Complaints Policy

The Fairfield Trust is a UK Registered Charity No. 266699 and is the Landlord for flats at Fairfield and Fairfield West, Huxtable Hill, Torquay, TQ2 6RN.

Landlords have an obligation to publish a Complaints Policy in accordance with the terms of the Housing Ombudsman Scheme. Our Complaints Policy reflects and includes the Ombudsman’s Dispute Resolution Principles of: Being Fair, Putting Things Right and Learning from Outcomes.

The Landlord’s aim is to resolve matters locally and as quickly as possible by being open, accountable and outcome focused.

The Landlord aims to provide:- good quality services to all tenants; treat all tenants fairly; a recognition that sometimes things go wrong and tenants may be dissatisfied and wish to complain; that complaints will be viewed positively; prompt action will be taken to carry out an investigation; provide an opportunity to put things right; an opportunity to rebuild trust in the landlord-resident relationship; learn from any mistakes and commit to make service improvements where necessary.

Statutory/Regulatory requirements

This policy is in line with relevant legislation such as the Localism Act 2011, Housing Act 1996 (schedule 2), General Data Protection Act 2018, Equality Act 2010, Housing Ombudsman Scheme, and Tenant and Involvement Empowerment Standards. It also meets the requirements of Consumer Standards where appropriate ie. The Tenant Involvement and Empowerment Standard.

Confidentiality

The Policy complies with collection, storage, access to, provision and disclosure of data in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018 (see separate GDPR Privacy Notice & Statement).

What is a service request and what is a complaint?

A service request is a notification to the Landlord or their agent or manager, that there is a relatively minor fault or maintenance issue with one of the buildings, the electrical or mechanical services within or to a building, or the gardens and grounds.

A complaint is a more formal notification of what is considered a material breach of the standards expected of the Landlord, the Landlord’s property, or external influences affecting the tenant’s enjoyment of the Landlord’s property.

Complaints Process

  1. Any resident wishing to notify the landlord of a minor irregularity or maintenance issue to do with either of the properties or third party circumstances at Fairfield, should notify the Manager, either by text, e-mail or phone.

  2. If a resident wishes to make a formal complaint of a more serious nature, it should be made ‘in writing’ and addressed to the Chair of Trustees (or their deputy): contact details below.

  3. On receipt of a complaint and depending on the nature and severity of the complaint, the Chair (or their deputy) will contact the resident concerned to discuss the matter without delay and commence investigations with those concerned promptly. The outcome of investigations will also be discussed and notified in writing to the complainant prior a course of action being implemented to overcome the problem. The Chair (or their deputy) will also notify other trustees and may involve another trustee in the investigation. The above procedure to be completed within a reasonable timescale, with the aim of achieving a satisfactory outcome for the complainant and all stakeholders.

  4. If a meeting with the complainant is requested, the complainant is encouraged to attend with a friend or other nominated representative in support.

  5. If there should be any delays in carrying out the above procedure, the complainant and any other notified parties will be notified of the reasons for the delay and kept updated regarding progress.

  6. If a complainant disagrees with a decision and course of action following investigation, they may state further in writing what more they want the Landlord to do to put it right.

  7. A complaint will be considered ‘closed’ when:-

    1. The investigation is complete and a response has been sent

    2. After sending a response and attempting to make contact to discuss it, there is no further contact from the complainant after 30 days

    3. When a resolution is agreed and the landlord has made a commitment to deliver the action.

Use of discretion

The Landlord reserves the right to use discretion when applying this policy and may deal with a complaint differently where individual circumstances merit it. However, any discretion will be applied fairly and appropriately. Complaints will be progressed as far as possible to maximise the opportunity to resolve the dispute.

Managing unacceptable behaviour

Whilst recognising that the nature of a complaint can cause frustration or occasionally anger in serious cases, the Landlord will not accommodate unacceptable behaviour or abuse from a complainant in bringing the complaint or during the process of dealing with the complaint.

Equality and diversity

To fairly accommodate equality and diversity it may sometimes be necessary to go outside normal policies, procedures and practices to address an individual’s needs. The Landlord will always seek to achieve fairness, accessibility and transparency. The Landlord values diversity and is committed to promoting equality of opportunity to ensure all residents are treated fairly.

Representation and support agencies

Nothing in this policy precludes a complainant contacting outside agencies, such as Citizens Advice, Lease and Shelter, or a mediation service etc., to aid the resolution of a dispute if it cannot be satisfactorily resolved internally.

Contact Details

The Manager’s Office, Fairfield Mews, Huxtable Hill, Torquay, TQ2 6RN