Complaints Service Standard

At South Essex Homes, we are committed to providing a fair, transparent, and accessible complaints service that puts residents first.

We will:

  • Train all staff to identify that a resident is making a complaint, even if the resident does not use the word complaint to avoid residents having to repeat their concerns.
  • Listen with empathy and treat all complaints with respect, seriousness, and understanding.
  • Make it easy and accessible for everyone to make a complaint, removing barriers wherever possible.
  • Use active listening to understand the issues being raised and clarify and summarise the complaint to ensure we fully understand the problem and what resolution is being sought.
  • Explain the complaints process clearly when a complaint is made over the phone and comply with the Housing Ombudsman's Complaint Handling Code in all aspects of our service.
  • Offer a range of ways to complain, including phone, email, online, in writing or in person, and provide a consistent service regardless of the method used.
  • Resolve complaints as early as possible, while still logging them for transparency, learning, and accountability.
  • Do our best to provide a fair, impartial and appropriate resolution to all complaints.
  • Engage with residents to improve the complaints process, and involve them in shaping how we respond to feedback.
  • Learn from complaints and share what we've learned and how we're improving services as a result.
  • Where possible, make follow-up calls after a complaint is received to ensure we fully understand the issue and can work towards a satisfactory resolution.
  • Carry out satisfaction surveys to measure the effectiveness of the service and identify further opportunities for improvement.
  • Promote how to make a complaint regularly, including through social media, our website and Insight magazine.

You can help us by:

  • Being clear and concise when raising a complaint.
  • Explaining what outcome or resolution you would like us to achieve.
  • Providing feedback on our services.
  • Letting us know about any vulnerabilities, cultural sensitivities, or accessibility needs, including language requirements, that we should consider when handling your complaint.

Performance monitoring:

We monitor...

  • The number of stage 1 and stage 2 complaints.
  • The percentage resolved within Ombudsman code timescales.