1

Rent Collection Customer Service StandardTaff Housing Association is committed to providing high quality services to our tenants and customers. This service standard tells you what level of service you can expect from us when we follow our rent collection procedure.

Before your tenancy

• When we offer you a property we will tell you how much we expect the weekly rent to be.

• When you accept a tenancy with us we will complete a financial health check with you explaining how much housing benefit you may be entitled to, and we will assist you to complete all housing benefit forms.

• If you have other debts or support needs we will refer you to the most appropriate agency that can assist you if it is not us.

During your tenancy

• We’ll contact you within six weeks of your tenancy start date to check you have moved in and discuss any problems with your rent.

• We’ll send you a rent statement every three months.

• We’ll give you at least four weeks’ notice of any rent increases.

• We will try to contact you either by letter, telephone or in person should your account fall into arrears.

• We will notify you if your Housing Benefit is suspended or cancelled.

• If you fall into arrears, we will work with you to make a realistic agreement so you can clear the debt within a reasonable time.

• If you are having difficulties paying your rent we will give help and advice or we will refer you to the most appropriate agency that can assist you if it is not us.

• We will assist you with any rent or benefit queries you may have in confidence.

• We will try to provide you with the most convenient ways in which you can pay your rent.

2

• We will make you aware of the action that we intend to take if you fall into arrears and we fail to reach an agreement for repayment.

• We consider eviction as a last resort and discuss this with you before taking legal action.

At the end of your tenancy

• If you give us notice that you intend to end your tenancy we will talk to you about what debts may be outstanding and what you will need to do to avoid any rechargeable debts.

• If you leave with debts outstanding we will try to contact you to agree a repayment plan.

• We will only undertake legal action if other attempts to reach an agreement with you fail.

3

Anti-social Behaviour Service StandardsTaff Housing Association is committed to providing high quality services to our tenants and customers. This service standard tells you what level of service you can expect from us in dealing with anti-social behaviour (ASB).

When dealing with cases of ASB, our Housing Management Service will do the following:

• Respond to reports of ASB within the agreed timescales.

• Gather information and investigate complaints where possible.

• Take appropriate action to address cases.

• Work with appropriate partner agencies such as the police or social services.

• Offer support to both victims of nuisance and alleged perpetrators of nuisance.

• Monitor and close cases as required.

• Seek feedback on our case management.

Responding to reports of ASB

We group our responses into three categories so that we prioritise our work.

Category 1 - Within 24 hrs (normal working day)

Cases involving:

• Racial harassment.

• Hate crime related ASB.

• Harassment related to race or hate crime.

• Damage to property that leaves you unable to occupy.

• Children being at risk.

• Physical assault.

• Any other form of ASB requiring a priority response.

4

Category 2 - Within 3 working days

Cases involving:

• Drug dealing.

• Serious harassment or any other criminal behaviour.

• Criminal threats.

• Serious damage to property.

• Persistent noise nuisance.

• Disputes between neighbours.

• Intimidating or aggressive behaviour.

• Children creating a nuisance.

• Vandalism (relatively minor damage to property).

• Drug/solvent/alcohol abuse.

• Verbal/written harassment.

• Any other form of ASB requiring an urgent response.

Category 3 - Within 5 working days

Cases involving:

• Pet nuisance.

• Untidy gardens.

• Illegal rubbish dumping.

• Minor noise pollution.

• Access disputes.

• Litter.

• Property condition.

• Car repairs.

• Abandoned vehicles.

• Any other activity, which may be to the detriment of peaceful enjoyment of the home.

5

We will arrange a home or office appointment to interview the person who reported the incident. During the interview, we will complete an interview form and agree an ACTION PLAN with you, which will detail how we will address the behaviour.

We will also attempt to interview the person accused of causing the problem and any witnesses within three working days of our interview with the complainant.

We will carry out any emergency repairs needed due to anti-social behaviour within 24 hours of it being reported.

6

Customer CharterThis section tells you about:

• Your right to information.

• How we will consult you.

• Our Customer Service Standards – what you can expect from us.

• Our Customer Service Standards – what you can expect from our contractors.

• What we expect from you.

• How to make your views known – comments, complaints and suggestions.

• About Confidentiality, Disclosure and Access to Personal Information.

• The Tenants’ Guarantee.

About The Tenants’ GuaranteeThe Tenants’ Guarantee is a code of practice and minimum standards for housing associations, produced by the Welsh Government.

The aim of the Guarantee is to make sure that all tenants of housing associations, whatever tenancy they have, are treated fairly and receive the same services from their landlords.

A copy of the Guarantee will have been issued to you when you signed your tenancy. You can also get a copy from our office or from the Welsh Government.

7

Your Right To InformationWe will give you information about our services, our performance, changes to policies, the way in which we provide services, and how we let our properties. We will give you this information in a number of ways:

• In writing, for example, by using our Tenants’ Newsletter or our Annual Report.

• We will display information on our website, in our reception area, and on notice boards at our housing schemes.

• Through personal contact, for example by holding meetings, focus groups, informal open days and exhibitions and through our established residents’ groups.

The newslette

r for Ta

ff’s Custo

mers

Winter 2010

Taff – not ju

st housin

g

TalkAbout

TalkAbout

TalkAbout

Get in

volve

d!

The newsletter for Taff’s Customers

Autumn 2010

Taff – not just housing

TalkAboutTalkAboutTalkAbout

Get involved!

8

How We Will Consult YouWe will seek your views on the services we provide and our performance in managing our properties. We hope that by doing this we will provide a service that meets your needs and wishes, as well as being efficient and cost effective. We will consult you about things such as:

• Major repairs or improvements to your home.

• Changes in your tenancy conditions.

• Significant changes in your rent or service charges.

• Any other matters that may affect you.

We will seek your views in a number of ways:

• In writing, for example, by asking you to complete a questionnaire.

• In person, for example, over the telephone or during a visit to your home.

• By e-mailing or text messaging you.

• By holding meetings, focus groups or informal open days.

• By consulting with established residents’ groups.

9

Our Customer Service Standards – What You Can Expect From UsWe aim to provide you with the highest possible standards of service, and our Customer Charter is based upon the principle of ‘getting it right first time.’ These are some of the things you can expect from us:

• We will be polite and courteous.

• We will treat you fairly and equally.

• Our staff will be informed and helpful, and will listen and take account of your views.

• We will try to ensure that you speak to the right person, first time, every time.

• We will communicate with you in the language and format of your choice whenever possible.

In addition, we will:

• Make appointments at a time that is convenient to you.

• Keep to appointments, or let you know if they need to be changed.

• Offer you a private interview, and ensure that any personal information is treated confidentially.

• Ensure that staff give you their names.

• Refer to you by your name and preferred title.

• Ensure all letters are signed by a named member of staff.

• Ensure that our communication is clear, simple and accurate.

• Reply to written correspondence within 10 working days.

• Reply to phone calls within 24 hours.

If we do not meet these standards, please let us know.

If you would like further information about these standards, please ask to see a copy of our Customer Service Strategy or our Code of Conduct.

10

Our Customer Service Standards - What You Can Expect From Our ContractorsWe expect a high standard of service from our contractors. They must conform to the requirements set out in our Contractors’ Code of Conduct. You can expect them to:

• Make appointments and attend on time.

• Be courteous and professional.

• Not to smoke, be under the influence of alcohol or drugs, play music or use radios, or use your facilities without permission.

• Make sure the work they carry out does not put your health or safety at risk.

• Take special care when working in a home where there are small children, older people or people with disabilities.

• Make as little noise as possible.

• Take care of your furniture, decorations and floor coverings.

• Adhere to our Equal Opportunities Policy.

• Adhere to our Confidentiality Policy.

• Tell you who they are and show you proof of their identity.

We also set our contractors high standards of workmanship. To make sure they keep to these standards we will ask you to complete a questionnaire to find out if you are satisfied with the work they have done, and the time taken to complete the repairs. By taking part in this survey you will help us find out what you think of our repairs service. This means that we can deal with any problems and make any improvements needed.

11

What We Expect From YouIn order that we can provide you with the best possible service, it is important that you assist us by:

• Being polite and courteous to staff and contractors.

• Letting us know if you cannot keep an appointment, or need to re-arrange it.

• Providing us with all the information we need.

• Allowing us and our contractors access to your property when we need it.

• Ensuring that you, members of your family, friends and visitors treat staff and contractors respectfully, and do not abuse, threaten or harass us.

We record all instances where a person has harassed, abused or assaulted a member of staff or a contractor, and pass such incidents onto the police with a request for prosecution. We will also seek to take action to end the tenancy of anyone who harasses, abuses or assaults a member of staff or a contractor.

12

How To Make Your Views Known – Compliments, Complaints And SuggestionsWe aim to provide a high quality service. To help us to do this we want to hear from you. We welcome your feedback whether it’s a compliment, complaint or suggestion. We want to learn from our mistakes and put things right.

Complaints

When to complain

You should complain if you are unhappy about something that we have done, have failed to do, or have not done properly.

Complaints do not include requests for a service, for example, reporting a repair for the first time. However, if you have reported a repair and we have not carried out the work when we said we would, it becomes a complaint.

It can be difficult to look into things that happened a long time ago, so we would normally only deal with complaints about things that happened in the last six months.

Who can make a complaint?

• Tenants and residents.

• Support service users.

• Neighbours of Taff tenants.

• Anyone acting on behalf of a Taff tenant or service user, as long as they have their permission to do so.

13

How do I make a complaint?

You can make a complaint by:

• Phoning us on 029 2025 9100.

• E-mailing us at complaints@taffhousing.co.uk.

• Visiting our website at www.taffhousing.co.uk.

• Using our feedback form.

• Visiting our office.

There are several stages in our complaints procedure –

Stage 1 – Informal Complaints

Most complaints can usually be dealt with informally and you should try talking to the member of staff that you have been dealing with to resolve the problem. If you don’t feel that you can do this, talk to the person’s manager who will also help you try to resolve it informally. If you are not sure who the manager is, contact our reception on 029 2025 9100.

Stage 2 – Formal Complaints

If you have tried dealing with it informally and are not happy with the response, let us know and the complaint will be dealt with by a Director of the Association.

Stage 3 – Chief Executive

If you are still unhappy you can write to our Chief Executive.

If you feel that we have not dealt with your complaint properly you also have a right to complain to the Public Service Ombudsman for Wales at any stage, who is independent and impartial. To find out more about the Ombudsman, ask us for a copy of their leaflet ‘Want to complain about a public body? – You and the Ombudsman.’

14

How will my complaint be dealt with?

We will always try to reply to you within 5 working days. If we can’t do this we will let you know why and tell you how long it will take.

At all stages of a complaint you can expect us to:

• Act professionally.

• Listen to what you are saying.

• Learn from what you say.

• Treat you fairly.

• Tell you what you can do if you are still not satisfied.

• Advise you of your right to complain to the Public Service Ombudsman.

If your complaint has reached the formal stage you can also expect us to:

• Let you know the outcome of your complaint in writing.

• Make sure that someone who has not been involved in your case deals with it.

How can I pay a compliment or make a suggestion?

We all like to know when we are doing something well and here at Taff we are no different. All compliments are passed onto staff and our Board of Management. Compliments help us know what we are doing well and what you want us to keep doing.

We also want to hear from you if you have a suggestion on how to improve our service to you.

You can pass on a compliment or suggestion by:

• Phoning us on 029 2025 9100.

• E-mailing us at compliments@taffhousing.co.uk.

• Visiting our website at www.taffhousing.co.uk.

• Using our feedback form.

• Visiting our office.