Complaints and Compliments
We are committed to delivering the best possible services to you. We welcome your feedback, which may be in the form of a complaint or compliment as they help us to learn and improve.
Complaints and Compliments GuideWhen 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 six months after you first became aware of the issue.
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.
What happens when I make a complaint?
We will always attempt to solve a complaint at the first point of contact, using our normal practices. There are times when our attempts to resolve complaints 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 2 working days and try and sort the problem out immediately if possible. If we can’t contact you by phone we will send you an acknowledgement of your complaint within 5 working days. If your complaint needs further investigation, we will aim to do this within 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, usually 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
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
We welcome the publication of the Housing Ombudsman’s Complaint Handling Code which provides us with structure and guidance to ensure that making a complaint is easy and accessible and that we listen and respond to what you tell us.
As part of Housing Ombudsman’s requirements, we have to self-assess our complaints service against the Complaint Handling Code.
Read our Self assessment
We have already made changes as a result of the self-assessment:
- As a result of the self-assessment we’ve: adopted the Housing Ombudsman definition of a complaint
- updated our complaints policy and procedure
- improved information on our website to include links to our policy and procedure
- consulted with tenants on the reasonableness of complaint exclusions.
Whilst we can demonstrate we meet the requirements of the Code, we want to continue to improve our complaints services. To do this we will:
- enhance performance management and reporting of complaints within our governance structure and to our tenants
- ensure complaints are further promoted as a positive opportunity for learning and improvement
- improve our communication with customers during the duration of their complaint and make sure they are supported
- make sure our staff are trained and equipped to recognise and deal with complaints.
- further emphasise the authority and autonomy of our dedicated complaints officer in both resolving complaints and receiving positive and timely engagement across our business
- seek feedback from customers on their experience of our complaints process
- share learning from complaint outcomes including what changes are made as a result of these, on a quarterly basis with our tenants
- aim to achieve the Housing Ombudsman’s timescales for providing information.
This has come at a really good time just when we needed it. The house is perfect with two bedrooms – we wouldn’t have been able to afford it without the shared ownership scheme.
This has come at a really good time just when we needed it. The house is perfect with two bedrooms – we wouldn’t have been able to afford it without the shared ownership scheme.