Complaints Procedure Policy.
Grove Community Housing Association (GCHA) aims to provide a quality service, but we recognise that there may be occasions when it falls short of what our customers should expect. This complaints procedure allows your complaints to be addressed and helps us improve our service.
WHAT IS A COMPLAINT?
We want to distinguish between informal complaints or requests and those where we should apply our formal complaints procedure.
Informal complaints or requests
These would include such things as asking for a repair to be carried out or reminding us that it had not been done. Normally we would just discuss it with you informally, take a note of the matter and take appropriate action.
Formal complaints
These will be complaints about our standard of service, or decisions we have made where you want a formal assessment and normally a written response.
Anonymous complaints
Following a consultation with GCHA’s Tenant Voice Group, it has been agreed that the Association will not respond to any anonymous complaints. All people are encouraged to make complaints in line with the current complaints policy.
Neighbour nuisance and anti-social behaviour
This will be dealt with under separate procedures as they are complaints about the behaviour of other people, not our service. If, however, you consider that we are not taking appropriate action, you may make a formal complaint about the standard of service we are providing.
FORMAL COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE
Stage 1. Tell us about your complaint
It is helpful if you will tell us about your complaint in writing and we have a form that you may find useful for this. You may also report your complaint verbally by phone, at our office or we can call at your home. Bring a friend or advocate if that would help. Our contact details are as follows:
Grove Community Housing Association
171 York Road
Belfast
BT15 3HB
Telephone: 028 9077 3330
E-mail: info@groveha.org.uk
Your complaint will be logged, and a file will be opened.
Stage 2. Action by the relevant staff member
The appropriate staff member for the complaint will investigate the matter and respond in writing, or other means if that suits you better, within 5 working days. If it is going to take longer than this to investigate, this initial response will acknowledge the complaint and let you know when a full response to your complaint can be given.
Stage 3. Review by the Chief Executive
If you are not satisfied with the response you have received, please let us know and the matter will be reviewed by the Chief Executive and a reply sent within 10 working days.
Stage 4. Review by the Board
If you are not satisfied with the Chief Executive’s response, please let us know and the matter will be referred to the Board. If you prefer to put your complaint to the Board in person, we will try to arrange this. You are welcome to bring someone with you.
Stage 5. Review by the Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman
Tenants have a right to bring complaints about the Association to the Ombudsman. The Ombudsman normally expects a tenant to have used the Association’s internal complaints procedure before bringing a complaint o his office. Contact details are as follows:
For letters: NI Public Services Ombudsman,
Freepost NIPSO
Visiting office: NI Public Services Ombudsman,
Progressive House
33 Wellington Place
Belfast
BT1 6HN
Opening hours: 9.00am – 5.00pm
Telephone: 0800 34 34 24 (Freephone)
028 9023 3821 (Switchboard)
E-mail: nipso@nipso.org.uk
Website: www.nipso.org.uk