Service standards

Contents

  1. Safety and quality
  2. Neighbourhood and community
  3. Transparency, influence and accountability
  4. Tenancy

Safety and quality

Keeping you safe in your home

  • We will ensure  that 100% of buildings where applicable will have a valid Fire Risk Assessment
  • We will ensure that 100% of buildings where applicable will have a valid Water Risk Assessment and a water management regime in place
  • If your building has a lift we will make sure that it is inspected and maintained
  • We will carry out a safety check on all gas and solid fuel appliances annually and at change of tenancy
  • If you live in a high rise or sheltered building we will hold bi-monthly residents' meetings to allow you to have a voice in how your building is managed
  • We provide a copy of the landlord safety certificate to our customers
  • We will carry out monthly gas audits to ensure gas work undertaken is to the required standard
  • We will carry out a safety check on all electrical installations every 5 years as a minimum and at change of tenancy
  • We will carry out an annual evacuation of Housing Plus buildings to maintain safety standards

Improving your home

  • We will notify you 8 weeks in advance of any work we would like to undertake in your home
  • You will be provided with a range of choices when your fixtures and fittings are replaced
  • We will make sure that your home meets the Decent Homes standard

Carry out repairs to your home

  • We will attend all emergency repairs within four hours
  • We aim to inspect and carry out all:
    • urgent repairs within 1 or 3 working days depending on the urgency of the issue on an appointment basis
    • non-emergency routine repairs within 20 working days on an appointment basis
    • planned repair works within 3 months on an appointment basis
  • We will aim to complete all repairs during the first visit where possible

Neighbourhood and community

Dealing with anti-social behaviour

We will:

  • acknowledge 'category A' incidents, which include race or other hate crime, threat of violence or domestic violence within 1 working day and interview or visit within 3 working days
  • acknowledge 'category B' incidents, which include neighbour disputes, criminal behaviour and youth disorder within 2 working days and interview or visit within 5 working days
  • keep you informed of progress throughout an investigation
  • agree an action plan with you when you report anti-social behaviour to us
  • support you and other witnesses throughout the course of an investigation, including support at court

Managing your home and neighbourhood

  • We will inspect your area a minimum of 12 times a year

Transparency, influence and accountability

Improving your home

  • We will provide you with information in our Annual Report on the priorities we have invested in, which make sure we provide quality homes and regenerate neighbourhoods  

Customer service

  • Log and acknowledge complaints within 5 working days
  • Aim to respond to complaints within published timescales
  • Aim to resolve enquiries at the first point of contact
  • Aim to respond to Councillor and MP enquiries within 5 working days
  • We will offer a range of digital channels for customers to use as an alternative to using telephone and face to face contact

Getting involved

We will:

  • involve tenants when producing our annual report
  • support our Involved Tenants / Groups to review at least three of our services each year
  • hold regular Scrutiny Panel and Check and Challenge meetings
  • offer a range of opportunities for you to review and challenge our performance
  • feedback any changes in policy and service which come directly from feedback from customers
  • provide information and signposting to involved tenants towards training and development courses to enable tenants to improve their skills

Tenancy

Paying your rent

  • We will write to you before the end of the financial year to let you know of any changes to your rent
  • Provide you with clear information that explains your rent and service charges
  • We will notify you if we have requested a contribution toward your rent directly
  • We will offer you a referral to our Welfare Support team or other appropriate service for debt and benefit advice if you are having difficulties paying your rent
  • If you fall into arrears we will negotiate an affordable repayment plan to support you to sustain your tenancy
  • We will advise you in writing if we are going to take you to court for your rent arrears

Managing your home and neighbourhood

  • If you are an introductory tenant we will carry out a:
    • tenancy support visit within 2 months of your tenancy starting
    • second tenancy support visit within 8 months of your tenancy starting

Housing Plus

  • When you view your new home we will tell you about the service and communal facilities that will be available to you
  • We will:
    • develop a support plan for tenants who require support to maximise their independence
    • make regular contact with you to check your wellbeing
    • review all tenant support plans at least once a year
    • encourage and support social activities

Housing Solutions

  • When you move into a new home we will make sure that it meets our lettable standard
  • We will:
    • provide timely housing advice in a range of ways, available to all customers
    • make sure you understand your housing options, based on your circumstances, when looking for a home
    • make sure you are aware of your responsibilities at the start and end of your tenancy
    • provide you with a range of ways to find out about available homes, including telling you about who the properties are suitable for and what the local area is like
  • If you are threatened or at risk of homelessness we will work with you to agree a Personal Housing Plan which will set out the support that we can offer to prevent you reaching crisis
  • When seeking rehousing we will provide you with advice about Mutual Exchange

Debt and welfare support

  • We aim to offer an appointment within 10 working days of approaching the service
  • We aim to offer you a welfare benefit appointment within 10 working days of approaching the service
  • We will help you with benefit forms, claiming welfare benefits and with benefit appeals