Hopefully, you won't just want to complain about our services -
you may want to say thank you for something we got right.
Here we explain:
1.
What you can complain about
2. How to make a complaint
3. How your complaint will be dealt with
4.
Who else may be able to help
5.
How to comment on and compliment our services
Our most important aim is to find a solution to your complaint.
Click here to download a copy of
PCHA's Tenant Handbook leaflet, "Making a complaint".
If you are a PCHA tenant, your rights and entitlements are
explained in your Tenants Handbook.
This complaints procedure is intended for those times when you feel
that PCHA have failed to deliver what we promise. A complaint may
come about if we have:
- failed to take action after you first contacted us
- failed to provide a service
- delayed in providing a service
- missed an appointment and did not inform you
- failed to keep to a procedure
- provided an unfair service
- got something wrong
This complaints procedure is not for everyday matters such as
chasing repair requests or reporting a problem with your
neighbours. For repair enquiries, please call the PCHA Maintenance
Call Centre on 020 8451 8000. If your complaint is about your
neighbours, please contact your Neighbourhood Housing
Officer.
PCHA reserves the right not to accept complaints that are
more than 3 months old, illegible, use abusive language or cover
repeat issues that have already been addressed.
Who can complain?
This complaints procedure is for
permanent tenants of, and applicants to, PCHA. Former tenants of
PCHA must complain within 2 months of the end of their tenancy.
Groups of tenants, such as Residents Associations, can also use
this procedure but should ensure they provide a dedicated contact
name and address for us to reply to.
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It is important that you follow these steps. The procedure has been
designed to ensure that complaints are dealt with as quickly as
possible.
Before making a formal complaint please discuss the matter with
a staff member.
We always encourage our tenants to speak
to the relevant department to try to resolve the issue before they
make a formal complaint. If you are not sure which section is
responsible please contact the person you usually deal with at your
local office. If you are still not satisfied you may then make a
formal complaint.
Click here for full details of our formal complaints
procedure.
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Formal Complaints Procedure
Step 1: Make your complaint
If the matter is not resolved to your satisfaction after
discussion with a staff member, you can make a formal complaint to
the PCHA Customer relations manager. To do this you should complete
the Complaint Report Form which is designed to collect all the
relevant details. Alternatively you can send us a letter,
an email or contact us directly on the phone:
Complaints telephone number: Tel: 020 8451 8087/8088/8089
Complaints email address: complaints@pcha.org.uk
Address: The Customer relations department, PCHA, 192 High Road.
Willesden NW10 2PB
You should make it clear what your complaint is about and what
you would like PCHA to do to resolve your problem.
If you have difficulty completing the form, a staff member will
assist you.
The Customer relations manager will record your complaint and send
you a letter of acknowledgement within 5 working days giving you
the name of the manager or the department responsible. It is the
responsibility of the relevant department manager to investigate
your complaint and send you a formal response. You will receive
this response within 28 days (as of 1 April 2008 our response time
will be ten days), although we aim to reply much sooner. Our
average response time is around 15 days but occasionally we need
the extra time to give you a comprehensive response. If we require
more than 28 days to respond to your complaint we will write to you
explaining what is happening and when you can expect a full
reply.
Please note PCHA reserves the right not to accept complaints that
are illegible or use abusive language.
Step 2: Complaints Appeal Panel
If you are not satisfied with the response received at Step 1, you
can take your complaint to the PCHA Complaints Appeal Panel. The
Panel is comprised of a tenant representative, a PCHA Board Member
and a member of the PCHA Executive Team.
You must make your Appeal request to the Customer relations
manager within 28 days of receiving the formal response provided at
Step 1. Please ensure you give full reasons for your
dissatisfaction with the Step 1 response.
You have the right to be represented or accompanied at the hearing.
The Customer relations manager will write to you to inform you when
and where your hearing will take place.
The decision of the Panel is binding upon PCHA who will comply with
its recommendations. If you remain dissatisfied with the response
you receive you may consider taking your complaint to the Housing
Ombudsman Service, or getting further help from outside of
PCHA.
PCHA reserves the right not to accept requests for Appeal Panels if
the grounds offered are unreasonable or insubstantial. Please be
sure to make your request in direct response to your stage 1
response.
Mediation or arbitration
In special circumstances we may consider using mediation or
arbitration to resolve a dispute between PCHA and a
tenant.
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3. How your complaint will be dealt with
In dealing with your complaint we will:
- Provide assistance with completing the complaint form if you
have difficulty doing so
- Try to resolve your complaint as quickly as possible
- Be fair, courteous and apologise if we have got something
wrong
- Treat your complaint confidentially and in line with our
Equalities and
Diversity Policy
- Provide you with a full explanation of any decision we
make
- Use plain English in any letters or explanations we give
- Provide information in other languages, on audio cassette or in
Braille
- Monitor complaints and use them to make real improvements in
the service we provide
- Provide information on the complaints received in the annual
report to tenants
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Further help and advice may be sought from the following:
- PCHA Tenant Representatives- via your local area office
- Independent Advice - Citizens Advice Bureau, Housing Advice
Centre, Law Centre
You may also complain to the following:
- Local Councillor - via your local Town Hall
- Member of Parliament - via the House of Commons, London SW1
OAA
- Housing Ombudsman Service
- County Court - can be used in a variety of circumstances
including gender or racial discrimination against PCHA, disrepair
claims, rent disputes and other issues.
Addresses:
For all tenants in Brent, Harrow, Ealing Westminster, Camden,
Barnet, Kensington & Chelsea, Hammersmith & Fulham and
Tower Hamlets:
PCHA, 192 High Road, Willesden,
London NW10 2PB
Tel: 020 8451 8087/8088/8089 Fax: 020 8451 8196.
For tenants in Hertfordshire:
PCHA Hertfordshire Region Office, 73 Clarendon Road,
Watford WD17 1PA
Tel: 01923 219 340 Fax: 01923 218 049.
Housing Ombudsman Service
If you are still dissatisfied once you have completed PCHA's
complaints procedure, you may ask for your complaint to be examined
by the Housing Ombudsman's Service. You should send your complaint
to:
Housing Ombudsman Service
Norman House
105-109 Strand
London WC2R 0AA
Tel: 020 7836 3630 Fax: 020 7836 3900 Lo-call 08457 125 973
Calls by Textphone users via Typetalk welcome.
www.ihos.org.uk
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5. Comments and compliments
We also want to hear from you if you have something good to say
about our services! You can speak directly to a member of staff,
fill out a comments card at one of our offices, write to us at one
of our offices, or
contact us online>>