Providing Quality Homes & Neighbourhoods

How to ComplainHelp us to make things better for you

Introduction

At A1 Housing we are always interested in what you want to tell us. Whether something has gone right or wrong, your feedback is important to us. This booklet tells you how to:

• Make a complaint when things go wrong• Compliment us when things go well• Make a comment or suggestion to help improve our service

Contact us

Our contact details are on the back cover of this booklet, but did you know that you can now get in touch via Facebook? Just search for, Homes Bassetlaw, add us as a friend and look out for the live online surgery our Complaints Officer holds each week.

If you want to visit us in person, you can call into our Property Shops at Worksop and Retford - see back cover for details.

Alternatively you can fill in the form at the back of this booklet, put it in an envelope and post it to our Freepost Address;

A1 Housing Bassetlaw LimitedCustomer ServicesFreepost NEA 11860Carlton Forest HouseHundred Acre LaneWorksopS81 0BR

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Has something gone wrong?

We try to get things right first time but we know that this doesn’t always happen. If something has gone wrong please let us know. We take complaints seriously and learn from our mistakes so we can improve our services.

You should complain if:

• We have not done something we should have done• We have done something badly• We have treated you unfairly or impolitely

Please Note: We cannot accept complaints about issues that happened more than six months ago or policy decisions made by Bassetlaw District Council, e.g. rent increases or the lettings policy.

Who can complain?

We will accept a complaint from any of our customers OR someone they have authorised to act on their behalf, e.g. a relative or friend.

How we will deal with your complaint?

We have a dedicated Complaints Officer who will support and guide you through the process and investigate what went wrong. They will keep you informed and act as your ‘one point’ of contact throughout the process.

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The Complaints Process

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Quite often you tell us something has gone wrong and that you would like it to be sorted out, but you do not want to make a formal complaint. We will still investigate these problems and usually we are able to reach a satisfactory outcome quickly and without following the formal complaint process. These are called Service Issues and we aim to resolve these within fiveworking days. We will write to you to confirm the outcome.

If you would like to submit a formal complaint we follow a two-stage process.

Stage One - Responding to your complaint

When we receive your complaint, the Complaints Officer will;

• Contact you and within three working days send you writtenconfirmation that we have received your complaint

• Offer to visit you in your home to discuss your complaint andexplain the complaints process

• Investigate your complaint fully with representatives from therelevant service area

• Provide you with a full written response within 10 working daysof receiving your complaint

• Act as your ‘one point’ of contact to speak to about any partof your complaint

We hope that you will be happy with the result at the end of stage one but if you are not you should contact our Complaints Officer within four weeks of receiving your response. You will need to tell us why you are not happy and what you would like to happen. We will then arrange for your complaint to move to stage two, the appeal stage.

Stage Two - If you are still not happy

Your complaint will be heard by the appeal panel within 20 working days of your request. You will receive a written response explaining the outcome within five working days of the hearing.

The appeal panel includes:

• A1 Housing’s Managing Director

• A Tenant Board Member from the A1 Housing Board

• A District Councillor from the A1 Housing Board

• A Tenant Representative from Bassetlaw Association ofTenants & Residents Association (BATRA)

You will be invited to attend the initial part of the hearing and be given the opportunity to make a statement.

We hope by the end of this stage, we will have satisfied your complaint. If you are still unhappy you can ask a designated person to look at the complaint and act on your behalf.

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Designated Persons

In April 2013 the Ombudsman service changed. Complaints about A1 Housing will now be handled by the Housing Ombudsman. The Housing Ombudsman is keen to encourage local settlement and has set up a scheme where a Designated Person can act on your behalf if you believe your complaint is unresolved. The Designated Person does not have any powers to make A1 Housing change a policy or carry out a repair but they can mediate, negotiate and if necessary, refer your complaint to the Housing Ombudsman for investigation.

If you would like a Designated Person to consider your complaint please contact the Complaints Officer who will provide you with the relevant contact details.

Designated Persons can be:

• A Bassetlaw District Councillor• A Member of Parliament• A Tenant Panel

You can contact any of the approved Designated Persons and request that they look into your complaint.

After a Designated Person has investigated your complaint, if you wish to proceed to the Housing Ombudsman you can request the Designated Person refer it on your behalf. They do not have to do this if they feel that there are insufficient grounds. However, you can refer it yourself if you wait eight weeks.

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The Eight-Week Rule

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If a Designated Person has decided not to support escalating your complaint to the Housing Ombudsman OR you have decided you do not wish to involve a Designated Person you can contact the Housing Ombudsman direct. However, you can only do so after eight weeks has passed since you received your final written response from A1 Housing.

You can contact the Housing Ombudsman;

In writing to:

Housing Ombudsman Service81 AldwychLondonWC2B 4HN

Tel: 0300 111 3000Fax: 020 7831 1942Email: info@housing-ombudsman.org.uk

Our Complaints Officer will be happy to explain in more detail the role of the Designated Person and the eight-week rule.

Your feedback

Compliments

If we have done something well, or if you think one of our staff deserves a special thank you, please let us know. You can contact us in any of the ways listed on page two of this booklet or see the back cover for contact details.

Comments and suggestions

We welcome your comments and suggestions on our services. If you suggest something that would improve a service and we can put it in place we will publish your idea in our tenant newsletter, In Touch and you may get a reward. You can contact us with your comments and suggestions in any of the ways listed on page two of this booklet.

Learning from your feedback

We use all of your feedback from Service Issues, Complaints, Compliments, Comments and Suggestions to make service improvements. This way we know we are making the improvements that matter to you the most.

You can use the form on the opposite page to make a complaint, compliment, comment or suggestion, or complete it online at www.a1housing.co.uk

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Feedback Form

Are you making a: (Please tick the appropriate box)

Complaint Compliment Comment Suggestion

Your details:

Name: Address:

Postcode: Tel: Best time to contact you: Email:

If you are filling in this form for someone else please give their details below:

Name: Address:

Postcode: Tel:

What is your relationship to this person?

Do you have authority to act on their behalf?:

Yes No Not Sure

If No or Not Sure please ask the person you are representing to sign the following declaration;

I: (insert name) of: (insert address)

authorise the above named person to act on my behalf in relation to any matter relating to the issues raised on this form

If this is a complaint how would you prefer us to contact you?

Telephone Letter Email Other (please state)

If this is a complaint how you would like to see it resolved?

Please give the details of your complaint, compliment, comment or suggestion here:

Signature: Date:

Please Note: It may be necessary to share your personal information with other agencies to allow us to properly investigate your issue. However, please be assured that these agencies will be properly monitored through our data protection agreements.

For more information, contact the Complaints Officer on 0800 590 542 or email customer.services@a1housing.co.uk

0800 590 542

www.a1housing.co.uk

customer.services@a1housing.co.uk

Text us on 07860 021 511

Visit us at:

Retford Property Shop Town Hall, 17B The Square, Retford DN22 6DB

Worksop Property ShopQueens Buildings, Potter Street, Worksop S80 2AH

Head Office - Carlton Forest HouseHundred Acre Lane, Worksop S81 0TS

AllofficesareopenMondaytoFriday8:40amto5:00pm

If you need any help communicating with us or understanding any of our documents, please contact us on 0800 590 542.

We can arrange for a copy of this document in large print, audiotape, Braille or for a Language Line interpreter to help you.

Contact us

Providing Quality Homes & Neighbourhoods

GL07 - 04/13