Complaints

1. This policy seeks to ensure that the Co-op’s complaints process is flexible and responsive to the needs of individual members to enable them to be heard and understood.
   Vine Housing Co-op complies with the Complaint Handling Code (the Code) issued by the Housing Ombudsman Service. All complaints dealt with under this policy will be dealt with in a manner consistent with the Code and the Co-operative will maintain all records as required by the Code.
   https://www.housing-ombudsman.org.uk/landlords-info/complaint-handling-code/
2. The Co-op will prioritise complaint handling and a culture of learning from complaints. All relevant members and staff will be suitably trained in the importance of complaint handling. It is important that complaints are seen as a core service and must be resourced to handle complaints effectively.
3. A complaint is defined as:
   

   An expression of dissatisfaction, however made, about the standard of service, actions, or lack of action by Vine Housing Co-op, its staff, or those acting on its behalf, affecting an individual member or group of members.

4. The word “complaint” does not need to be used expressly for the matter to be considered a complaint. Whenever a member expresses dissatisfaction concerning the actions of the Co-op, as defined above, they will be given the option to make a complaint.
5. Complaints made by members may be made by the member’s carer, family members or a representative and these must be handled in line with this complaints policy.
6. Complaints can be made to office staff, the Complaints Officer/s, or the Co-op Secretary. This can be done in a number of ways which include, telephone, letter, email or face to face.
7. A service request is a request from a resident requiring action to be taken to put something right. Service requests are not a complaint. Service requests should be dealt with through the co-op’s usual procedures, details available on the Members area of the Co-op’s website and from the office. Failure to deal appropriately with a service request may lead to the matter being dealt with as a complaint.
8. Service requests will be recorded, tracked and monitored to completion by the appropriate subgroup, staff or officer.
9. A complaint must be raised when the member expresses dissatisfaction with the response to their service request, even if the handling of the request remains ongoing. Efforts to address the request or query will not be stopped if the member raises a complaint.
10. In dealing with complaints the Co-op will ensure that:
    (a) individuals who raise a complaint are listened to and treated with courtesy and empathy;
    (b) members will never be disadvantaged as a result of raising a complaint;
    (c) complaints will be investigated promptly, thoroughly, honestly, and openly; and
    (d) in dealing with complaints, the Co-op will comply with confidentiality and data protection policies.

1. The Co-op must accept a complaint unless there is a valid reason not to do so and will ensure that the individual circumstances of each complaint will be considered.
2. The following matters will not be considered as complaints:
   (a) The issue giving rise to the complaint occurred over twelve months ago.
   (b) Legal proceedings have begun as defined as details of the claim, such as the Claim Form and Particulars of Claim, having been filed at Court.
   (c) Matters that have previously been considered under the complaints policy.
   (d) Expressions of dissatisfaction made through a survey. Wherever possible, the person completing the survey should be made aware of how they can pursue a complaint if they wish to. Where the Co-op asks for wider feedback they also must provide details of how members can complain.
3. Unless excluded on other grounds, the Co-op will accept complaints within 12 months of the issue occurring or the member becoming aware of the issue. Where there are good reasons to do so, the Management Committee will also consider whether to apply discretion to accept complaints made outside the time limit.
4. If a complaint is not accepted a detailed explanation will be provided to the member setting out the reasons why the matter is not suitable for the complaints process and their right to take that decision to the Ombudsman (see details below). The Ombudsman may direct the Co-op to take on the complaint.

1. Complaints will be dealt with in a manner that is consistent with the Co-op’s Equality & Diversity Policy and the Co-op’s duties under the Equality Act 2010.
2. If any individual making a complaint wishes the Co-op to make reasonable adjustments to accommodate their particular needs, they, or their representative, can contact the Co-op by phone, email or in person to discuss what adjustments may be possible.
3. Vine Housing Co-op acknowledges that a having a large number of complaints must not be seen as negative, as this can show we have a well-publicised and accessible complaints procedure. Low numbers of complaints can be a sign that members are unable to complain.
4. The complaints policy is available on the Co-op’s website, from the Co-op Office and from the Complaints Officer. The Co-op will consider all requests to provide the complaints policy in other accessible formats. The Co-op will process a member’s complaint through the two-stage complaints process even if contact restrictions are in place as a result of a decision made under a managing unreasonable behaviour policy (policy is under consideration).
5. Members will have the opportunity to have an advocate or representative deal with their complaint on their behalf, and to be represented or accompanied at any meeting. We will always follow data protection measures when disclosing any information to a third party.

1. Complaints will be investigated by the Complaints Officer/s at Stage One. The Complaints Officer/s may be assisted by a nominated co-op member, at the discretion of Housing Management and the Officer. The Housing Management Subgroup is responsible for supporting the work of the Complaints Officer.
2. Complaints will be investigated by at Stage Two by a Stage Two Panel appointed by the MC, consisting of the MC Chair and two other MC Representatives.
3. Where the Complaint’s Officer or Housing Management Subgroup are conflicted, the MC Chair will appoint a substitute Officer and any additional support required for the process.
4. Where the MC is conflicted, Stage Two will be dealt with by the GM Chair, who will also nominate a Stage Two panel of two other members who are not involved in the complaint.
5. Where a complaint response is handled by a third party (e.g. a contractor or independent adjudicator) at any stage, it must form part of the two stage complaints process set out in this Policy. Members must not be expected to go through two complaints processes.
6. The Housing Management subgroup is responsible for ensuring that any third parties handle complaints in line with the Code by ensuring the code is made available to them, alongside this policy, and reviewing the complaint process once it has been completed.

1. At each stage of the complaints process, the Co-op will:

(a) deal with complaints on their merits;

(b) act independently and have an open mind but may consider reports of previous complaints that relate to the same issue being complained about;

(c) give the member a fair chance to set out their position;

(d) Where a member does not provide requested information or otherwise declines to further engage with the complaints process, the Co-op may investigate and determine the complaint based on the information available.

(e) take measures to address any actual or perceived conflict of interest;

(f) consider all relevant information and evidence carefully.

(g) keep the details of the complaint confidential as far as possible, with information only being disclosed if necessary to properly investigate the matter.

(h) keep a full record of the complaint, and the outcomes at each stage, including the original complaint, the date received, all correspondence with the member, correspondence with other parties, and any relevant supporting documentation such as reports or surveys.

(i) The Complaints Officer and the Housing Management subgroup will ensure that a complaint can be remedied at any stage of its complaints process, and that appropriate remedies can be provided at any stage of the complaints process without the need for escalation.

1. The Complaints Officer will acknowledge the complaint and make a record, within 5 working days of receipt by the Co-op. The acknowledgement will:

   (a) summarise their understanding of the complaint (The complaint definition);

   (b) make clear which aspects of the complaint the Co-op is, and is not, responsible for and clarify any areas where this is not clear;

   (c) summarise the Co-op’s understanding of what the Complainant is seeking as an outcome;

   (d) raise any questions that require clarification from the Complainant; and

   (e) set out the next course of action and anticipated timescale.

2. The Complaints Officer will issue a full response to the complaint within 10 working days from the complaint being acknowledged. In exceptional cases, if we anticipate that the complaint will take longer to resolve, this will be explained to the member with a clear timeframe set out which will not exceed a further 10 working days without good reason. If any further extensions are required for the resolution of the complaint, we will agree with member regular intervals to update them on the progress of the complaint. Such explanation will also include the contact details of the Housing Ombudsman.
3. A complaint response will be provided to the member when the answer to the complaint is known, not when the outstanding actions required to address the issue are completed. Outstanding actions will be tracked and actioned promptly with appropriate updates provided to the member.
4. We will investigate the complaint in an impartial manner permitting all relevant parties to provide information. The member and any third parties involved in the complaint should be given the opportunity to set out their position before any final response is made. We may delegate the management and investigation of the complaint to another individual.
5. If the complaint involves questions relating to the Co-op’s or the member’s legal obligations, the Co-op will set out clearly our understanding of the respective legal obligations and may seek legal advice before doing so.
6. If new issues are raised by the member during the stage one process, these should be dealt with as part of the process if they are relevant. However, if the inclusion of the new issues would unreasonably delay a response, relate to a different issue and/or are raised after the stage 1 response has been issued a new complaint will be recorded.
7. In responding to the complaint, we will confirm in writing:

   (a) The complaint stage

   (b) The complaint definition

   (c) The decision on the complaint

   (d) The reasons for any decisions made

   (e) The details of any remedy offered to put things right

   (f) Details of any outstanding actions; and

   (g) Details of how to escalate the matter to stage two if the individual is not satisfied with the result.

1. If the member is not satisfied with all or part of the stage 1 response, they can escalate their complaint to stage 2. This can be done in writing by email, via telephone call or in person. The person dealing with the complaint at stage 2 will not be the same person that responded at stage 1.
2. The member does not need to provide reasons for requesting the complaint to be escalated
3. A member of the Stage Two Panel will acknowledge the complaint at stage 2 within 5 working days of receipt by the Co-op and will
   (a) summarise the Co-op’s understanding of the complaint (the complaint definition);
   (b) summarise the Co-op’s understanding of what the member is seeking as an outcome;
   (c) raise any questions that require clarification from the member; but acknowledge that reasons do not need to be given for the complaint to be escalated to stage 2;
   (d) set out the next course of action and anticipated timescale.
4. The Stage Two Panel will respond in writing to the member within 20 working days of the stage 2 complaint being acknowledged, informing them of the outcome of the investigation. This will be the landlord’s final response.
5. If the Stage Two Panel believes that this stage will take longer than 20 working days, this will be explained to the member with a clear timeframe set out for the resolution of the complaint which will not exceed a further 20 working days. If any further extensions are required, we will agree with member regular intervals to update them on the progress of the complaint. Such explanation will also include the contact details of the Housing Ombudsman.
6. A complaint response will be provided to the member when the answer to the complaint is known, not when the outstanding actions required to address the issue are completed. Outstanding actions will be tracked and actioned promptly with appropriate updates provided to the member.
7. In responding to the stage 2 complaint, we will confirm in writing:
   (a) The complaint stage
   (b) The complaint definition
   (c) The decision on the complaint
   (d) The reasons for any decisions made
   (e) The details of any remedy offered to put things right
   (f) Details of any outstanding actions; and
   (g) Details of how to escalate the matter to the Housing Ombudsman will be provided if the member is not satisfied with the response.

1. Where something has gone wrong the Complaints Officer, Management Committee, relevant subgroup, or officer of the Co-op will acknowledge this and set out the actions they have already taken, or intends to take, to put things right. These can include:
   • Apologising;
   • Acknowledging where things have gone wrong;
   • Providing an explanation, assistance or reasons;
   • Taking action if there has been delay;
   • Reconsidering or changing a decision;
   • Amending a record or adding a correction or addendum;
   • Providing a financial remedy;
   • Changing policies, procedures, or practices.
2. Any remedy offered must reflect the impact on the member as a result of any fault identified.
3. The remedy offer must clearly set out what will happen and by when, in agreement with the member where appropriate. Any remedy proposed must be followed through to completion.
4. The Co-op will take account of the guidance issued by the Housing Ombudsman when deciding on appropriate remedies.

1. The Complaints Officer will inform the relevant Subgroup/s about issues arising from the complaint relating to policies, procedures or practices and ask them to reflect on and discuss possible improvements. The subgroup/s will report their discussions, including suggestions for any changes, to the MC.
2. The Housing Management Subgroup together with the Complaints Officer are responsible for our complaint handling. This group will assess any themes or trends to identify potential systemic issues, serious risks, or policies and procedures that require revision.
3. In addition, one of HMs representatives sitting as a member of the Management Committee will be appointed to have lead responsibility for monitoring complaints. This person is known as the Member Responsible for Complaints (MRC). They will:

   (a) Support a positive complaint handling culture.

   (b) Ensure the MC receives regular updates regarding complaint handling processes, including the volume, categories and outcomes of complaints, alongside complaint handling performance, issues and trends arising from complaint handling, the outcomes of any Ombudsman’s investigations, progress made in complying with any orders related to severe maladministration findings, and the annual complaints performance and service improvement report.

4. The Co-op will have a collaborative and co-operative approach towards resolving complaints by facilitating members to resolve complaints through co-op governance structures.

1. The Housing Management Subgroup will carry out self-assessments and other reports required by the Code. These will be reported to the Management Committee and to the Housing Ombudsman. These will be published on the Co-op’s website with information about the Ombudsman’s code.
2. The Management Committee will consider any findings or recommendations of the annual self-assessment and the annual complaints performance and service improvement report.
3. This policy will be reviewed every three years

Contacts for Stage 1:
Name: David Spofforth or Donna Harris
Email address: davidspofforth@mac.com / d.harris993@btinternet.com

Contact for Stage 2
Name: MC Chair: Josh Vuglar
Telephone number: 07596 753118
Address: 39B Bonnington Square
Email address: vuglar@live.co.uk

Housing Ombudsman Service
Telephone: 0300 111 3000
Website: www.housing-ombudsman.org.uk
Address: Housing Ombudsman Service
PO Box 1484, Unit D, Preston, PR2 0