Our Customer Complaints Process
BCHA provides a range of services (including housing, support services, employability and skills support, mental healthy services and much more). We are committed to providing high-quality customer service wherever we are working.
Sometimes, however, we may not meet all of your expectations or our own high standards. This page will help you to make a complaint when things go wrong or you are not satisfied with the service you have received.
BCHA value all complaints and will use them to improve how we do things in the future.
This page describes our complaints procedure and how to make a complaint. You can also find out about our service standards and what you can expect from us.
We use the definition that the Housing Ombudsman prefers which is:
A complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction (received either in person, by phone, by email or some other method) about the standard of service, actions or lack of action by the organisation, its own staff, or those acting on its behalf, affecting an individual customer or group of customers.
There are some things we can't deal with through our complaints procedure.
These include:
- An initial request to put something right such as a repair - if you feel that we have not resolved a request to put something right to your satisfaction you can make a complaint.
- Complaints involving abuse or neglect will be dealt with immediately under our Safeguarding Policies.
- Complaints about the conduct of neightbours, visitors etc will be handled under the Anti-Social Behaviour policy.
- A situation that is over 6 months old.
- A situation where legal action has started.
- Vexatious complaints (complaints that are without foundation, repetitive and unreasonable or that are malicious and vexatious).
You can find out more details in our Complaints Policy.
You can complain in person to a member of staff, or by any of the following methods:
- By phone by calling our Customer Services team on 01202 410500
- Via email by emailing complaints@bcha.org.uk
- You can write to us via letter at Customer Services, The Factory, 14 Alder Hills, Poole, BH12 4AS
- In person via your support worker, tenancy officer or any other member of the BCHA team.
You can also fill the Complaints form out at the bottom of this page.
If you need help with making a complaint, please let us know and we will do what we can to make things easier.
Some options we can provide to help are:
- We can provide information in another language.
- We can provide information in large print.
- We can work with you and a representative (for example a friend, relative or other advocate) if you would like support during the process.
The Housing Ombudsman can also provide help. You can contact the Ombudsman on 0300 111 3000 or email them at info@housing-ombudsman.co.uk.
You can view BCHA's full Complaints Policy here.
As a Landlord, BCHA are required to complete a self-assessment as part of the annual complaint's performance and service. You can find BCHA's self-assessment here.
To get a satisfactory outcome, it will be helpful if you can tell us the following information:
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Your details: Your name and address, a telephone number and if possible an email address. Let us know the best way for us to get in touch.
- The complaint: What you are complaining about and what went wrong?
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The expected outcome: What you want us to do (it is good for us to know what you want although we cannot guarantee that this will always be possible).
What Happens Next?
We will be in touch within two working days to let you know that we have received your complaint and to let you know which manager will be seeking a resolution of the complaint with you. We will let you know what we think you want to happen as a result of your complaint. The process then moves into Stage One and our complaints process has two stages.
The Complaints Stages
BCHA's complaints process has two stages. You can read more about each stage of the complaints process below.
We will get back to you within 10 working days. We may be in touch earlier if we need more information or if we think it may take a little longer to resolve. If you want to know how things are progressing at any time then please contact our Customer Service team on 01202 410500.
When we have reviewed the complaint, the manager who has been looking into the complaint will write to you to confirm what we are proposing to do (or have done already) to make things right.
We hope that after this time you are happy with the outcome and we can close the complaint.
If you do not think that we have found an acceptable solution to your coplaint then you can ask us to take the complaint to Stage Two. This needs to be done within 28 days.
We will explain in our letter at Stage One how to move to Stage Two if you are not happy with the outcome of our Stage One investigation.
Investigations at Stage Two will be directed to one of BCHA's directors. Your request to move to Stage Two will be acknowledged in writing. We will:
- Outline our understanding of why you think that the complaint has not been resolved.
- Identify what outcome you are looking for.
The investigating director will contact you and aim to resolve the complaint within 15 working days; if it is likely to take any longer then you will be contacted before then. We will agree with you a date by which we will resolve the complaint and we will keep you informed on how things are progressing.
We will write to you with a proposed solution letting you know what we intend to do (or have already done) to make things right.
What if I am still not happy with the outcome?
If you are still dissatisfied with the outcome of your complaint after it has been investigated by a manager (Stage One) and a director of BCHA (Stage Two), or if you are concerned about the way we dealt with your complaint, you can ask the Housing Ombudsman to investigate.
The Housing Ombudsman will generally only investigate a complaint once it has completed our in-house complaints procedure at both Stages One and Two and if it is not the subject of any court actiob. The Ombudsman will only get involved on behalf of current or former tenants and will not investigate complaints from the public.
You can contact the Housing Ombudsman via their website, by calling them on 0300 111 3000 or via email at info@housing-ombudsman.org.uk.
Our Complaints Form
If you wish to make a complaint via our website, you can do so by filling in the form below. You can also call us on 01202 410500 or email us at complaints@bcha.org.uk.
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