Make a complaint

If you are not happy with the service SHP have delivered, or how we have delivered it, please let us know, and we will try to fix what has gone wrong.

Complaint form

Escalating your complaint

You can make a complaint online 24/7 or by calling, emailing, visiting or writing to SHP. If you’re not happy with SHP’s final response to a complaint, you should then escalate it to the Housing Ombudsman.

The Government's ‘Make Things Right’ campaign encourages residents to always contact their landlord in the first instance to report any issues or disrepair to their property.

Your home could be said to be in disrepair if we don’t meet our legal obligations to keep your home in repair in reasonable time, including keeping installations for sanitation, electricity, gas and water supplies in working order.

Find out more about reporting disrepairs.

How we respond to complaints

Agree resolution

We will review your complaint and together we will agree what needs to happen to resolve said complaint quickly. We will either offer a rapid resolution or carry out a full investigation.

If we agree to provide a rapid resolution, we will agree with you:

  • what the resolution should be

  • what we will do to put the matter right

  • when we will do what we have agreed to do

Acknowledge

If we agree with you to carry out an investigation, this will start with our formal complaints procedure. This is stage 1 of our complaints procedure.

We will acknowledge your complaint within 2 working days, using your preferred method of contact. The acknowledgement will tell you:

  • who will investigate the complaint

  • what we will investigate and the agreed points of the complaint

  • when you will receive a response

  • the reference number for your complaint

Investigate

A manager will conduct a full investigation to ascertain what has gone wrong. They will make contact with you during the investigation and develop a formal response.

Formal response

We will provide you with a formal response to the complaint within 10 working days of our acknowledgement.

The formal response will tell you:

  • what we have investigated and the agreed points of the complaint

  • what we have established

  • what we have done

  • what we are doing

  • what we are going to do

  • what lessons we can learn, if any

After our formal response, we will discuss with you whether or not your complaint has been resolved. If it has been resolved, we will close the complaint. If it has not been resolved, we will explain to you what the possible next steps are. This may include escalation of the complaint to another stage, or a referral to the Housing Ombudsman. You can contact the Ombudsman directly by following the links on their website. 

Things to keep in mind

  • not all complaints will be accepted

  • we cannot be held responsible for services which we do not provide

  • we cannot change the law

  • we cannot intervene in an ongoing legal process

  • the Housing Ombudsman requires you to follow our complaints procedure before they will take on your case

  • Neighbourhood disputes and ASB complaints should follow our ASB procedure

  • pest and vermin problems in your home are your responsibility

  • pests and vermin in the communal areas should be reported as a repair

Housing Ombudsman Complaints Handling Code and Self Assessment Survey

The Housing Ombudsman Complaint Handling Code sets out good practice in responding to complaints effectively and fairly and includes:

  • Universal definition of a complaint

  • Providing easy access to the complaints procedure and ensuring residents are aware of it

  • The structure of the complaints procedure - only two stages necessary and clear timeframes set out for responses

  • Ensuring fairness in complaint handling with a resident-focused process

  • Taking action to put things right and appropriate remedies

  • Creating a positive complaint handling culture through continuous learning and improvement
  • Demonstrating learning in Annual Reports

The Code is part of the Ombudsman’s new powers in the revised Housing Ombudsman Scheme and landlords are asked to self-assess against the Code by 28th June 2024 and publish the results. We have carried out this process and have shared the outcome with the Board and the Council. Please refer to our  Governing Body Statement on Annual Complaints Performance & Service Improvement Report.pdf [pdf] 69KB which provides a response from your governing body to the annual complaints. Additionally please see our SHP Code Self Assesment Form .pdf [pdf] 147KB.

The Code supports excellent complaint handling and learning from complaints and promotes open and transparent use of information to assess performance and risks. It supports culture setting and intelligence for assurance exercises, using complaint data alongside other management information on stock, services and customer feedback to provide insight into their organisation.

The Code can act as a guide for residents setting out what they can and should expect when they complain and provides residents with information about how to make a complaint and how to progress it through the internal complaints procedure.

You can also read our Complaints Policy 2024 .docx.pdf [pdf] 197KB and our Annual Complaints Performance & Service Improvement Report.pdf [pdf] 322KB