Complaints procedure
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If you wish to make a complaint
Complaints are managed through a process which has three stages. All complainants will be required to verify their identity and residence. Complainant will be requested to provide photo ID and proof of residents within the past three months from date of complaint. All anonymous complaints will not be logged nor responded. All complaints will be deemed as closed 50 days (around 7 weeks) from initial response.
Stage 1
Stage 1 (10 days response)
Review to resolve – Complaints can be made
- via online complaints form below
- via email to admin@spitalfieldsha.co.uk
- calling (020 7392 5400)
- in person
- in writing to our offices (Spitalfields Housing Association, 1 Canada Square, London E14 5AA)
Complainants should explain the complaint(s) clearly, providing dates, evidence (if applicable) and any remedial actions they would like to see. The complaint will be fully investigated by a member of the SHA team (Complaints Officer) unless exceptional circumstances prevail, a full written response will be sent to the complainant within 10 working days. If SHA staff require more time to investigate the situation, an extension will be sought. Following a stage 1 extension and verification, if the complainant remains dissatisfied with the outcome, they can request to escalate their complaint to stage 2.
Stage 1 extension (10 working days)
Additional time to resolve
This stage is optional. If a complaint is complex or requires more time to resolve, a stage 1 extension will be sought. SHA staff will inform the complainant of the delay and the anticipated timescales involved. If needed, please refer to the Housing Ombudsman – details are given further below.
Stage 2
Verification of complaint at Stage 2 (5 working days)
This is where the complaint is acknowledged, defined, logged, the identities of complainants checked and the complaint validated. SHA will write to the customer to verify the receipt and validity of the complaint at stage 2.
Stage 2 (20 days)
Review, investigate and resolve
The complaint will be reviewed and investigated again by a senior staff member and Member Responsible for Complaints (“MRC”). The complainant may be asked further questions about the complaint and remedial actions. The complaint will under normal circumstances be investigated within 20 working days. If SHA staff requires more time to investigate and resolve the complaint, an extension will be sought. Following the completion of the investigation a written response will be sent to the resident.
Stage 2 extension (20 working days)
Additional time to investigate and resolve
This stage is optional. If a complaint is complex or requires some more time to resolve, a stage 2 extension will be sought. SHA staff will let the complainant know about the extension. If needed, please refer to the Housing Ombudsman – details are given further below.
This is the final stage of the internal complaints procedure at SHA. SHA staff will try their best to resolve any issues as soon as they can to the satisfaction of residents within these stages. A stage 2 extension gives further time to resolve an issue especially when delays are outside of SHA’s control eg. when further specialist assessments are needed, or replacement parts are yet to arrive. SHA staff may write to the resident to agree timescales that are reasonable to the resident.
If the resident remains dissatisfied after stage 2 with the way their complaint has been handled, they can ask for their complaint to be determined by the Housing Ombudsman Service. Please note that the Ombudsman will not be able to investigate complaints until SHA’s 2 stage complaints process has been completed.