Customer Services
Stages of your complaint
Stage 1
At this stage your complaint will be formally recorded and the relevant team manager will investigate your case. Within three working days we will send you a letter acknowledging your complaint and include a leaflet explaining the procedure and details of the manager who will be responsible for dealing with your complaint – the ‘Lead Handler’.
The Lead Handler will speak to you to try and reach agreement with you about an appropriate solution. After they have spoken to you they will write to you within 10 working days to confirm what has been agreed to resolve the complaint.
Stage 2
If you are not satisfied with our response at stage 1, please contact us within 28 days of receiving the letter, explaining the reasons. We will confirm that your complaint has been escalated to Stage 2, writing to you within 3 working days, advising you of this and who will be Lead Handling the complaint at Stage 2.
The Assistant Director of the team the complaint relates to will review your complaint and the previous investigation. They will speak to you to try and come up with the right solutions and ensure that any problems are fixed. After they have spoken to you, they will write to you within 10 working days to confirm what you have agreed.
Stage 3
In the unlikely event of you still not being satisfied, please contact us within 28 days of receiving the Stage 2 letter and explain why. We will arrange for an independent panel of board members to hear your complaint. We will invite you to come to the meeting to present your complaint in person.
The panel’s role is to decide whether the complaint has been handled correctly and decide what further action is needed. We will write to tell you their decision within 14 days of the panel hearing.
Independent services
If you are not satisfied with the decision of the panel, you may refer your case to another organisation. This is a free service.
If you are a tenant, leaseholder or someone applying for housing you should contact the Housing Ombudsman Service.
The Ombudsman will only investigate your complaint after it has been through all the stages of our complaints procedure. You can get information and forms from customer services or you may contact the Ombudsman at:
Housing Ombudsman Service
81 Aldwych
London
WC2B 4HN
Email: info@housing-ombudsman.org.uk
Tel: 0845 7125 973
Website: www.ihos.org.uk
Support service complaints
If your complaint is about a support service, you should contact the relevant local authority Supporting People team. We can tell you who this is. If your complaint is about a registered care service provided by EPIC Trust, you can contact:
Commission for Social Care Inspection
33 Greycoat Street
London
SW1P 2QF
Tel: 0207 972 0000
