Our Service Standards

Shepherds Bush Housing Association is committed to providing all our tenants and other customers with fair, accountable and efficient services. The following service standards describe the level of service that you have a right to expect from your Association.

Staff

• All staff will have available on request ID badges with their name and department written clearly and in large enough print to read the details at a glance
• If staff are more than ten minutes late for an appointment they will contact you to advise you what time they expect to arrive. If needed another appointment will be arranged which is suitable to you.

Telephone

• Officers will answer calls in a polite and courteous manner giving their name, and advising you which department you have reached The Customer Services Team will aim to deal with your housing enquiries in the first instance and if needed refer you to another department for further investigation
• Staff will publicise their direct telephone number
• If you need to be transferred to another department we will advise you to whom and why we need to transfer your call
• We will provide a telephone interpreting service if you need one.

Letters

• We aim to respond to your letters in plain English within ten working days
• We will acknowledge your letter within three working days and advise you who will respond to your letter, with the expected date for our response
• We will make sure the contact details of the officer writing to you are noted on all correspondence
• We will make information available in large print if required.

Services to Tenants

• Our Neighbourhood Officers will hold monthly surgeries on estates
• The Neighbourhood Officers will carry out regular estate inspections on defined estates
• A tailored action plan of service will be identified for each estate
• We will provide all tenants who pay service charges with an itemised bill
• We will consult tenants annually on the level and quality of the service and the service charge
• We will provide tenants with details of cleaning and gardening specifications for their estates or blocks of flats on request
• We will provide good quality standards of service to the Association's estates and communal areas
• We will ensure that tenant representatives have the contact number of their Neighbourhood Officer
• We will offer all new and existing vulnerable tenants a resettlement and support service if they wish.

Tenant Involvement

• We will support new and existing Tenants' Associations with grants and other assistance
• We will financially support the Independent Tenants' Committee
• We will guarantee places on the Committee of Management for tenants as full members
• We will involve tenants in interviewing new contractors, key staff and reviewing services.

Complaints and Compensation

• We will implement a fair and equitable policy for tenants to compensate them where a service has failed or where they are entitled to a package of disturbance payments
• We will provide an accessible and quick system for complaints.

Information

• We will make available a Tenants' Handbook for all tenants
• We will provide four newsletters a year for all tenants of general and supported housing
• We will provide a detailed annual report on performance to all tenants.

Rents

• We will maintain our reputation as a low rent Association with increases at or below the rate of inflation +0.5% + £2 per week
• We will phase rent increases in for secure tenants over two years
• We will ensure rent payments are to be accurately logged and queries dealt with within ten days
• We will provide a quarterly rent statement to all tenants
• We will deal with rent arrears firmly and fairly and give access to all tenants to the Arrears and Evictions Sub Committee and its decisions
• We will give access to all tenants to a debt advice agency where needed.

Offices

• We will keep the reception area and the interview rooms clean, tidy and comfortable
• A full range of information on services available to you will be kept on display
• If required a private interview room will be made available to you
• When you visit the office you will be greeted on arrival, and your issue will be dealt with as soon as possible. If there is a need to keep you waiting we will inform you why this is within five minutes
• We will supply an induction loop at the front desk and in the interview rooms.

Lettings

• We will display the most recent Locata Home magazine for tenants in our reception area
• We will advise you on other options of accessing homes
• We will provide new tenants with information, an accompanied viewing and an arranged time for sign-up for the tenancy
• We will provide post tenancy home visits by officers to all new tenants in their homes within six weeks, subject to consent by the tenant.

Repairs

• We will offer a freephone for all repairs, 24 hours a day, using the telephone number 0800 074 2130
• We will meet our repairing obligations as outlined in the tenancy agreement
• We will prioritise your repairs, inform you of the priority and expected turnaround time and have a target of at least 90% performance against priorities
• We will provide a satisfaction slip with every repair ordered and respond to all replies where work is marked as 'poor'
• We will meet our legal obligation to provide an annual gas safety and service check to all tenants
• We will provide a painting, redecoration and cyclical maintenance service to the exterior and common areas of your home
• We will carry out a 10% personal post repair check (and a 10% telephone check)
• We will provide new lettings (including voids) to a minimum standard i.e. decorations, adequate heating etc
• We will offer morning or afternoon appointments for inspections and contractor appointments
• We will ensure that all contractors adhere to the contractor code of conduct set up by us
• We will implement cyclical and planned maintenance programmes, to ensure that all of our properties achieve the Government's Decent Homes Standards.

If you have any comments or suggestions on these Service Standards phone 020 8996 4200 and ask for a Communications and Marketing staff member or email: group.info@sbhg.co.uk .