Comments, Compliments and Complaints

Customer Feedback 

If you want to tell us about an experience you have had, either good or bad, with Cornwall Housing, we would love to hear from you. This page explains how you can make a complaint or compliment about Cornwall Housing or anyone acting on our behalf.

Tell us about a complaint or compliment

You can make a complaint or compliment in any way that suits you:

Online (This should not be used for complaints about neighbours. You should report neighbour complaints as anti-social behaviour)

Email: cornwallhousingcomplaints@cornwallhousing.org.uk

Calling – 0300 1234 161

Writing – Cornwall Housing Ltd, Chy Trevail, Beacon Technology Park, Bodmin, Cornwall, PL31 2FR

Social media – you can also message us on social media but we would ask you not to put your personal details in a public post so that you protect your privacy.

Complaints explained

To help us manage complaints in a consistent and professional way, we use our Complaints Policy. The policy explains exactly how we will handle your complaint. Our aim is to make sure we resolve any problems as quickly as possible and keep you informed about the action we are taking. The Policy also explains what we define as a complaint and the difference between a complaint and a request for service.

• A complaint is: "An expression of dissatisfaction, however made, about the standard of service, actions or lack of action by the landlord, its own staff, or those acting on its behalf, affecting a resident or group of residents."
  
  
• An enquiry or service request is: "A request from a resident to the landlord requiring action to be taken to put something right. Service requests are not complaints, but must be recorded, monitored and reviewed regularly.”

Our Complaints leaflet is a quick guide for customers that covers the key information within our Complaints Policy.

A brief overview of the complaints process

Internal Stage 1

Investigation by an appropriate staff member/team (supported by the Complaints Team). When receiving a complaint we will:

• Acknowledge within 5 working days and advise the customer of the staff member who will investigate and respond.
• Explain within the acknowledgment our understanding of the complaint and the outcomes the customer is seeking, and if any aspect of the complaint is unclear, the customer must be asked for clarification and the full definition agreed between the customer and us.
• Call the customer to find out more about the complaint and discuss a resolution.
• Follow up the call with a written response within 10 working days of the complaint acknowledgement; if it is likely to take longer, we will keep the customer updated and aim to respond within a further 10 working days of the complaint acknowledgement.
• We make it clear at this stage that the customer must provide us with all the information that they want us to consider in dealing with their complaint. If new information comes to light during the course of the complaint, that is related to the issues already raised, it can be incorporated into the existing complaint. However, if new issues are raised that are unrelated to the existing complaint, a new complaint must be opened.

Internal Stage 2

Review by a Senior Manager/Director:

• A customer can escalate a complaint to stage 2 if, for any reason, they are not satisfied with the outcome at stage 1 of the process. We ask that customers provide a reason for escalating their complaint, but this is not compulsory, within 20 working days of receiving the stage 1 response. On receipt of a request to escalate, the stage 1 investigating officer must consult with the complaints team and provide a handover to the stage 2 investigator. Stage 2 complaints will be handled by a senior manager or director within Cornwall Housing and they will not have had any prior involvement with the complaint.
• Once a stage 2 has been accepted we will:
  • Acknowledge within 5 working days, and advise the customer of the staff member who will review the complaint
  • Explain within the acknowledgment our understanding of the complaint and the outcomes the customer is seeking, and if any aspect of the complaint is unclear, the customer must be asked for clarification and the full definition agreed between the customer and us
  • Call the customer to find out why the resolution offered at stage one is not satisfactory and what we can do to resolve their complaint
  • Respond to the customer within 20 working days of the complaint acknowledgement; if it is likely to take longer, we will keep the customer updated and aim to respond within a further 10 working days of the complaint acknowledgement.

Housing Ombudsman Service

If your complaint goes through both stages and you believe it has still not been resolved to your satisfaction, you can go to the Housing Ombudsmen Service, who is independent of Cornwall Housing. In most cases, Cornwall Housing must have had the opportunity to respond to the complaint before the Ombudsmen will consider it but residents can approach the Housing Ombudsman for advice at any time, as they help tenants and landlords resolve complaints.

More information about the Housing Ombudsman Service can be found on their website. Find the Housing Ombudsman Contact details below:

Website: www.housing-ombudsman.org.uk

Email: info@housingombudsman.org.uk

Phone: 0300 111 3000

Address: Housing Ombudsman Service, PO Box 1484, Unit D, Preston, PR2 0ET

Complaint Handling Code explained

The Complaint Handling Code became statutory on 1 April 2024, meaning that landlords are obliged by law to follow its requirements. The Code aims to achieve best practice in complaint handling and ultimately provide a better service to residents. Cornwall Housing must self-assess against the Code and publish the results each year. Read our latest self-assessment of the Housing Ombudsman Complaint Handling Code.

Complaints Annual report and Board response

Each year, CHL must present the Board of Cornwall Housing with a report that summarises the organisation’s complaint handling performance and plans for the year ahead. This document is known as the Complaints Annual Report and is also a statutory requirement of the Complaint Handling Code. 

Read Cornwall Housing’s Complaints Annual Report 2023/24.

Read the Board of Cornwall Housing’s response to the Complaints Annual Report 2023/24.  

Compensation

In some cases, we may feel it necessary and appropriate to offer compensation in response to your complaint. Cornwall Housing uses the Housing Ombudsman’s Remedies Guidance when considering resolutions to complaints and appropriate compensation. 

If English is not your first language and you would prefer this information in an alternative format, please see our Accessible Information.