11 How to make a complaint Introduction We are made up of: • Sentinel Housing Group Limited • Oakfern Housing Association Limited; and • Hart Housing Association Limited. We aim to provide a high-quality service to our tenants and other customers. However, from time to time things can go wrong, and we need to know so that we can solve the problem. We would like to hear from you if you have a complaint. This leaflet explains what you can do if you want to complain. We also like to hear from you when you think we have done something well. Our aims We take complaints seriously and aim to: • have a clear and effective procedure for dealing with complaints and appeals; • deal with all complaints quickly, thoroughly and fairly; • find satisfactory solutions (which may sometimes include paying compensation); • explain our decisions; • publicise how complaints and appeals can be made; • use complaints records to improve the service we provide through quality and customer care initiatives; and • publicise our record on complaints. Complaints can be about: • poor standards of service; • the effect of our policy; or • our staff (or representatives – for example, contractors) not being polite, prompt or fair. Who can complain? Complaints can be made by: • tenants; • people applying for housing; • leaseholders; • tenants who have bought their homes under the ‘right to buy’ scheme; • shared owners; • other service users; and • a representative or the person who wants to make a complaint (including local councillors and MPs). We never treat people who make a complaint less favourably in the future. We will keep complaints confidential if necessary, but this can make it difficult to solve the problem. When to complain We encourage and welcome suggestions from you. If you don’t want to make a complaint, please make suggestions. You can do this in writing or by phoning the Customer Service Centre. Please let us know whenever you are not satisfied with the service you have received from us. How to make a complaint Informal approach You should first contact the staff member who has been dealing with the particular matter. You should make it clear to that person what action you would like to sort out the problem. This person is usually the person in the best position to solve the problem. The staff member will deal with your complaint quickly and fairly. However, if you are not happy with the outcome of this approach, you may take your complaint further to the first stage of our formal procedure. Stage 1 – complaint to the service manager You can complain in writing to the Company Secretary or by phoning the Customer Service Centre. When the Company Secretary receives your complaint, he or she will send you an acknowledgement within three working days to tell you which service manager will be investigating the matter. We aim to provide a full response within 10 working days. We will record all complaints in our complaints monitoring database. If you ask us, we will keep your complaint confidential (although this can make it difficult to sort out). The service manager will want to visit you or ask you to come to an appointment. If you feel it would be helpful, you may have a friend or an advisor with you. Stage 2 – complaint to the director If you are still not happy with the outcome of the investigation by the service manager, you can contact the appropriate director by responding in writing within 10 days of our reply. The director will acknowledge your complaint within three working days. The appropriate director will thoroughly investigate the matter and send you a full written response within 10 working days. The director will contact you during the investigation. Stage 3 – appeals complaints panel of the (appropriate) management board If you are still not happy, you may write to the director within 10 days, explaining your reasons and asking for the case to be heard by a panel of the board. This panel will be made up of board members, including a tenants’ representative. You can come to the panel to put your case. The service manager will give you and the panel a written report and the actions taken to deal with your case two days before the panel meets on the complaint. You may also provide written comments to the panel before the meeting. We will ask the panel to meet within 10 working days of receiving your request. The appropriate director will try to agree with you a date and time for the meeting. The panel will hear your complaint and give you a verbal response on the following working day. They will then send you a written response within five working days of the hearing. If the panel needs more time, they will let you know and give you the likely date of another meeting. If you are still not satisfied This is the end of our complaints procedure. If you are still not satisfied, or if you disagree with the outcome of any part of the investigation, you may contact other organisations that can investigate the matter on your behalf. See over the page for more details. Complaint form Please use this form to send us details of your complaint. We will treat any information you give us as confidential. 1 Your name: ................................................................................................................................................ 2 Your address: ................................................................................................................................................ ................................................................................................................................................ 3 Daytime phone number ............................................................................................................................ 4 I am: a Hart tenant an Oakfern Tenant other (please give details) .............................. ..................................................................................... 5 Are you acting on behalf of the person making the complaint? Yes No If ‘Yes’, please ask them to sign here and give their name and address. This will give us the authority to deal with you on their behalf. Their name: ................................................................................................................................................ Their address: ................................................................................................................................................ ................................................................................................................................................ Their signature: ................................................................................................................................................ 6 What is your complaint? (Please give details, the names of the members of staff involved and as much information as possible.) ................................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................................................................... ................................................................................................................................................................... 7 Have you discussed this with anyone at the association? If ‘Yes’, who? Yes No ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 8 How do you want us to deal with the matter? ...................................................................................................................................................................................... ...................................................................................................................................................................................... ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 9 Which of these groups do you consider you belong to? (Tick one box only.) White British Asian or Asian British – Pakistan White Irish Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi White other Asian or Asian British – other Mixed white and black Caribbean Black or black British – Caribbean Mixed white and black African Black or black British – African Mixed white Asian Black or black British – other Mixed other Chinese Asian or Asian British – Indian Other Your signature: ........................................................................................... Date: ............................................... Please return this form to the Company Secretary at: Sentinel Housing Group, 11 Church Road, Fleet, Hampshire GU51 3RH. Independent Housing Ombudsman This service looks into complaints raised by housing association tenants, leaseholders and people applying for housing. The Ombudsman is mainly concerned with ‘maladministration’. This is when an association has done something the wrong way, or done something it should not have done, or has failed to do something it should have done. If we cannot sort out your complaint informally, the Ombudsman may suggest mediation or arbitration, or may carry out a formal investigation. Independent Housing Ombudsman Norman House 105-109 Strand London WC2R 0AA Phone: 020 7836 3630 Fax: 020 7836 3900 Lo-call: 0845 7125 973 E-mail: ombudsman@ihos.org.uk The Housing Corporation If we have no policy or procedure for providing tenants with any of the rights set out in the assured tenants’ charter and shorthold tenants’ charter, you have the right to complain to the Housing Corporation on this issue. The Housing Corporation Leon House High Street Croydon CR9 1UH Phone: 0845 230 7000 Fax: 020 8253 1444 E-mail: southeast.info@housingcorp.gsx.gov.uk Translation service If you would like this handbook on tape or translated into another language, please phone us on 0800 195 5515. Fleet office: Basingstoke office: 11 Church Road Fleet Hampshire GU51 3RH 56 Kingsclere Road Basingstoke Hampshire RG21 6XG Phone: 0800 195 5515 Fax: 01252 788780 Phone: 0800 195 5515 Fax: 01256 844704 E-mail: info@shgl.org.uk Website: www.yourhousing.co.uk SENH011 – 0411