Complaints

Complaints are different to everyday enquiries such as reporting repairs, rent enquiries or reporting anti-social behaviour issues. Everyday enquiries are not covered by this policy, but are covered by individual service areas’ policies and procedures. Sometimes customers tell us they are unhappy with something and just want us to put things right. These will usually be smaller issues that can be quickly sorted out. We will always agree with the customer how this will be handled and what the next steps are.

A complaint within this policy is defined as:

‘An expression of dissatisfaction, however made, about the standard of service, actions or lack of action by the organisation, its own staff, or those acting on its behalf, affecting an individual resident or group of residents’.

If you are looking to get in touch with us to request a service, report a repair or find out the status of your repair(s), a rent enquiry or to report anti‐social behaviour then please email our connect customer care team using info@jigsawhomes.org.uk .  This will ensure your enquiry is dealt with faster by the appropriate team.

A complaint can be raised to Jigsaw Homes Group by any person or group of people affected by an activity or service provided by the Group including:

• Current tenants/licensees and members of their households
• Former tenants/licensees
• Housing applicants
• Leaseholders
• MPs and Councillors
• Advocates of the complainant such as friends, relatives or other representatives (prior written consent from the complainant is required)
• Residents of Group neighbourhoods/those who have been affected by Group activities and services in the locality
• Clients/customers for some contracted services (some contracted services are not covered by this policy)
• This policy applies to customers living in properties let through the Homes for All Scheme. It does not apply to landlords who let homes through the scheme. Landlord disputes should be initially directed to Jigsaw Support.

This Policy applies to complaints against external contractors and external service providers acting on our behalf.

There are some circumstances where we will not normally accept a formal complaint. However, in some of these circumstances we may internally investigate to ensure we continue to provide the best possible service. Such circumstances include:

• Anonymous complaints
• Complaints raised on behalf of a customer without their authority
• Complaints that have previously been fully investigated in‐line with this policy
• Where you are telling us about a problem for the very first time (we try to resolve first expressions of dissatisfaction quickly as informal complaints outside of this Policy, except where the complaint concerns the behaviour of a member of staff)
• Where you are asking for clarity of our policies and procedures
• Where you wish to complain about a company policy; we can investigate whether a policy has been followed, but we will not accept a complaint about the policy itself
• Insurance claims, these will be handed to our insurers or our Insurance Team
• Where the issue took place more than 6 months ago (it may not be appropriate to rely on this exclusion where complaints concern safeguarding or health and safety issues.
• Reports of anti‐social behaviour (please refer to our Anti‐Social Behaviour Policy instead)
• Reporting a repair for the first time
• Service charges/rent (We will accept complaints about the quality or frequency of work paid for via service charges)
• Complaints concerning the level of rent or service charge or the amount of the rent or service charge increase
• Where we have special arrangements in place with a customer, in line with our Unreasonable Behaviour Policy
• Complaints which are being pursued in an unreasonable manner including frivolous or vexatious complaints
• We will suspend any complaint where legal proceedings have commenced. Once the legal proceedings have been concluded we will consider the complaint
• Demoted tenancy appeals
• Temporary business or service closures/outages (including digital services) due to unforeseen circumstances or logistical reasons
• There are separate complaints policies for certain specific services

There may be other circumstances where it is not appropriate to follow this complaints policy. If we do, for any reason, refuse to consider a matter as a formal complaint, we will always explain our decisions and signpost you to an appropriate service or team to progress the matter in the suitable way including your right to take our decisions to The Housing Ombudsman.

Please note:   If you’re looking to get in touch with us to request a service, report a repair or find out the status of your repair(s), a rent enquiry or to report anti‐social behaviour then please email our connect customer care team: info@jigsawhomes.org.uk .  This will ensure your enquiry is dealt with faster by the appropriate team.

If you are dissatisfied about the standard of service, actions or lack of action by Jigsaw, our employees, or those acting on our behalf and an initial informal response has not proven satisfactory, then you can raise a complaint with us by:

• Calling us
• Visiting us in person
• Emailing our complaints inbox
• Writing to us at Chief Executive’s Department.  Cavendish 249, Cavendish Street,
  Ashton-under-Lyne OL6 7AT
• Social media (send us a direct message on Facebook or Twitter)

If you are struggling to make your complaint and require support to raise your complaint please contact us and ask for the Chief Executive’s Department. We will assess customer needs on the specific circumstances of each case in line with the Equality Act 2010.

We aim to respond to complaints promptly; our timescales are explained further in this policy under the relevant headings. Sometimes it may not be possible to respond fully to a complaint within these timescales, but we will always keep you informed of any changes and advise you when you can expect a reply.

Our frontline staff are able to help customers who want to make a complaint. If they can’t help a customer themselves, they will help the customer find someone who can.

In most situations, the quickest and most effective way to resolve complaints or dissatisfaction for a customer is for us to work with managers in the relevant department to find an informal solution outside the formal complaints process.

If you remain unhappy with how your complaint has been handled, you can ask for your complaint to be escalated to the formal process under this Policy.

You also have the right to access The Housing Ombudsman Service throughout your complaint. Contact information for The Housing Ombudsman service is provided under heading ‘Designated persons and The Housing Ombudsman’.

The complaints process is a simple two-stage process designed in line with The Housing Ombudsman Complaint Handling Code:

‘Investigation’
We will aim to acknowledge your stage 1 complaint within 5 working days of receiving your complaint. This step is a formal investigation and we will assign an independent investigating officer to work with managers from the relevant team to investigate your complaint for you. The investigating officer will investigate and provide you with a full written response, which will normally be sent within ten working days from the formal acknowledgment of your complaint. If they need more time to investigate your complaint they will always keep you informed, along with the reason why and when you can expect a response.

‘Review’
If after your complaint has been investigated, you are unhappy with how your complaint has been dealt with, you can request a review. You will need to make this request within one month of your stage 1 response being sent to you.

Your request to escalate to the Review step will be handled by a manager from the Chief Executive’s Department who will review the complaint handling and consider the reasons for your escalation request. Your request for Review will be responded to either by a manager from the Chief Executive’s Department or by a member of our Executive Management Team. The reviewing manager(s) will not have previously been involved in the investigation of your complaint.

We aim for the review to take place within 20 working days from accepting your review. If we need more time to review your complaint we will always keep you informed, along with the reason why and when you can expect a response.

Our response at stage 2 is our final response to your complaint and the end of our internal complaints process. If you are still not happy with the response you have received, information about further independent options are detailed below and also available on our websites.

The Housing Ombudsman
If you remain unhappy with the response you have received at the final stage of the complaints process you can ask for your complaint to be considered by The Housing Ombudsman. The Housing Ombudsman Service is set up by law to look at complaints about the housing organisations that are registered with them. The service is free, independent and impartial.

You can contact the Housing Ombudsman Service at:

• Housing Ombudsman Service, PO Box 152, Liverpool L33 7WQ
• Tel: 0300 111 3000
• Email: info@housing‐ombudsman.org.uk
• Website: www.housing‐ombudsman.org.uk

If you need to make a general complaint you should refer to the Complaints Policy HERE. 

You can refer to our Self Assessment Compliance with the Complaint Handling Code HERE.

If your complaint is specifically in relation to money or debt advice, please refer to our Money Debt Advice Complaints Policy HERE.

If you are a Legal & General Affordable Homes customer, please click here.

Jigsaw Homes Group is committed to providing a fair, consistent and accessible service. We believe that everyone who contacts us has the right to be heard, understood and respected. We believe that our staff have the same rights, and the Group must provide a safe working environment for our staff. Please refer to our Unreasonable Behaviour Policy (against Jigsaw Homes representatives) HERE.

If you are unsure which policy to refer to or wish to find out more about making a complaint, please email us on info@jigsawhomes.org.uk or call 0300 11 11 212.

The Chief Executive’s Department will monitor the delivery of this policy and it will be reviewed annually. We may review this policy sooner if appropriate, for example, if there are changes to legislation or business requirements.