We understand that, at times, things can go wrong. When this happens, we want to work with you to agree a resolution to put things right. We want you to enjoy your home and the services that we provide and want to hear from you if things go wrong so that we can improve our services and ensure that lessons are learned to improve our services.
Our complaints process explains how we manage complaints and what to expect from us when you log a complaint.
A complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction with the standard of service that Phoenix provides. You can make a complaint by phone, email, letter, via a representative or in person at any time. You can also email your complaint to complaints@phoenixch.org.uk.
We will only consider complaints made within six months of the event, unless it relates to a safeguarding or Health and Safety issue or there is a reasonable explanation for the delay.
Please refer to our complaints policy for further information.
There may be instances when a request for a service can be resolved without the need to enter the complaints process. Examples of where this may be possible include a missed appointment, a first-time report of a fault or a delay in providing a response. In some cases, these issues can be resolved with an offer of immediate action, an apology or the information required. When this is not possible, we will escalate your complaint to our two stage formal complaints process that is overseen by a Complaints Team.
We will acknowledge your complaint within five working days, contact you to discuss the complaint and may request further information from you. We will tell you who is investigating your complaint and provide you with a complaint reference number as part of your acknowledgement.
Stage 1
Following the acknowledgement of your complaint, an investigation will take place by a Complaint Investigator who will review the information that you have provided, examine our policies and procedures, and reach a decision based on the evidence gathered from the investigation.
We will provide you with a response within 10 working days. If this is not possible, we will explain the delay and agree on an extension date. This will not usually be more than an additional 10 working days.
We aim to resolve all complaints at Stage 1. However, if you’re unhappy with our response, you can escalate your complaint to Stage 2 for a review by a Director. Please contact us within 28 days of your Stage 1 response.
Stage 2
Following the acknowledgement of your complaint, an investigation will take place by a Director who was not involved in the original complaint, who will review the information that you have provided, examine our policies and procedures, and reach a decision based on the evidence gathered from the investigation.
We will provide you with a response within 20 working days. If this is not possible, we will explain the delay and agree on an extension date. This will not usually be more than an additional 10 working days.
The Housing Ombudsman Service introduced a new Complaint Handling Code on July 20. The purpose of the code is to enable landlords to resolve complaints raised by their residents quickly and to use the learning from complaints to drive service improvements.
Phoenix has carried out a further self-assessment against the requirements in the code. You can view the outcome of the current self-assessment and the previous self-assessment.
We continue to meet the code but can improve on how we are meeting it. We will use our service improvement plan to help us get better. We will also carry out regular self-assessments with residents against the code and take appropriate action to ensure that our complaint handling is in line with the code.
On 1 October 2022, the Housing Ombudsman removed the democratic filter, which means that as a resident, if you remain unhappy with how we have handled your complaint – after the two stages of our complaints process, you can immediately refer your complaint to the housing ombudsman.
We aim to resolve all complaints at Stage 2. However, if you’re unhappy with our response, you can escalate your complaint to the Housing Ombudsman for review.
To contact the Housing Ombudsman, you can call them directly on 0300 111 3000 or write to:
Housing Ombudsman Service
PO Box 152
Liverpool L33 7WQ
Email: info@housing-ombudsman.org.uk
Find out more on the Housing Ombudsman website.