Complaints FAQs

When should I log a formal complaint?

If you feel that we have failed to provide a service that meets your expectations or our published standards, please tell us so we can put things right. We will do all we can to sort things out to your satisfaction straight away. If we do not resolve the problem for you, you may want to register a formal complaint.

How can I log a formal complaint?

• Using our online Complaints, Comments and Compliments form
• Send an e-mail to complaints_C33@circleanglia.org or if you are a Leaseholder, send an e-mail to complaints_C&L@circle.org.uk.
• Send a letter by post to: Complaints Co-ordinator, 1-7 Corsica Street,
  London, N5 1JG
• Call our Customer Contact Centre on 0800 073 0417 or 020 7447 3100 and a Customer Service Advisor will be happy to take details of your complaint over the phone.
• Visit one of our offices in person.

What information should I include in my complaint?

Please tell us exactly what it is that you are unhappy about and what you would like Circle 33 to do to. Please include all details relevant to the complaint as this will help us in resolving the matter for you as quickly as possible.

What will happen after I make a formal complaint?

Within three working days of receiving your complaint, our Complaints Co-ordinator will log the complaint, allocate a Complaint Reference Number and send you a letter acknowledging your complaint. The letter will advise you of the Complaint Reference Number, the name of the staff member who will be investigating and responding to your complaint and the timescale for a response.

Our policy specifies that we must aim to send a response to your complaint within 10 working days of the matter being logged. A copy of our “Putting Things Right – A Guide to Making a Complaint” leaflet will also be sent to you with the Complaint Co-ordinator’s letter.

Within the 10 working day investigation and response period, we will contact you personally to you to discuss the matter and try to reach agreement with you about an appropriate solution. After discussion with you they will write to you to confirm the actions that have been or will be taken to resolve your complaint.

What should I do if I am dissatisfied with the response I receive at Stage 1 of the Complaints Procedure?

If you are not satisfied with our response to your complaint at Stage 1, please contact us within 28 days of receiving our letter. Explain the reasons why you remain unhappy and outline what you would like Circle 33 to do to resolve the matter to your full satisfaction.

Within three working day of receiving your request to escalate your complaint, the Complaints Co-ordinator will send you a letter confirming that the matter has been escalated and advising you of the name of the Manager who will investigate and respond to your complaint at Stage 2 of the procedure.

The relevant Manager will review your complaint and the previous response. They will speak to you, either in person or over the telephone, to discuss solutions to the problem and ensure that any outstanding issues are put right. After they have spoken to you, they will send a letter within 10 working days to confirm the actions that have been taken or will be taken to fully resolve your complaint.

What should I do if I am dissatisfied with the response I receive at Stage 2 of the Complaints Procedure?

In the unlikely event that you remain dissatisfied with Circle 33’s response to you complaint at Stage 2, please contact us within 28 days of receiving the Stage 2 response explaining the reasons why you remain unhappy and outlining what you would like done to do to resolve the matter to your full satisfaction.

The matter will then be referred to the Assistant Director of the relevant department who will review your complaint and may contact you personally to discuss the matter. If no solution to your complaint can be agreed at this point, we will arrange for an independent panel of Circle 33 Joint Commission members (tenant representatives) and Circle 33 Board members to consider your complaint.

Complaint Panel Hearings are generally held in the evening at one of our offices and you will be invited to attend to present your case to the Complaint Panel.

A report providing details of your complaint will be prepared by the relevant Assistant Director and will be sent to you and to each of the Panel Members two weeks prior to the date of the Complaint Panel. The aim of this report is to provide the Panel Members with some background information in advance of the hearing.

After the hearing, the Complaint Panel members will make recommendations to Circle 33 as to how the matter should be resolved. A letter will be sent to you from the Chair of the Panel setting out these recommendations.

At this point, the complaint will be said to have exhausted Circle 33’s internal complaints procedure.

What should I do if I am dissatisfied with the outcome of my Complaint Panel Hearing at Stage 3 of the Procedure?

If you are not satisfied with the findings and recommendations of the Complaint Panel, you may refer your complaint to an external organisation and request that they investigate your complaint.

If you are a tenant, leaseholder or someone applying for housing you should contact the Housing Ombudsman Service. The Housing Ombudsman will only investigate your complaint after it has been through all the stages of our internal complaints procedure.

Below are the contact details for the Housing Ombudsman Service:

Tel: 020 7421 3800
Email: info@housing-ombudsman.org.uk
Fax: 020 7831 1942
Website: www.housing-ombudsman.org.uk

Post:
Housing Ombudsman Service
81 Aldwych
London
WC2B 4HN

If your complaint is about a Registered Care service provided by EPIC Trust, you should contact the Commission for Social Care Inspection using the following details:
Telephone: 020 7979 2000
Fax: 020 7979 2111
E-mail: enquiries@csci.gsi.gov.uk
Website: www.csci.org.uk

Post:
Commission for Social Care Inspection
33 Greycoat Street
London
SW1P 2QF

Who should I speak to about my complaint after it has been logged?

The named Complaint Lead Handler will be your main point of contact until your complaint is resolved. You will be provided with the name of the Lead Handler for your complaint in the letter of acknowledgement which will be sent to you by the Complaints Co-ordinator within 3 working days of your complaint being logged or escalated.

If you wish to speak with the Lead Handler of your complaint, please call our Customer Contact Centre on 0800 073 0417 or 020 7447 3100.

Last modified 06/04/11