We are committed to providing an excellent service to all our customers and we welcome all feedback. If you are pleased with our services, please do let us know so we share and thank our team or contractors.
We acknowledge that sometimes things do go wrong and when this is the case, our aim is to put things right as soon as possible. If you are dissatisfied with something we have done or not done, or with the level of service you received, we want to know so we can investigate what’s happened and try to put things right. This also gives us the chance to learn and improve our services.
If you have a complaint about Mount Green and would like independent advice or guidance about your complaint you can contact the Housing Ombudsman Service. You can contact the Housing Ombudsman Service at any point a complaint is being dealt with through our process. The Housing Ombudsman cannot investigate your complaint whilst it is going through our internal complaints process, but the Ombudsman may be able to help support in reaching a resolution.
To do this you can phone 0300 111 3000 or e-mail info@housing-ombudsman.org.uk. Alternatively, you can write to Housing Ombudsman Service, PO Box 152, Liverpool, L33 7WQ and visit www.housing-ombudsman.org.uk for more information.
How are we doing?
Find out how we’re performing as an organisation and the steps we’ve taken in response to complaints made, by reading our latest summary.
What constitutes a complaint?
A complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction any customer feels about an aspect of our service, policies, actions and decisions. A complaint could be when a customer feels:
- We have failed to adequately respond to your initial request
- We have been unhelpful or rude
- We have failed to meet our stated standards or promises
- We have given unclear, misleading or unsuitable advice
- We have not complied with our policies or procedures
What isn’t a complaint?
A complaint is not a first attempt to request a service or an enquiry. We will not be able to deal with the following via the complaints process:
- Any matter where legal proceedings have been issued
- Matters where an insurance claim is outstanding
- Complaints that have already been through the process or which, in Mount Green’s opinion, are being pursued in an unreasonable manner
- Complaints that fall outside our jurisdiction (e.g. complaints about utilities)
- Survey feedback will not be treated as a complaint, although, where possible, the person completing the survey will be made aware of how they can pursue their dissatisfaction as a complaint
We will investigate complaints about things that have happened in the last 6 months. Complaints made after this time will be responded to but may not be taken through the formal complaints procedure unless there are clear and fair reasons for the delay in making the complaint, this will be at the discretion of the Customer Experience Manager.
If we decide not to accept a complaint, a detailed explanation will be provided setting out the reasons why the matter is not suitable for the complaints process, and we will clearly communicate a complainant’s right to take that decision to the Housing Ombudsman Service.
We have a three-stage complaint process:
- Stage 1 – Expression of Dissatisfaction
- Stage 2 – Manager Review
- Stage 3 – Executive Review
When a service failure is identified, the staff member liaising with the customer will try and resolve the issues straight away, with no need for a written response. If this is not possible, a formal complaint will be opened:
- The Customer Experience Coordinator will open an Expression of Dissatisfaction and an acknowledgement sent to the customer within 2 days.
- A relevant officer will carry out a full investigation and be in touch within 10 working days with an outcome.
- All Expressions of Dissatisfactions will be recorded on our Housing Management System and any service improvements will be passed to a Customer Experience Manager.
When a customer does not feel their complaint has been resolved at Stage 1, they can escalate it to a Stage 2 complaint. This request must be made within 10 working days of the date of the complaint response letter. All escalation requests should set out the elements of the complaint that remain unresolved. A formal investigation will be carried out by the relevant service manager.
- The Customer Experience Coordinator will open a Stage 2 complaint and an acknowledgement sent to the customer within 2 days.
- The manager investigating the complaint will clarify the service failure that has occurred, and the outcome required to put things right. All complaints will be investigated and responded to within 10 working days.
- All Stage 1 complaints will be recorded on our Housing Management System and any service improvements will be passed to a Customer Experience Manager.
If you feel that we have not dealt with your complaint in a proper or fair way, you can request an Executive Review. This request must be made within 10 working days of the date of the complaint response letter. When making a request for a Executive Review, it is important that you tell us what has been unfair and how you would like your complaint to be resolved.
When a complainant escalates to Stage 3, they will be offered two options, the complaint can either be reviewed by an Executive Team member or the complainant can request a panel hearing.
Option 1: Executive Review
- When a complainant escalates to Stage 3, an acknowledgement will be sent within two working days and will include a complaints reference number.
- An Executive Team member will be in touch to organise a meeting with the resident within 10 working days, this may be in-person, on the phone, or via video link.
- If a meeting date cannot be secured within 10 working days, an extension to the meeting date should be agreed by both parties. Where agreement over an extension period cannot be reached, the investigating manager will provide the Housing Ombudsman’s contact details so the complainant can challenge this request.
- The complainant can submit a report to the Executive Team member, setting out their position, for consideration in advance of the meeting.
- Following the meeting, the complainant will be written to within 10 working days setting out the outcome of the review.
Option 2: Panel Hearing
- A panel will be made up of either two Executive Team members or one Executive Team member and one Board Member.
- We will contact the complainant within 2 working days to agree a panel date within 20 working days of the escalation.
- If a panel date cannot be secured within 20 working days, an extension to the panel date should be agreed by both parties. Where agreement over an extension period cannot be reached, the investigating manager will provide the Housing Ombudsman’s contact details so the complainant can challenge this request.
- The complainant can submit a report to the panel, setting out their position, for consideration in advance of the panel.
- The complainant and panel members will receive a panel report to refer to in the meeting.
- Panels will be held via video link.
- Following the panel, the complainant will be written to within 10 working days setting out the outcome of the hearing.
The Executive Team member will be responsible for ensuring that any actions following Stage 3 are undertaken and completed. The Executive Team member will also be responsible for ensuring that any service improvements are reported to the Customer Experience Manager.
Please note you can contact the Housing Ombudsman Service at any point during the complaint process. It cannot investigate your complaint whilst your complaint is going through our internal complaints procedure however the Ombudsman may be able to help you and your landlord reach a resolution.
Following Stage 3 and the completion of our internal complaints process you are entitled to refer your complaint to the Housing Ombudsman Service. To do this you can phone 0300 111 3000 or e-mail info@housing-ombudsman.org.uk. Alternatively, you can write to Housing Ombudsman Service, PO Box 152, Liverpool, L33 7WQ and visit www.housing-ombudsman.org.uk for more information.