In the work we do, we try to build trust, keep people safe and make sure everyone feels respected. However, when someone is targeted with abuse, discrimination or violence because of who they are, it can leave lasting and substantial harm. Hate incidents and crimes don’t just affect individual residents. They can hurt whole communities, create fear and leave people feeling isolated.
That’s why our response at Southern Housing matters more than we might realise. When someone reports a hate incident or crime, they’re not just telling us about something that happened. They’re telling us how it made them feel. And an insight into their previous experiences of discrimination or prejudice.
They’re putting their trust in us to listen, to believe them and to act. That’s why we’ve now adopted a victim-centred approach to hate incidents and crimes, meaning if a resident believes they’ve experienced hate, we record it and respond to it as such.
We know we haven’t always got this right in the past. Feedback has highlighted areas where we need to improve and we're committed to learning from this. Changes have included mediation and case reviews to understand where things have gone wrong and what needs to change.
We’ve also updated training materials on hate incidents and crimes and issued clearer guidance to both our repairs and ASB colleagues about what a victim-centred approach means in practice, so future cases are seen through that lens. We can also signpost our residents who’ve experienced hate incidents and crimes to specialist support services.
Hate has no place in our local communities and it’s up to all of us to stand by that.
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