Who can use the Complaints Procedure?

Any client of the Association may use this procedure to make a complaint if they feel the Association or a member of its staff has done something wrong or has failed to do something it should have done, this may include harassment or abuse.

How will your complaint be treated?

The Association takes all complaints seriously and will in no way penalize you for making a complaint. We will protect confidentiality where appropriate but will not respond to complaints made anonymously.

Informal Complaints

If you are dissatisfied with a particular aspect of the service you have received from the Association, and wish to draw this to our attention, but do not feel it is serious enough to warrant a full-scale investigation, you should talk to your Support Worker or contact the office in writing or by telephone. Give as much detail as informal complaint. We will reply to you, in writing, within 14 days. We will keep a record of your complaint and our response.

Formal Complaints

If you are dissatisfied with the outcome of an informal complaint, you may register a formal complaint with the Chief Executive, Mr Martin Bellinger.

You may also make a formal complaint straightaway (without first contacting us informally) if you feel the matter is serious enough to warrant a full investigation. Formal complaints should be addressed to:-

Mr Martin Bellinger
Chief Executive
Cherchefelle Housing Association
Enterprise Court, 3 Mill Street, Redhill, Surrey, RH1 6PA

Write as soon as possible after the cause for complaint has arisen. Give as much detail as possible. State clearly that this is a FORMAL COMPLAINT.

The Chief Executive will acknowledge receipt of the complaint within 4 working days, but may wish to carry out further investigations before coming to any decision or conclusion. You may, at this stage, be asked for further details.

A full response to your complaint will normally be made within 14 days, but if a detailed investigation is required, you will be advised of a timescale as to when a decision will be made.

In the absence of the Chief Executive through illness or annual leave, the complaint will be acknowledged and a preliminary investigation carried out by the Operations Director.

All formal complaints and the Association's response will be logged in a Formal Complaints Register.

What if you are not happy with the way your complaint has been dealt with?

You should appeal in writing to the Board of the Association addressing your complaint "For the attention of the Chairman", Cherchefelle Housing Association Limited, Enterprise Court, 3 Mill Street, Redhill, Surrey, RH1 6PA, setting out clearly why you are dissatisfied with the Chief Executive's response. Your appeal will be acknowledged in writing within 5 working days, either by the Chairman of or Vice Chairman. A panel of Board Members will consider your complaint and make a decision on it within 14 days.

Housing Ombudsman Service

If you are still not happy about how your complain has been handled after it has been considered by the Board, you can contact the Housing Ombudsman. A leaflet about this service will be sent with the Board's response.

Can you involve other agencies?

You are entitled at any stage to seek advice and information about your remedies at law from the Citizen's Advice Bureau, Law Centre or from a solicitor. If you wish to use an independent advocate to help you explain your complaint, you are welcome to do so but the advocate must state that they are contacting the Association on behalf of a named individual, and that they have you permission to do so.

What is the Association's attitude towards complaints?

Cherchefelle is constantly striving to improve its services and the feedback we receive through the Complaints Procedure may help us to identify problems. All complaints will be logged and every 12 months a report will be presented to the Board of Management summarizing complaints received during the year and any action taken as a result. We recognise that despite our best endeavours, mistakes can occasionally occur and if they do we will apologise and do our best to put things right. We also welcome letters of appreciation if you think any member of staff has done something particularly well.