Ulidia Housing AssociationAuthorisation Levels
Issue Number: / 2Date of Issue: / September 2013
Author: /
Chief Executive
Date Authorised: / 3 October 2013Authorised By: / Board
Next Review Date: / September 2015
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Complaints Policy & Procedure
COMPLAINTS POLICY
Contents
1.0 Policy Statement
2.0 Policy Objective
3.0 Making a Complaint
4.0 Stage 1
5.0 Stage 2
6.0 Stage 3
7.0 NI Ombudsman
8.0 Complaints against Staff and/or Board members
9.0 Neighbour Nuisance, Threatening Behaviour and Harassment
10.0 Supporting People
11.0 Appendix 1 - Complaints Record Form
1.0 Policy Statement
1.1 Alpha Housing is committed to providing a high quality service to Tenants and Stakeholders. The Association welcomes compliments, comments and complaints. Such feedback provides an opportunity to develop our key strengths as well as to understand and improve our weaknesses. This also assists the Board of Management and Staff to better inform and improve the services that we deliver.
1.2 Alpha Housing recognises that situations may arise where Tenants, Applicants, Clients or members of the public are dissatisfied and may wish to complain through a formal process.
1.3 This document sets out the procedures to be adopted by those wishing to make a formal complaint.
2.0 Policy Objective
2.1 The aim of this procedure is to set out a method by which complaints can be resolved quickly and efficiently.
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2.2 Alpha Housing values the diversity of its Tenants and Stakeholders and as such treats all complaints in accordance with the requirements under Section 75 and the Association’s Equal Opportunities Policy.
2.3 Alpha Housing treats all complaints confidentially in accordance with the requirements of Data Protection Legislation.
3.0 Making a Complaint
3.1 A complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction with the service received by the complainant. A complaint can be made by anyone who is dissatisfied with the service received from the Association or a third party working on our behalf. Not all complainants therefore are necessarily Tenants.
3.2 An initial request for a service is not a complaint. A distinction must be made between a request for a service, e.g. reporting a repair, and dissatisfaction with the service received, e.g. complaining that a repair has not been carried out even though it was reported.
3.2 The Association operates a 3 stage complaints procedure. Every official complaint must commence at stage 1.
4.0 Stage 1
4.1 Those wishing to make a formal complaint may do so in the following ways;
- Telephoning the Association’s Head Office on 028 9078 7750
- Calling in person at, or writing to, Alpha Housing (Northern Ireland) Ltd, Alpha House, 6 Edgewater Road, Belfast BT3 9JQ
- E- mailing
4.2 Written complaints should in the first instance be addressed to the HR and Corporate Services Manager who will ensure the complaint is addressed by the appropriate department.
4.3 The details of the complaint will be logged on the Complaints Register and will be acknowledged within 5 working days.
4.4 An investigation will be conducted, if required, and dependent on the nature of the complaint, the Complainant may be invited to meet in person.
4.5 A response will be issued to the Complainant as soon as is practically possible and no later than 20 working days after the complaint was received. A complaints record form is retained for each complaint received (refer to appendix 1)
5.0 Stage 2
5.1 Should the complainant remain dissatisfied with the outcome of stage 1 and believe there is cause to make a further complaint, he or she should do so in writing and forward to;
Mr Billy Graham
Chief Executive
Alpha Housing (Northern Ireland) Ltd
Alpha House
6 Edgewater Road
Belfast
BT3 9JQ
Or via e mail to;
5.2 The Chief Executive will liaise with the relevant members of staff to obtain all of the information concerning the complaint. A written response will be issued within 20 days.
6.0 Stage 3
6.1 If the issue is not satisfactorily resolved by the Chief Executive, an appeal may be made to the Board of Alpha Housing.
6.2 The Complainant should advise the Chief Executive of his/her wish to move to this stage and the Complainant will be advised of the next Board meeting. The Board meets on a quarterly basis. At the discretion of the Board Chairman, it may be necessary to revert to one of the Board Committees to address the matter.
6.3 The Chief Executive will prepare a report to the Board or Committee which will include all of the correspondence to and from the Complainant.
6.4 A written response will be issued from the Chairman within 5 working days of the date of the meeting.
7.0 Northern Ireland Ombudsman
7.1 If the complainant is unhappy with the outcome of Stages 1, 2 or 3 he/she may take the complaint to the Commissioner for Complaints for Northern Ireland (The Ombudsman). The offices can be contacted for advice on Freephone 0800 343424 or by writing to:
The Ombudsman
Freeport BEL 1478
Belfast
BT1 6BR
7.2 The Ombudsman normally only considers complaints that have already been through the full internal complaints procedure.
7.3 Further information on the Ombudsman is available on;
8.0 Complaints against Staff and Board Members
8.1 If a complaint is being made about the Chief Executive, the Chief Executive can be permitted to try to resolve the matter direct with the Complainant. If preferred, the Complainant may write directly to the Board via the Honorary Secretary at the Association’s office. All correspondence should be marked Confidential.
8.2 Complaints against a Board Member will only be considered where the Board Member was acting on behalf of the Association and where it is alleged that they have abused their position within the Association or in some way brought the Association into disrepute.
8.3 Complaints against a Board Member should be made in the first instance to the Honorary Secretary. Thereafter the matter will be addressed by the full Board as in Stage 3.
8.4 The Association operates a Code of Conduct for both Staff and Board Members.
9.0 Neighbour Nuisance, Threatening Behaviour & Harassment
9.1 Tenants have the right to live peacefully in their home. A report of anti-social behaviour is not a complaint about the Association and will be recorded and managed separately in accordance with the Association’s Anti- Social Behaviour Policy.
10.0 Supporting People
10.1 Complaints about the support provided with funding from Supporting People should be made to:
The Supporting People Team
Northern Ireland Housing Executive
The Housing Centre
2 Adelaide Street
Belfast
BT2 8PB
11.0 Monitoring
11.1 The Corporate Services Department is responsible for reviewing all of the Complaints the Association receives, maintaining the Complaints Register and producing reports for the Senior Management Team and the Board.
11.2 The Chief Executive and the Senior Management Team utilise the information gained from complaints to;
- Identify any action required within their departments to avoid reoccurrences of similar complaints in the future;
- Identify staff training needs;
- Provide feedback to teams and individuals on performance;
- Identify areas of service delivery, systems and processes that require review and improvement.
Appendix 1
Complaints Record
Name of complainant:Address of complainant:
By office, phone or writing:
Date received:
Received by:
Passed to:
Details of complaint (attach separate sheet if required):
Acknowledgement issued:
Solution offered and date tenant advised (copy letter attached or note if verbal):
Staff signature:
Complaint received by Chief Executive:
Response and date complainant advised (copy attached):
Follow up Interview with Chief Executive and notes attached? / Yes / No
Case put to Chairman / Board of Management:
Complainant advised of outcome within 5 working days Copy attached:
Further action / additional notes:
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