How we deal with complaints

Complaints explained: The difference between a complaint and a request for service.

A complaint is: “An expression of dissatisfaction, however made, about the standard of service, actions or lack of action by the organisation, its own staff, or those acting on its behalf, affecting an individual resident or group of residents.”

A request for service is:  This is an initial request for service or a question about the service that we provide, these will not be treated as a complaint. We need the opportunity to deal with any requests before a complaint can be considered.

If you are reporting a nuisance around noise, dog fouling, parking or an issue with a neighbour, please do so via our ASB reporting page, where this will be dealt with.

Make Things Right Now

We know that we don’t always get it right, if you talk to us about any issues you have, we will try to resolve them there and then for you.

If we are unable to offer a resolution or you are still unhappy you can raise a complaint. You can make a complaint or compliment in any way that suits you:

Our online Form Make Things Right, over the phone, by email, social media, in person or by letter.

Make Things Right ‘Investigation’ Stage 1

We will:

Acknowledge within 5 working days and advise which staff member will investigate and respond.

Explain within the acknowledgment our understanding of the complaint and the outcomes you are seeking. If any aspect of the complaint is unclear, we will ask for clarification.

We will contact you to find out more about the complaint and discuss a resolution.

We will follow up the call with a written response within 10 working days of the complaint receipt. If it is likely to take longer, we will keep you updated.

If you are dissatisfied with the way the complaint has been investigated, then you can ask for it to be escalated to the review stage. You need to inform us within 20 working days of receiving the stage 1 response.

Make Things Right ‘Review’ Stage 2

Once a stage 2 has been accepted we will:

Acknowledge within 5 working days.

The manager who will review the complaint will contact you to discuss why the resolution at stage 1 was not satisfactory and what we can do to resolve the complaint.

They will check that we have followed our policies and procedures. With your permission they will consult with an involved tenant to make sure the investigation has considered the impact of the complaint from a tenant’s point of view.

They will respond to you within 20 working days of the complaint receipt; if it is likely to take longer, they will keep you updated and aim to respond as quickly as possible once a full review has been undertaken.

If you are still unhappy, and we have exhausted our complaints process, we would advise you to contact the following:

Housing Ombudsman Service

If your complaint goes through both stages and you believe it has still not been resolved to your satisfaction, you can go to the Housing Ombudsman Service, who is independent of Teign Housing. The Housing Ombudsman helps tenants and landlords resolve complaints. More information about the Housing Ombudsman Service can be found on their website. Find the Housing Ombudsman Contact details below:

Website: www.housing-ombudsman.org.uk

Email: info@housingombudsman.org.uk

Phone: 0300 111 3000

Address: Housing Ombudsman Service, PO Box 1484, Unit D, Preston, PR2 0ET

How to make a complaint

Should you wish to continue with making a complaint to Teign Housing, please do so by filling in the online form below and a member of our team will be in touch.

You can download a copy of our Complaints Procedure and Complaints Policy prior to submitting your complaint to us.

If you are reporting a nuisance around noise, dog fouling, parking or an issue with a neighbour, please do so via our ASB reporting page, where this will be dealt with.

 






    Have you already spoken to us?* YesNo



    Have you completed this yourself or on behalf of someone else? MyselfOn behalf of someone else





    Housing Ombudsman Complaint Handling Code

    We are a member of the Housing Ombudsman Service. This is a free and impartial service that investigates complaints made by residents about their landlord.

    The ombudsman has a set of rules for how landlords should deal with complaints. This is called the Complaint Handling Code, and landlords like Teign Housing are legally obliged to follow these requirements. The code makes sure that landlords resolve complaints quickly, and that they learn from them to improve services.

    Every year, landlords must carry out an assessment to make sure they follow the Complaint Handling Code. Our board discussed our assessment in June 2024, and we are pleased to confirm that we fully comply with the code. You can read our assessment here.

    The board discussed that dealing with complaints effectively is a particularly high priority for Teign Housing. We know that every organisation makes mistakes sometimes, and the board places a strong emphasis on making sure that we try to resolve complaints right first time.

    The board also discussed the importance of learning from complaints, so that we continue to improve our services and provide a better experience for our customers. This will include making our learning and actions as specific and measurable as possible.

    The board also emphasised the importance of resident involvement in designing how we work. In July 2024 the Tenants’ Forum will be looking at our Complaints and Compliments Policy and Procedure, and we will use the comments to improve how we work.

    We will be keeping residents informed about our learning from complaints, including through our monthly resident e-zine.

    Compliments

    We want to deliver a good service so please let us know if you think we are doing something well and we will pass on your praise to our staff. You can praise our staff by emailing customerhub@teignhousing.co.uk or calling Customer Services on 01626 322722.