020

Anchor takes hate crime and hate incident reports seriously. We encourage residents to report any incidents to us as soon as possible so we can take swift action.

We also recommend that you contact the police on 101, or on 999 if the situation requires urgent attention.

How quickly will Anchor respond?

Anchor treats hate crime and hate incident reports as urgent. We aim to:

Contact you within 1 working day of receiving your report
Continue to follow up every two weeks thereafter to ensure you remain informed

How will Anchor support you?

Upon initial contact, we will:

Assess your wellbeing and safety
Offer referrals to specialist external agencies or support you with self-referrals
Discuss ways to make your home environment safer
Guide you through the process of reporting to the police if necessary
Maintain regular contact throughout the investigation

We may ask for your consent to share information with police and other relevant agencies and we will work with you to gather information, such as witness details, incident diaries, and other documentation.

Investigating reports of hate crime or hate incidents

Your Location Manager will typically take the lead on investigating the incident. The process may include:

Seeking advice from our Community Safety Team
Gathering information
Engaging with the person responsible and taking appropriate action

Depending on the severity, we may take legal action if necessary. Legal action can be taken against the persons responsible when they are not residents, if the incident has happened on or close to an Anchor property. Restorative approaches such as mediation can also be explored if you feel that would be helpful.