Good anti-social behaviour work has never started with enforcement. The four Es (engage, explain, encourage, enforce) describe a graduated approach: talk to people first, be clear about what has to change, support them to change it, and act firmly when they won't.

The Crime and Policing Act 2026 doesn't replace that approach. It strengthens the last step, and it makes the first three matter more. From 26 October 2026, Respect Orders replace the civil injunction for adults in England and Wales. Breach is a criminal offence, and the court can attach positive requirements that tackle the reasons behind the behaviour.

Here's how each E looks now.

1. Engage

Engagement means early, direct contact with everyone involved: the person affected, the person causing the problem and any agencies already working with them. In a noise case, that might be a visit, a call or a letter that names the problem and invites a conversation.

What's new is how much this stage is worth later. The revised Home Office guidance asks agencies to complete a risk assessment before applying for a Respect Order, covering vulnerability, safeguarding and alternatives already tried. A dated record of every contact is the start of that assessment.

2. Explain

People can't change behaviour they don't recognise as a problem. Explaining means setting out clearly what has been reported, why it matters and what happens next if it continues. Acceptable behaviour agreements and warning letters sit here.

Be specific. "Loud music after 11pm on four nights in the last fortnight" lands in a way that "noise complaints" never does, and it's the same detail a court will want to see.

3. Encourage

Encouragement is support: referrals, mediation, tenancy sustainment, and help with whatever is driving the behaviour. A lot of persistent ASB sits alongside poor mental health, drug or alcohol use, or exploitation. The revised guidance puts more weight on this, including cuckooing, and asks practitioners to recognise that some people involved in ASB are also victims.

This is where Respect Orders change things. A court can now require someone to engage with services, such as drug or alcohol treatment or an anger management course, as part of the order. Encouragement no longer has to stop where enforcement starts.

4. Enforce

When engagement, explanation and support haven't worked, enforcement protects the people living with the behaviour. From 26 October, the main tools for noise and ASB teams include:

• Respect Orders for adults, with prohibitions, positive requirements and criminal sanctions for breach.

• Higher fixed penalties: the cap for breaching a Community Protection Notice or PSPO rises from £100 to £500.

• Closure powers for registered social housing providers, who can now issue closure notices themselves.

Every one of these will be tested. A Respect Order application has to satisfy a court, on the balance of probabilities, that the person has engaged in or threatens to engage in anti-social behaviour. A £500 penalty invites appeal. The case you can show is the case you can win.

Why the four Es depend on good records

The four Es only work as a sequence if you can prove the sequence happened. That means a timeline showing what was reported, when you engaged, what you explained, what support was offered, and what happened next.

The Noise App helps teams build that timeline as they go. Residents record noise as it happens, with time-stamped audio and diary entries. Officers review it, add notes and keep the case history in one place, so the evidence and the record of how the case was handled are ready when you need them.

It also helps with victims. The new Local Policing Body review route means more cases will be looked at again. A clear record of every stage makes that conversation easier.

Next steps

• Read our guide to the Crime and Policing Act 2026 and what's in force now.

• Join our free webinar with Jim Nixon and Amy Sturton of the Social Housing Academy in November.

• Book a demo to see how The Noise App captures evidence for every stage of a case.