Hate Crime & Hate Crime Incidents Policy

Introduction

Hate crimes and incidents often go unreported and can happen in all our communities.

mhs recognise the devastating impact hate crime and incidents have on victims and their families and believe they should feel safe and secure in their homes.

  1. As a responsible social landlord, we have a duty to support and protect customers who are victims of hate crime and incidents. Therefore, we will take all reports of hate crime and incidents seriously and work proactively with the victim/survivor and other support organisations to ensure their safety.

  2. We also have a duty to protect our employees and contractors from hate crime and incidents.

  3. This policy outlines mhs principles and approach to dealing with issues of hate crime and incidents.

  4. This policy is relevant for all customers and colleagues, but particularly those who deliver services to our customers and those delivering services on our behalf.

  5. All reported instances of hate crime or incident will be managed by the mhs homes landlord services team.

Policy statement

A hate crime is a criminal offence; any crime which is perceived by the victim or anyone else to be motivated by hostility, prejudice or hate towards someone because of one of more of their protected characteristics. It can be against an individual or their property, examples include (but are not limited to)

  • Racist behaviour and racial harassment

  • Homophobic or transphobic behaviour

  • Disability related harassment

  • Faith related harassment

A hate incident is a non-crime incident but can feel like a crime to those who suffer from an incident like this. Just as a hate crime, it is an incident which is perceived by the victim or anyone else, to be motivated by a hostility or prejudice towards someone for the same reasons as a hate crime

Hate crime is any criminal offence, or incident, perceived by the victim or any other person to be motivated by hostility or prejudice based on race, religion or belief, disability, sexual orientation or transgender identity.

Purpose

This policy will provide support and direction as to the action to take if someone experiences a hate crime or incident.

By adopting this policy, mhs will ensure that we:

  • Comply with current and relevant legislation, regulatory standards and contractual obligations

  • Remain consistent with best practice and the strategic aims of the organisation

  • Enshrine the organisation’s commitment to putting customers at the heart of our policy making process

  • Continue to meet the diverse needs of our customers, stakeholders and staff

  • Work according to best practice on an operational level

  • Have appropriate levels of quality assurance, measures and monitoring

We recognise that hate crime can have a significant negative impact on our colleagues, customers and communities. We take hate crime seriously and aim to balance enforcement action and intervention, with prevention.

Scope

Everyone has the right to live without fear and harassment and so it is really important that you report a hate crime or incident whether you have been a victim, a witness or you are reporting on behalf of someone else, for example a friend, family member or for one of your employees at work.

Reports of a Hate Crime or Incident can be reported or experienced by any of the following and will be investigated:

  • Any customer who experiences hate crime or incidents from neighbours or other third parties

  • Any customer who experiences hate crime or incidents from an employee of mhs homes group or one of its representatives

  • Any employee of mhs homes group who experiences hate crime or incidents from a customer or their visitor, occupants or representatives

  • Any employee of mhs group who experiences hate crime or incidents from third parties whilst carrying out their duties on behalf of the organisation

Roles and responsibilities

Everyone has the right to live without fear and harassment and so it is important that you report a hate crime or incident whether you have been a victim, a witness or you are reporting on behalf of someone else, for example a friend, family member or for one of your employees at work.

  • mhs homes group will support anyone who raises concerns in good faith under this policy; even if investigation finds that they were mistaken. We will ensure that no one suffers any detrimental treatment as a result of reporting a concern relating to potential act(s) of hate crime or incidents.

  • Detrimental treatment refers to unfavourable treatment for customers, but also includes dismissal, disciplinary action, or unfavourable treatment for staff in relation to the concern the individual has raised. Further details may found in the mhs homes whistleblowing policy to which you should refer.

Hate Crime complaints are treated very seriously no matter who the victim is. The behaviour reported may be considered a crime in law and we will take appropriate action.

Policy Detail

Legal and Regulatory Overview

Section 1.3 of the Neighbourhood and Community Standards states:

  • Registered providers must work in partnership with appropriate local authority departments, the police and other relevant organisations to deter and tackle anti-social behaviour (ASB) and hate incidents in the neighbourhoods where they provide social housing.

Section 2.2 states:

  • Registered providers must clearly set out their approach for how they deter and tackle hate incidents in neighbourhoods where they provide social housing. It also adds: Registered providers must support tenants who are affected by ASB and hate incidents, including by signposting them to agencies who can give them appropriate support and assistance.

  • mhs homes group is committed to reducing hate crime and incidents and will work with our colleagues, those acting on our behalf, individual residents and or group of residents (customers and communities) to tackle hate crime and incidents.

Defining hate crime and incidents

  • Unless stated otherwise, we will use the term hate crime to incorporate hate crime and incidents - although we recognise they are different and will be detailed separately in this policy. It will also outline the responsibilities of individuals and or groups and the process to adhere to when it is considered necessary to report hate crime or an incident, including when a report of hate crime or incident is reported to them.

  • We recognise that hate crime can have a significant negative impact on our colleagues, customers and communities. We take hate crime seriously and aim to balance enforcement action and intervention, with prevention.

  • We will adopt a supportive approach when dealing with victims, witnesses and alleged perpetrators, and will be flexible in our approach to managing incidents, working in partnership with both internal and external partners to tackle it.

  • We all have a duty to keep our community and workplace safe and ensure we report any crime or incident.

  • Reporting, even if you are unsure if what has taken place is a hate crime or incident, is vitally important, it does make a difference and you can stop it happening to someone else.

  • Where a suspected hate crime is reported, we will contact the customer within 1 working day where there is a significant risk to their personal safety, and 2 working days for all other cases.

  • Protected characteristics are specific aspects of a person's identity defined by the Equality Act 2010. The protection relates to ‘protection from discrimination’:

  • The following are the protected aspects of a persons’ identity for the purposes of hate crime or incidents:

  • race or ethnic origin

  • religion or belief including lack of belief/religion

  • sexual orientation

  • transgender identity

  • disability

Partnership working

We recognise and accept our role as a responsible landlord and employer to tackle and prevent hate crime but we also recognise that colleagues, residents and other agencies also share this responsibility, and it will not always be appropriate for mhs homes to lead but will make sure that support is available to individuals who are victims of hate crimes and incidents.

There is no place in mhs homes group for these forms of prejudice and hate and we will do all we can with our partners to tackle this.

We will:

  • Work with partner agencies to raise the profile of hate crime in the local community

  • Work with Kent Police and the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner to respond to hate crime and incidents and community tensions

  • promote third party reporting services

  • work with community organisations on tackling hate crime

  • ensure training is available for all employees of mhs homes

This policy should be read in conjunction with following mhs homes policies:

  • Whistle Blowing

  • Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

  • Dignity at Work

  • Anti-Social Behaviour & Harassment

  • Safeguarding

  • Complaints, and

  • Managing Unreasonable Customer Behaviour

The overarching legislation is the Equality Act 2010; however, the following legislation should be considered where it is identified a hate crime or incident has taken place:

  • Crime and Disorder Act 1998

  • Public Order Act 1986

  • Criminal Justice Act 2003

  • Crime and Policing Act 2026

  • Malicious Communications Act 1988

  • Housing Acts1985, 1988 and 1996

  • Anti-Social Behaviour Crime & Policing Act 2014

  • Homes and Community Standards

  • Anti-terrorism Crime and Security Act 2001

  • Human Rights Act 1998

  • Neighbourhood and community standard 2024

Where it is identified an employee of mhs homes has taken part in a hate crime or incident, they may be found to be in breach of the company policies; and formal investigation will take place in line with our disciplinary process.

Equality statement

mhs homes has a duty to ensure that no person receives less favourable treatment from the organisation on the grounds of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage, civil partnership, pregnancy, religion or belief, race, sex or sexual orientation.

​​​​​​​Data protection

mhs homes will only share information that meets the requirements of the Data Protection Act 2018 and the UK GDPR. Confidentiality and impartiality will be exercised by mhs homes at all times.

Feedback

We welcome suggestions and comments from people who use or provide our services. We believe that this can provide some important lessons to help us ensure that the service is improved for everyone.

If you have something to say about this policy or the information that is provided, then please let us know. Please refer any comments to the author of this document.

Monitoring, Review and Evaluation

This policy will be monitored and reviewed every three years or earlier if necessary or required by legislation, new significant guidance or in response to specific incidents.