We treat a racist incident as any incident that is perceived to be racist by the victim or any other person. We think harassment is any deliberate act designed to interfere with the peace, safety or comfort of an individual or group.

Racial harassment includes:

• verbal abuse
• physical assault
• malicious phone calls
• threats
• your property being damaged or vandalised by graffiti
• harassment that you think is because of your colour, race, religion, nationality or ethnic and national origin

If you suffer or witness an incident of racial abuse please report it immediately.

Reporting racial harassment

We’ll always take reports seriously, from agencies acting on behalf of victims, as well as directly from victims themselves. You can report an incident to us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

You can also report incidents to:

• your local police station
• your social worker, if you have one
• a school (if it involves children and incidents at the school)
• your GP or health centre
• The Monitoring Group
• the Equality and Human Rights Commission
• Crimestoppers

What happens next

If you, or someone on your behalf, report an incidence of racial harassment we will:

• meet with you within two working days or whenever you can, in a place that suits you
• investigate all incidents and establish a course of action with you
• repair any damage and remove any graffiti within 24 hours after taking photographs as evidence
• provide extra security measures to help you feel safer in your home if needed
• maintain close contact with you and witnesses
• talk to you about your housing options including whether it is safe for you to stay in your home
• check with you how you feel your case was handled make sure we take on your views

If you are not satisfied with the way we handle the situation, you can complain to us.

Contact us if you have any queries.