Complaints

How to complain
Simply complete the form at the bottom of this page or contact us by your preferred method (email, web message, phone, post etc) telling us:

 

• What the problem is, giving details where possible, such as dates and names
• What you would like to see happen next
• How best to contact you

 

We ask that you tell us about any problems within 12 months of the issue occurring.

 

We aim to respond to your complaint within 10 working days. The vast majority of problems are resolved at this point. In the event that you are not happy with our response, we will refer the issue to our Customer Experience team who will investigate and respond within a further 20 working days. This will be our final response.

 

What can you expect from our response?

Our response to your complaint should meet our customer-approved quality standard. This includes:

 

• Structure: the response should be well set-out and easy to read
• Content: content will be relevant and comprehensive
• Clarity: communication will show a good understanding of the problem, with clear explanations of how a decision has been reached. Timescales and responsibility for agreed actions should be clear.
• Accuracy: information provided will be accurate
• Tone: our response should be professional
• Empathy: communications should demonstrate consideration and be sincere
• Accountability: we will acknowledge any failings on our part
• Transparency: information will be honest, accurate and reliable
• Timeliness: the response will be issued in agreed timeframes

 

Still unhappy?

If you have been through our complaints process and are not satisfied, you have the right for your complaint to be considered by the Independent Housing Ombudsman. You can contact the Ombudsman at any time for impartial advice.

 

Housing Ombudsman Service

Housing Ombudsman Service

PO Box 1484
Unit D
Preston
PR2 0ET

Telephone: 0300 111 3000

Email: [email protected]

 

Help making a complaint

If you are not confident about communicating your complaint, you are entitled to have a friend, family member or other advocate act on your behalf. We will need your permission to share your information with this person. You can find our permissions form on our website or contact us for help.

 

If you have a disability, health condition or other circumstance that means you need additional support to progress your complaint, please get in touch. We can make adjustments such as:

 

• Arranging a sign language interpreter
• Visiting you to explain our response instead of sending a letter
• Agreeing specific contact times

 

There is also advice on making a complaint on the Housing Ombudsman’s website www.housing-ombudsman.org.uk.

 

Complaints reports

To see a copy of our self-assessment against the Housing Ombudsman's complaint handling code, please click here. You can also see a copy of our annual complaints report here.

 

Jo Boswell, Chair of our Customer Experience Committee, comments on these reports: "It’s good to see that our focus on this area means that we are now answering complaints within timescales. It is also reassuring to see that checks have been carried out so we know we have a genuine drop in complaint numbers and that we’re not simply making it hard for people to complain. What is very clear is the need to keep customers better informed through the process and this is an area for ongoing focus.”