Complaints

Sometimes we get it wrong and when we do, we want to know about this so we can put it right and learn from this.  

We encourage customers to share any concerns with us. We deal with all complaints sensitively, and responsively within agreed response times. You can read more about this in our Complaints Policy here. 

If you make a complaint about one of our employees, they will not be involved in the investigation but will have the opportunity to respond. They will also be kept informed of the investigation’s progress and the outcome of the complaint. 

We treat everyone with dignity and respect and consider the different needs of those making the complaint, as well as our colleagues. 

The Housing Ombudsman has been set up by law to look specifically at complaints about housing organisations. They resolve disputes involving tenants and leaseholders of social landlords. The service is funded by the landlords and free for tenant and leaseholders to use. 

All housing associations are required to demonstrate they comply with the Housing Ombudsman's Code for Handling Complaints. Our latest assessment was reviewed and approved by our Customer Offer Panel – a group of customers who monitor our performance. Read our latest assessment here.

Every year we also publish information about the complaints we have received in our annual report, plus publish performance information to let customers know how we are doing.  

Making a complaint

Man and Woman having an intense conversation

The complaints process

A concern is where someone tells us that they are unhappy with the service they have received, but don’t want to progress the issue as a formal complaint. When someone raises a concern we still record it so we can put things right and learn from it.

Complaints - our commitment to you  

When something has gone wrong, we want you to tell us about it so that we can make it right.  

We promise to: 

  • Deal with all complaints courteously, systematically and fairly. 
  • Apologise if we have done something wrong, or not met our service standards. 
  • Record all complaints and provide you with a reference number. 
  • Have a dedicated Customer Voice Officer who will be your personal contact for your complaint. They will be in regular contact with you throughout the complaints process. 
  • Offer to meet you at each stage of the process and keep your informed in a way that suits you. 
  • Tell you what stage the complaint is at in all our communications, share what we find and outline our response. 
  • Accept complaints made by others who have been authorised to act on your behalf. 
  • Let you know how to contact the Housing Ombudsman Service if you would like your complaint to be independently considered in cases where our complaints process has been exhausted and you remain unhappy. 
  • Comply with your right to make a complaint to your MP or Local Councillor (as a ‘Designated Person’) if you feel we have not resolved your problem. We will acknowledge the communication within 48 working hours and provide a response to the Designated Person within 10 working days of receipt. 

The stages of a formal complaint 

We have two stages for formal complaints. 

 

  • Stage 1

    When we receive your complaint, the Customer Voice Officer will contact you within five working days to discuss the issue with you.  They will thoroughly investigate the complaint with support from the manager involved. They will aim to provide a response to the you within 10 working days. If they need longer to investigate, they will contact you to explain why and provide updated timescales.

  • Stage 2

    If you are unhappy with our response or the issue is complex and needs further investigation, the complaint will be passed to the most senior manager for that area of work. They will contact you within five working days and aim to provide a response to you within 20 working days. If they need longer to complete the investigation, they will contact you and explain why and provide updated timescales.

  • Woman talking during a meeting on her laptop

    Housing Ombudsman

    Escalating your complaint

    If you remain unhappy with our response you can refer your complaint to the Housing Ombudsman Service – an independent government body which investigates individual complaints from tenants, shared owners and leaseholders about their landlords. 

     

    They consider complaints and disputes and may help mediate to find a solution. 

     

    You can contact them: 

    • Online here 
    • By calling 0300 111 3000 
    • By writing to the Housing Ombudsman Service, PO BOX 152, Liverpool, L33 7WQ.