Make a complaint

Between 1 April 2022 and 31 March 2023, we received eight complaints from residents.

Four complaints were about repairs, which were all resolved at stage 1 of our process. This included replacing old appliances and awarding compensation where our high standards were not entirely met.

Four complaints were about housing services, specifically around our policies and three were resolved at stage 1, with one being awarded compensation for a delay in service provision. The remaining complaint was investigated by the Housing Ombudsman Service, because the resident was not happy with our initial response. No failure in service was found.

In each case, we apologised for a reduced standard of service, or we explained why things were done in a certain way. We took failings back to contractors, to make sure things improve for the future.

Although we try to deliver a good service at all times, occasionally things can go wrong. If this happens we would like to hear from you.  Your comments are important to us as we use them to try to improve our service to you.

How to complain

This can be by email, phone, letter, face to face, website or social media. We can accept a complaint over the phone, noting the complaint details in your own words and emailing/sending the notes to you (with an SAE) to confirm or correct as needed.

You can use the contact form or you can call the office to request a form to fill in by hand. You can also download the fillable form here which you can email back to us: Complaint form 2023

When to make a complaint
Please make a complaint if our service is poor or if it has left you dissatisfied or unhappy. For example, you might want to complain if:

  • we fail to carry out a repair;
  • staff or contractors have been unhelpful;
  • we have given you incorrect information;
  • we, or the people we employ, are treating certain groups of people unfairly; or
  • we have not done something we should have done. If your home or an item in it needs a repair or replacement, please report this as a repair (see your handbook leaflet: Repairs and maintenance).

If something has gone wrong but you do not want to make a complaint, please either write to us explaining what has happened or send a message from the Contact Us page.

If something does go wrong, please make your complaint as quickly as possible. Unfortunately we cannot deal with complaints about something that happened more than six months ago.

What happens when I make a complaint?
We acknowledge complaints within 5 working days.
• The manager of the relevant service area will contact you to discuss your complaint and see if it can be resolved at this point.
• Your complaint is discussed at the Complaints & Resolutions meeting, which is a group made up of officers and managers from housing management and property services. It also includes members of the Management Team.
• Stage 1 response will be within 10 working days from the receipt of the complaint. Where this is not possible, we will notify you why there is a delay and a full reply will be no later than 20 working days from receipt.
• If the complaint is not resolved to your satisfaction, you may request to progress to stage 2. It is not always appropriate to escalate a case to stage 2 and if this happens we will explain why.
• At stage 2, your complaint will be considered by the Complaints Panel, which is a sub-group from the Association’s Board and a member of our resident panel.
• Stage 2 response will be within 20 working days from the escalation request. Where this is not possible, we will notify you why there is a delay and a full reply will be no later than 30 working days from escalation.
• If you remain dissatisfied, you can request a review of the way the complaint has been handled, rather than referring the matter to the Housing Ombudsman. Regrettably, we cannot consider requests to review a complaint when these are made more than six months after the complaint is closed.

What if I am still not satisfied?
If you are not happy with the outcome, we can pass your complaint to a small panel of members of our board called the complaints panel. They will look at all the relevant papers and the way we have handled your complaint. The panel will invite you to a meeting to make your case in person, although you do not need to go.  You can, of course, have someone with you to support or represent you.

Can I take my complaint to anyone else if I am not satisfied with your response?

You can contact the Housing Ombudsman Service at any time during the complaint process at:

PO Box 152, Liverpool L33 7WQ

Email: info@housing-ombudsman.org.uk. 0300 111 3000 or complete their online form. 

https://www.housing-ombudsman.org.uk/contact-us/

Self-assessment 2022

You can get leaflets about the Housing Ombudsman direct from the Ombudsman Service or from our office.

You can also ask your local MP or a Councillor to assist you. 

Leaseholders are not able to take their complaint to the Housing Ombudsman

Service but instead should take it to the First Tier Tribunal.

Compensation
If we fail to meet any of our obligations you may be able to claim compensation. We have our own compensation policy which covers certain circumstances. Or, you can contact the housing services manager or get independent advice.

We do not pay compensation following damage to your home or its contents after, for example, a water leak, unless it is clear that we have been negligent in repairing the property. We strongly advise you to make sure that you are adequately insured for these circumstances.  Please ask for a copy of our compensation policy.

What we do with complaints
We monitor complaints to make sure that we respond within the time limits we set ourselves. We review the progress of all complaints at the fortnightly complaints and resolutions meeting.  Our management team reviews complaints once a year.

Any other questions
If you have any other questions, please contact the complaints officer at our office.

If you need any more complaints forms you can get them from the office.

 We are committed to fair treatment in employment and service delivery.

 

Make a complaint

This is an online form for a resident of Keniston Housing Association to make a complaint.

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