Wigan Council and its partners use an incremental response scheme to manage the behaviour of young people involved in anti-social behaviour. The approach centres on a 'contact card', managed by the Council and police. PCSOs take details from young people involved in anti-social behaviour. The Council's anti-social behaviour team keeps these details on a database. The first time a young person's details go on the database they get information about local sport and leisure activities. Parents or carers get a warning letter to make sure that they are aware of the problems caused by their children's behaviour.
'It gets the message across to parents or carers that they've got a responsibility for knowing where their child is.'
- Anti-social behaviour team manager
There are more warning letters if the young person's name is re-entered into the database. After the third letter there is a home visit organised by the YOT, youth service, or other support agency. The final stage is a good behaviour agreement (the same as an ABC) or an ASBO.
The scheme has been improved to increase the parents and carers' involvement:
'Parents or carers felt that they weren't part of the process until [the third or fourth letter], and they didn't understand, I think, the severity of the behaviour.'
- Anti-social behaviour team manager
Anti-social behaviour reduced by 82 per cent between the first and second warning letter. Five hundred warning letters were sent out in 2005/06.