Govan Housing Association

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COMPLAINTS POLICY AND PROCEDURES

Govan Housing Association has a range of policies and procedures covering all aspects of its services to our customers and potential customers.
But what should you do if you do not agree with a policy or procedure or think that the Association has not complied with its own policy or has treated you unfairly?

THE ANSWER IS COMPLAIN

The Association continually reviews and assesses its services and if you are unhappy about the way you have been treated or are being treated please tell us.  The Association welcomes all complaints and views them as an opportunity for us to correct problems.  Complaints can also provide constructive ideas for improving services, practices and polices.

WHAT CAN I COMPLAIN ABOUT?

You can complain about virtually anything relating to the Association’s business and service. 

• If you feel staff, committee or a contractor has been unreasonable to you. 
• If you feel a repair has not been carried out promptly.
• If you feel your housing application has not been given proper consideration.
• If you feel a policy discriminates against you.

The list is endless. This complaints policy does not, however, deal with any complaints you have against a neighbour which is dealt with under the neighbour disputes policy.  It only comes under the jurisdiction of this policy if you feel the policy and procedure contained in the neighbours dispute policy were not complied with.

HOW DO I COMPLAIN?

It depends what you are complaining about.  There are four stages to our complaints process,

Stage 1 - Initial Complaints and Comments

The Association hopes that the majority of complaints fall into this category and can be dealt with promptly and informally.  Complaints can be made in a variety of ways to any member of the Association’s staff and the most appropriate staff member to deal with that complaint will contact you either by telephone or face to face within 7 days to resolve the matter. Hopefully your complaint should be dealt with to your satisfaction at this stage. If it is not, then you must raise your complaint formally.

Stage 2 - Formal Complaints

This requires you to raise a formal complaint, in writing by email or by completing the Association’s Formal Complaints Form to the Director.  If complaints are made in person, you will be asked to complete this form during your visit.  Staff can assist you with the completion of this form if required.  If complaints are made by telephone, Staff will complete the form on your behalf and ask you to come in and sign it.  On receipt of your complaint the Director will then designate the appropriate Departmental Manager to review your complaint.  The Manager will write to advise you of the outcome within 10 working days.  If the formal complaint is not resolved to your satisfaction then a formal appeal can be made to the Association’s Management Committee.

Stage 3 - Formal Appeal

At this stage we ask you to put your appeal in writing to the Management Committee.  You should state why our original response was unacceptable or unsatisfactory.  Our Management Committee will investigate the complaint and review your appeal at their next scheduled committee meeting and will reply to you within 3 working days of their meeting.  The Management Committee will either accept the complaint, suggest a remedy or reject it. 

If the matter is still not resolved to your satisfaction you can ask to present your case directly to Management Committee.  This must be done within 14days of receiving your response from the Management Committee.  We will also give you a minimum of 14days notice of the next Management Committee meeting and invite you to bring up to 2 individuals or an agency to act on your behalf.  This may be a solicitor, Citizens Advice Bureau, Govan Law Centre, “Money Matters”, Govan Advice Centre, “Central Govan Tenants and Residents Association”, social worker, health visitor, family or friend, Councillor or Member of Parliament or any other appropriate person.  You or your representatives will be asked to put your case to the Committee, questions may be asked and points clarified etc.  Committee may ask questions of you or of the staff members present to clarify any points made.  Staff will only make comment if invited to do so or to challenge the accuracy of any point made.  Committee Members will not normally answer questions unless it concerns a procedural matter relevant to the hearing or the complaint was concerned with the behaviour of a Committee Member.

Once questions have been concluded you and your representative will be asked to sum up your case and allowed to raise any other relevant point you may have omitted.  Finally you will be thanked for your attendance at the hearing.

Committee will then sum up all the points as presented and formal write to you within 5 working days of the hearing.  The reply should either accept the complaint in part or total as reasonable and suggest how this could be remedied (which may in some cases be an apology), or if rejected it will clearly and unambiguously set out the reasons as to why it was rejected.

The Association knows that the vast majority of its customers behave in a reasonable manner but, for the benefit of the few, we must point out that any threats or abuse will not be tolerated at the hearing, which will be terminated immediately if any such incident occurs.

Stage 4 – Other Ways to Complain

If you are still dissatisfied with this outcome and we have exhausted the internal appeals process a complaint can be made to the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman, who provides a free, open, accountable and accessible public service complaints system that looks into complaints about public bodies including housing associations.  Please note, however, the SPSO cannot normally look at complaints more than 12 months after you have became aware of the matter you wish to complain about and / or the issue has or is currently been considered in court.

The Ombudsman is based at:-

4 Melville Street, Edinburgh, EH3 7NS. Tel: 0800 377 7330

Postal Address:-

SPSO, Freepost, EH 641, Edinburgh, EH3 0BR