Post 84 – 30/03/25 – Problem No. 4 – Reporting (10 Minute Read)

+ Introduction

This post varies slightly from the others in that it does not look at a problem caused by Royal Holloway’s expansion but a problem associated with the management of the problems: the problem of reporting.

‘Reporting’ is the process of making a complaint to an appropriate authority in order for it to be addressed. 

The topic is big and we could look at it at the granular level (we could look at the problems of reporting associated with each type of problem, each agency) but the problems are actually generic and transcend all scenarios with perhaps the exception of parking enforcement that are ruthlessly efficient. (No surprise there – when you monetise things, things tend to improve.)

As is the theme, the problems will be identified and a proposed solution presented.

And as before, you are then invited to discuss the issue and proposed solution in WNTTARH’s WhatsApp group, Forum. (See link to this group in the footnote.)

+ Definition & Identification

📣 Types of problems that can be reported include:

  • Anti-Social Behaviour (EG From an HMO)
  • ASB/ Noise In Street
  • Overflowing Bins
  • Unkempt Gardens/ Yards
  • Bins Left Out On Days Other Than Bin Day
  • Estate Agent Signs
  • Inconsiderate/ Illegal Parking

📣 Reporting serves two fundamental purposes. These are:

  • To provide a resolution to a resident’s problem/ concern.
  • To build an evidence base so that the data collected can be used to manage a problem.

📣 Apathy. Many residents however don’t report. A number of reasons have been identified, some are listed below:

  • Time. Reporting takes time.
  • Convoluted. Reporting is convoluted. Residents are uncertain where to send their complaints.
  • Lack of Resolution. Many residents don’t get a satisfactory resolution so don’t report. (For a specific incident or indeed a chronic problem.) 
  • Poor Technology – Poorly designed online forms designed to make life easier for the agency lead to the user backing out or being unable to complete his report.
  • Self Management. Often seen in cases of ASB. Varying from conversations to request change in behaviour to damage to property and indeed in some rare cases, assault.

📣 Inaccurate Recording Of Reports

  • If reports are made, they are often not recorded in the correct place or are not recorded at all. EG Surrey Police with ASB. We know of student ASB incidents that have been reported but when we have looked at the data the report is not visible. 
  • This is also true for reports to RBC. In Englefield Green East, according to RBC, there were no reports made about overflowing bins/ bins left out other than bin day for 2023/4 period. This is inaccurate as we know of hundreds of incidents and 10s if not hundreds or reports. Subsequently, no change of management occurs. Indeed, some agencies can report that there is indeed no problem.
  • And possibly the worst culprit is RHUL, here categorisation of types of report change and like-for-like periods vary. Results can then be presented in a way that shows problems are in a state of continuous decline, which of course they are happy to promote.

📣 An Ineffective and Inefficient Memorandum Of Understanding

The agencies, Surrey Police, Runnymede Borough Council and Royal Holloway, have signed a Memorandum Of Understanding. The purpose of the MOU is to share data in order to manage the problems. As we understand it, the MOU fails to share data effectively (as highlighted by Insp. James Wyatt, Surrey Police in 2022) and certainly does little with the data to manage the problem. 

+ Proposed Solution

  • A single ‘capture all’ point of contact for residents to direct problems to for all matters pertaining to Royal Holloway, managed by Royal Holloway.
  • The contact point to be manned 24/7, 365 days a year.
  • The problem, whatever it is, is then triaged by the call handler. This may mean dispatching security to investigate an incident that is occuring in the community. Or it may mean allocating the issue to one of the agencies to pick up. The agent would also be responsible for ensuring that the report is recorded in the correct place.
  • Each problem would also be allocated a unique incident number that would be given to the resident at the point of reporting. The resident can then check up on the incident. Finally, the agent would advise as to when the incident is resolved and the steps that have been taken.
  • The scheme would be promoted to Egham & Englefield residents throughout the year. A hard copy mail drop of the single point of contact would be promoted every 12 months.
  • The scheme to be sponsored by RHUL.

+ Rationale

  • Having a central reporting point where incidents are triaged by a dedicated agent will help overcome many of the problems highlighted in the ‘Definition & Identification’ section.
  • Royal Holloway sponsoring the scheme will remove the burden from the taxpayer.

+ Conclusion

Having multiple places to report incidents is both inefficient and ineffective for both the resident and the agencies.

It may suit the agencies today to continue with the status quo, and it is of great benefit to Royal Holloway and the SLT’s growth plans, but it does not suit the residents.

If there are no reports, that does not mean there are no problems. On the ground this is not the reality. Overly convoluted reporting procedures, poor recording and lack of resolution all lead to the landscape being opaque. And then trying to manage the problems whilst impaired near on impossible.

In the coming weeks, we will be inviting Helen Clark, Corporate Head of Environmental Services at Runnymede Borough Council and Insp. Ian Nash, Surrey Police to highlight our concerns once more about this topic.

Best wishes,

We Need To Talk About Royal Holloway

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