The Association tries to provide the best possible service, but we don’t always get it right. When this happens we want to know about it. You have the right to complain.
We treat complaints very seriously. If we have made a mistake, if our service is not to your satisfaction or if there is a problem with your flat which is our fault, we will apologise and try to remedy the situation as quickly as possible.
What is a complaint?
We treat the following as a complaint:
- Failure to provide a service.
- Failure to achieve standards or quality of service.
- Dissatisfaction with policy or practice.
- Unhelpful staff.
- Failure to fulfill responsibilities.
- Wrong information being given.
We will not treat the following as complaints:
- Requests for information or explanation of policies and procedures.
- Requests for a service or repair. (However, if the repair is not carried out it becomes a complaint.)
- Anonymous complaints.
- Disputes and or disagreements between neighbours which do not constitute a breach of tenancy.
Who can complain?
- Our complaints procedure is open to everyone who receives or requests a service from the Association, and people acting on their behalf.
How to complain
You should firstly contact the Housing Manager, who will try to sort out the problem.
You can, if you wish, write to the Association giving full details of the complaint. We would, however, prefer you to use the complaint form. The staff at Head Office will help you with this.
Please note that you must always put your complaint in writing if it is about:
- neighbours
- members of staff
- contractors
- or when you have already reported it to the Housing Manager and are still dissatisfied
We would ask that you include as much detail as possible in order that your complaint may be investigated.
How your complaint or appeal is dealt with
There are various stages you can follow if you remain dissatisfied, and maximum lengths of time you can expect to wait for a response. If we fail to respond within these times, you have the right to go to the next stage of the procedure.
| Stage 1: |
Contact the Scheme Housing Manager about the complaint.
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| Stage 2: |
If this does not sort out the problem, write to the Director of Housing. A full response is offered within 10 days.
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| Stage 3: |
If you are still dissatisfied, write to the Chief Executive within 7 days, who will review the complaint and respond within 10 days to agree an appropriate way to resolve matters. Should you not respond within 7 days the Association will consider the matter to be at an end. The most likely options to be offered to you will be to refer your appeal to mediation or to the Association’s Complaints Panel. The Complaints Panel is made up of three members of the Association’s Main Board (one of whom must be a chairman of a Sub Committee that reports to the main Board).
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| Stage 4: |
If you agree to mediation, we will arrange for a mutually agreed independent, qualified mediator to hear your appeal and to consider the Association’s response. The mediator will try to resolve your complaint.
If you appeal to the Complaints panel, a meeting will be convened (normally within 4 weeks of your request). The panel will consider a written report about your complaint. You have the right to see the report before it goes to the Complaints Panel and your comments can be included. You will also be given the option of presenting your complaint, in person, to the Complaints Panel. You will receive a full response within 5 working days of the meeting.
Even if you initially decide against mediation, the option remains available by mutual agreement until the Complaints Panel has reached a decision. Once this has happened, mediation is no longer an option.
The decision of the Complaints Panel is final, and the Appeals Procedure within the Association is at an end.
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Are there other remedies?
As a Housing Association tenant, you can appeal to the Independent Housing Ombudsman if you believe that the Association has not dealt properly with your complaint. However, the Ombudsman will normally not investigate until the Association’s internal Complaints Procedure has been completed.
You may only approach the Ombudsman directly after 8 weeks have elapsed from the date of the final decision given by jLiving.
Alternatively you may contact your local MP or Councillor who may be able to help you to resolve your complaint or they can refer your complaint directly to the Ombudsman with your consent without waiting for 8 weeks to elapse.