Complaint handling code self-assessment
Accessibility and awareness
| Code section | Code requirement | Comply (Yes/No) | Evidence, commentary and any explanations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.1 | Landlords must make it easy for residents to complain by providing different channels through which residents can make a complaint such as in person, over the telephone, in writing, by email and digitally. While the Ombudsman recognises that it may not be feasible for a landlord to use all of the potential channels, there must be more than one route of access into the complaints system. | Yes | Complaints to the Council can be made in the following ways:
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| 2.2 | Where a landlord has set up channels to communicate with its residents via social media, then it should expect to receive complaints via those channels. Policies should contain details of the steps that will be taken when a complaint is received via social media and how confidentiality and privacy will be maintained. | Yes | Our policy acknowledges this and requests that all complaints received via the Council's social media channels should be forwarded to complaints@great-yarmouth.gov.uk. |
| 2.3 | Landlords must make their complaint policy available in a clear and accessible format for all residents. This will detail the number of stages involved, what will happen at each stage and the timeframes for responding. | Yes | The policy is published on our website. A summary of the complaints process is regularly shared with tenants through the newsletter. |
| 2.4 | Landlord websites, if they exist, must include information on how to raise a complaint. The complaints policy and process must be easy to find on the website. | Yes | Our website includes information on how make comments, complaints and compliments. |
| 2.5 | Landlords must comply with the Equality Act 2010 and may need to adapt normal policies, procedures, or processes to accommodate an individual's needs. Landlords must satisfy themselves that their policy sets out how they will respond to reasonable adjustments requests in line with the Equality Act and that complaints handlers have had appropriate training to deal with such requests. | Yes | All policies are subject to an approval process including assessment against equality. |
| 2.6 | Landlords must publicise the complaints policy and process, the Complaint Handling Code and the Housing Ombudsman Scheme in leaflets, posters, newsletters, online and as part of regular correspondence with residents. | Yes | The complaints policy is published online. News and Views (tenant magazine) includes articles about complaints. All Housing Ombudsman investigations are promoted/shared on the Council Tenant Facebook page. |
| 2.7 | Landlords must provide residents with contact information for the Ombudsman as part of its regular correspondence with residents. | Yes | All complaint letters include reference to the Housing Ombudsman where applicable. Information on the website includes contact details for the Housing Ombudsman. |
| 2.8 | Landlords must provide early advice to residents regarding their right to access the Housing Ombudsman Service throughout their complaint, not only when the landlord's complaints process is exhausted. | Yes | Reference to the Housing Ombudsman is included within letters. |
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