Section 1: Definition of a complaint
Code provision 1.2
Requirement
A complaint must be defined as: ‘an expression of dissatisfaction, however made, about the standard of service, actions or lack of action by the landlord, its own staff, or those acting on its behalf, affecting a resident or group of residents.’
Do we comply?
Yes
Evidence
Our online Comments, Compliments and Complaints procedure.
Commentary / explanation
This is defined within our Comments, Compliments and Complaints procedure. The section titled ‘What is a complaint?’ specifies: ‘A complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction, however made, about the standard of service, actions or lack of action by the Council, its staff, or those acting on behalf of the Council, affecting an individual citizen or group of citizens.’
Code provision 1.3
Requirement
A resident does not have to use the word ‘complaint’ for it to be treated as such. Whenever a resident expresses dissatisfaction landlords must give them the choice to make complaint. A complaint that is submitted via a third party or representative must be handled in line with the landlord’s complaints policy.
Do we comply?
Yes
Evidence
Our online Comments, Compliments and Complaints procedure.
Commentary / explanation
Our residents do not have to use the word ‘complaint’ for it to be treated as such. This is defined within our Comments, Compliments and Complaints procedure.
The section titled ‘Who can make a complaint’ specifies: ‘The Council will accept complaints from anyone who has used or been affected by a service provided by or on behalf of the Council. The Council will also accept complaints from anyone who is acting on behalf of a service user with their knowledge and consent.’
Code provision 1.4
Requirement
Landlords must recognise the difference between a service request and a complaint. This must be set out in their complaints policy. A service request is a request from a resident to the landlord requiring action to be taken to put something right. Service requests are not complaints, but must be recorded, monitored and reviewed regularly.
Do we comply?
Yes
Evidence
Our online Comments, Compliments and Complaints procedure.
Commentary / explanation
This is defined within our Comments, Compliments and Complaints procedure. In section titled ‘What is a service request?’ it states:
‘Complaints and service requests can be closely related. A service request is a request for a service made for the first time, where it couldn't be reasonably expected that this should already have been actioned.
When assessing whether to treat a contact as a complaint or a service request each case will be considered on its individual merits, and consideration may be given to the following factors. This list is not exhaustive:
- Whether the customer has been made aware of the complaints procedure and has identified their contact as being a complaint
- What the expression of dissatisfaction is about
- The tone of the correspondence
- What the customer would like to happen next
- Whether the matter has already been treated as a service request’
As a landlord we recognise the difference between a service request and a complaint. We follow the Housing Ombudsman definition on this matter.
Code provision 1.5
Requirement
A complaint must be raised when the resident expresses dissatisfaction with the response to their service request, even if the handling of the service request remains ongoing. Landlords must not stop their efforts to address the service request if the resident complains.
Do we comply?
Yes
Evidence
Our online Comments, Compliments and Complaints procedure.
Commentary / explanation
As per our Comments, Compliments and Complaints procedure, we will consider ‘Whether the matter has already been treated as a service request’.
Front line staff are trained to recognise expressions of dissatisfaction as potential complaints, empowered to offer to log them as such, and staff are aware that a complaint being logged should not prevent any immediate actions being taken or delay anything already in progress.
Code provision 1.6
Requirement
An expression of dissatisfaction with services made through a survey is not defined as a complaint, though wherever possible, the person completing the survey should be made aware of how they can pursue a complaint if they wish to. Where landlords ask for wider feedback about their services, they also must provide details of how residents can complain.
Do we comply?
Yes
Evidence
n/a
Commentary / explanation
Residents completing surveys through our website are provided with the link to the part of our website with details on how to make a complaint.
Staff carrying out consultations and events with residents are aware of how to recognise complaints and encouraged to advise residents of how they can make a complaint or take the details and pass them to the Customer Care & Complaints team.
We also gather real-time transactional satisfaction performance on completion of repairs & gas servicing, with direct interventions by team leaders/planners where satisfaction is less than required.
Residents completing our STAR survey were provided with the details on how they can make a complaint if they wish to do so.
