Equity Housing Group Equity Housing Group

Transcription

1 Customer Feedback

2 Customer Feedback We are continually reviewing services for our customers and seeking opportunities to improve. We need you to tell us if we go wrong so that we can put it right. Your opinions are really important to us. We work hard to make sure that we provide a consistently high standard of service to all of our customers. However, if you are not satisfied with any part of our service, please let us know and we will do our best to put things right as soon as possible. If you have a compliment, complaint or any feedback about the level of service you have received from us, this guidance will explain how we investigate this for you. We welcome complaints that involve incidents that have occurred within 12 months of initial contact with us. Those complaints that fall outside of this timescale may not be considered. Compliments - If you feel you have received a good service from us or any of our colleagues have gone the extra mile to help you, please let us know. This will highlight where we have got things right and we will pass on your thanks to the colleague concerned. Comments and suggestions - If you want to make a general comment about our services or have a suggestion on how we can improve the way we do things, please let us know. The views of our customers are an important source of ideas for the future development of our services. Complaints about Colleagues - Depending on the severity of a colleague complaint, a Disciplinary or Capability procedure may need to be invoked. In these circumstances full details of any action taken against individual staff members will not be disclosed to the complainant. Examples of what is NOT considered to be a complaint include: An initial request for a service. Asking for an explanation of a policy or an information sheet. A dispute with a neighbour which can be dealt with in terms of tenancy agreement or Anti-Social Behaviour Policy. Where the complainant is taking legal action against Equity Housing Group Limited on the same issue or Equity Housing Group Limited is taking legal action against the complainant on the same issue services for which Equity Housing Group is not responsible. A complaint submitted six months or more after the issue occurred. 1 Equity Housing Group / Customer Feedback

3 Stage 0: Contact made to the Customer Solutions Team Service Failure/Expression of Dissatisfaction In our experience, our colleagues can sort out most problems quickly. Our teams are here to help you and they are experienced in dealing with problems confidentially and efficiently. Contact the Customer Solutions Centre to speak to a member of the team, or alternatively you can or write to us. Customer Solutions Team Write to us at Equity Housing Group, Armitt House, Monmouth Road, Cheadle Hulme, Cheadle, Cheshire, SK8 7EF us at feedback@equityhousing.co.uk We will try to resolve your enquiry as soon as possible; however when your query needs further investigation your complaint will be passed to the feedback team. Equity Housing Group / Customer Feedback 2

4 Stage 1: Investigation by our Customer Feedback Team If we were unable to resolve your complaint you can request an escalation to a Stage 1 complaint. You can do so in a variety of ways: Call our Customer Solutions Team on Write to us at Equity Housing Group, Armitt House, Monmouth Road, Cheadle Hulme, Cheadle, Cheshire, SK8 7EF us at feedback@equityhousing.co.uk Within three working days of escalation to Stage 1, you will receive a written acknowledgment from the feedback team. This letter will tell you how your complaint will be investigated and you will receive a written response within 10 working days. 3 Equity Housing Group / Customer Feedback

5 Stage 2: Investigation by a Head of Service/ Executive Director If you are still not satisfied that your complaint has been resolved, you can take your complaint to the next stage. You can contact us via any of the above mentioned methods. You will receive a formal acknowledgement within three working days. Your case will be passed to the relevant Head of Service or an Executive Director who will take a fresh look at your complaint. Usually the colleaque assigned to investigate your Stage 2 complaint will visit you at your home to discuss the details. A full written response will be sent to you within 10 working days. If you still feel that your complaint has not been resolved satisfactorily you can move to the next stage of the complaints process. Equity Housing Group / Customer Feedback 4

6 Stage 3: Complaint to a Complaints Panel To request that your complaint is investigated by a Complaints Panel, you can contact us via the above mentioned methods. Your details will be passed to the Customer Engagement Specialist, who will arrange for a Complaints Panel to be held. A Hearing will be arranged within 20 working days of your request. You can attend the Hearing in person and bring a friend or relative for help and support, or you can present your case in writing. At the Hearing, a panel of Equity Housing Group Board Members will listen to your complaint and provide you with a final written decision detailing their findings and the outcome of your complaint. 5 Equity Housing Group / Customer Feedback

7 The Housing Ombudsman Service If you have completed all of the stages of the formal complaints procedure and are still not satisfied, you can contact the Housing Ombudsman Service (HOS) who may conduct an unbiased and private investigation. The Housing Ombudsman Service welcomes complaints that involve incidents that have occurred within 6 months of contacting us. Those complaints that fall outside of this timescale may not be heard. You can contact the Housing Ombudsman Service yourself after a period of 8 weeks has elapsed since the last stage of our internal complaints procedure and ask the Ombudsman to investigate your complaint. You can also ask a designated person to refer your complaint once you have exhausted our internal complaints procedure, you do not have to wait 8 weeks before you do this. As part of the Localism Act 2011 designated persons were introduced by the Government to improve the chances of complaints about housing being resolved locally. When a landlord s internal complaints procedure is finished tenants of housing associations and local authorities can ask for their complaint to be considered by a designated person. A designated person is any Local Councillor or MP. Equity Housing Group / Customer Feedback 6

8 For direct contact with the Housing Ombudsman Service Housing Ombudsman Service Aldwych House 81 Aldwych London WC2B 4HN Telephone: Web site: 7 Equity Housing Group / Customer Feedback

9 Feedback Form Please complete with a ball point pen. Name Address Daytime telephone number Mobile number address Is this a: Compliment Comment Complaint Please give details If this is a complaint, what action would you expect to resolve this?! Please use the space provided on page 10 for any additional information. Equity Housing Group / Customer Feedback 8

10 ! Have you already spoken to one of our colleagues about this? Yes No If so who? Monitoring information for assistance 1 Are you Male Female 2 Age Do you consider yourself or any one in your household to be disabled? Yes No If yes, do you require any further assistance from us when handling your complaint? Yes No 4 Is English your first language? Yes No If no, do you require any further assistance from us when handling your complaint? Yes No Once completed please detach this form and return it to: Equity Housing Group Armitt House Monmouth Road Cheadle Hulme CHEADLE SK8 7EF 9 Equity Housing Group / Customer Feedback

11 Additonal information Equity Housing Group / Customer Feedback 10

12 Easy to Follow Complaints Guide Stage 1 Reviewed by Feedback Team. We will contact you to make sure we have the correct details and will acknowledge your complaint within 3 working days. We will offer you an outcome within 10 working days. t You are satisfied with the outcome. t If you are not satisfied with the outcome please contact us within 10 working days and tell us why. t Go to Stage 2. u You are satisfied with the outcome. u If you are not satisfied with the outcome please contact us within 10 working days and tell us why. u Go to Stage 3. Stage 2 We will contact you within 3 working days of accepting your appeal. The Head of Service or Director assigned to your case may arrange a home visit and you can expect an outcome within 10 working days. Stage 3 We will contact you within 3 working days of accepting your appeal and a Complaints Panel Hearing will be arranged within 20 days. We will invite you to appeal your case and this will be heard by a complaints panel. A full written response will be sent to you within 10 working days. THIS IS THE END OF OUR INTERNAL PROCESS. t You are satisfied with the outcome. t If you still feel dissatisfied you can contact a designated person or wait 8 weeks and contact the Housing Ombudsman Service. Please be aware due to Data Protection legislation, there may be occasions when some information cannot be disclosed to a complainant. An example of this may be when the information is pertinent only to another customer and not appropriate to the complainant. If you need a translation service please contact our Customer Solutions Team on or visit our website at This publication is available in large print, audio and Braille formats. Please ask us about the areas of our business covered by the Financial Ombudsman Service. Financial services complaints we cannot settle may be referred to the Financial Ombudsman Service. Equity Housing Group, Armitt House, Monmouth Road, Cheadle Hulme, Cheadle, Cheshire, SK8 7EF V2_03/16