Complaints and Compliments

How can I make a complaint?

If you are dissatisfied with any service provided by us or one of our contractors, you can make a complaint by any of the ways detailed in the Complaints Guide. You can also use the Complaints Form. We will not normally consider a complaint that is made more than twelve months after you first became aware of the issue. We will always attempt to solve a complaint at the first point of contact, using our normal practices.

What is not a complaint?

A complaint is not a first request for a service, or a request for information or explanation of our policies or practices. A report of nuisance from a neighbour wouldn’t be dealt with through our complaints process. This is because we have a different procedure for dealing with neighbour disputes and anti-social behaviour.

There are times when our attempts to resolve issues at this point are not possible and it is necessary to investigate these using our formal complaint process detailed:

What happens when I make a complaint?

There are times when our attempts to resolve issues at this point are not possible and it is necessary to investigate these using our formal complaint process detailed:

Resolution

When we receive your complaint, we will call you within 5 working days to acknowledge. We will then investigate your complaint and provide a response with 10 working days.

Review

If you are not satisfied with the way we have resolved or dealt with your complaint you can ask for a review, giving the reason why you remain dissatisfied and the outcome you are looking for. Your review will be carried out by a Head of Service or Director, and they will provide their response within 20 working days.

Housing Ombudsman Service

If you are not satisfied with the outcome of your complaint at the end of our complaints process you can contact the Housing Ombudsman. The Housing Ombudsman will usually only look at your complaint once it has been through all steps of our own complaint process.

For more information please visit the Ombudsman’s website: www.housing-ombudsman.org.uk

Useful documents:

Compliments and Complaints Guide

Complaints policy

We really appreciate your feedback and its always good to receive compliments to let us know we’re getting things right.  We use this to help us learn and improve.  You might be thinking:

When can I give a compliment ?
Anytime you want! compliments are very motivating for staff as well as allowing us to share good customer experiences across the business. Your comments and ideas help us improve further.

How can I give a compliment?

Please use the Compliments Form

Complaints Performance Service Improvement Report 24-25

Appendix 1 – Annual Self-Assessment 2024-2025

Appendix 2 – Landlord Report – Bernicia Group 2024-2025

Avril Gibson, Deputy Board Chair, Chair of the Customer Services Committee and Member Responsible for Complaints, has made the following statement in response to the report:

As the Board Member responsible for complaints, I welcome this year’s Complaints Performance and Service Improvement Report along with the self-assessment against the Housing Ombudsman’s Complaint Handling Code. These have been developed with our Tenant Voice Panel and our Customer Service Committee before being presented to Bernicia Group Board.

The report highlights the significant progress we’ve made over the past year in strengthening our complaints approach and ensuring that tenant feedback leads to meaningful service improvements. We’ve worked hard to embed a more open and constructive complaints culture and a one that values complaints as opportunities to learn and improve.

I’m particularly pleased to note the improvement in our response times towards the end of the year, reflecting the organisation’s commitment to resolving issues quickly and fairly as well as the increase in customer satisfaction when it comes to handling complaints.

Improving the quality and consistency of our complaint handling has also been supported by greater internal guidance and tools. Colleagues are now equipped with clearer processes and more targeted training, enabling them to respond more effectively and empathetically to complaints.

A key focus this year has been on addressing repairs related complaints as we recognise the importance of getting repairs right first time. We are pleased to report that our new Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system is playing a vital role in achieving this. It is improving how we log, track, and respond to repair issues, helping us to keep customers better informed and reduce avoidable delays.

As Deputy Board Chair, I am assured by the progress detailed in this report and confirm we are on the right track to continue this journey. We will continue to maintain oversight to ensure that improvements are sustained and that resident voices remain central to how we shape and deliver services.

Finally, I want to thank our tenants for their continued feedback, and our colleagues for their dedication to delivering a better experience. This report reflects how we are listening, learning, and acting on feedback to deliver high standards of service across the organisation.