The Board of Tuntum has recently approved three new/revised policies, details as follows. All three policies impact all customers and so they are available to read on our website and in hard copy (by request).
The latest version of the Housing Ombudsman’s (HOs) Complaint Handling Code, which came into force on the 1st April 2024 has directly influenced two of the policies.
Unacceptable Customer Behaviour Policy
The Unacceptable Customer Behaviour Policy has been introduced to comply with the Complaint Handling Code, which states:
5.14 Landlords must have policies and procedures in place for managing unacceptable behaviour from residents and/or their representatives. Landlords must be able to evidence reasons for putting any restrictions in place and must keep restrictions under regular review.
5.15 Any restrictions placed on contact due to unacceptable behaviour must be proportionate and demonstrate regard for the provisions of the Equality Act 2010.
The Unacceptable Customer Behaviour Policy supersedes the Violence and Aggression to Staff Policy.
Examples of Unacceptable Behaviour include, but are not limited to:
- unreasonable demands (e.g. requesting large volumes of information, asking for responses within a short space of time, refusing to speak to an individual or insisting on speaking with another)
- unreasonable persistence (refusing to accept the answer that has been provided, continuing to raise the same subject matter without providing any new evidence, continuously adding to or changing the subject matter of the complaint)
- verbal abuse, aggression, violence (this is not just limited to actual physical or verbal abuse but can include derogatory remarks, rudeness, inflammatory allegations and threats of violence)
- overload of letters, calls, emails or contact via social media (this could include the frequency of contact as well as the volume of correspondence received as well as the frequency and length of telephone calls).
You can read the Unacceptable Customer Behaviour Policy by clicking here.
Complaints Policy
The Complaints Policy has been revised to comply with the Complaint Handling Code.
Key changes include (but are not limited to):
- Whenever a resident expresses dissatisfaction landlords must give them the choice to make complaint.
- Landlords must accept complaints referred to them within 12 months of the issue occurring or the resident becoming aware of the issue, unless they are excluded on other grounds.
- It is not appropriate to have extra named stages (such as ‘stage 0’ or ‘informal complaint’).
- Residents must not be required to explain their reasons for requesting a stage 2 consideration.
- Landlords must have a standard objective in relation to complaint handling for all relevant employees or third parties.
Find out more about how to raise a complaint by clicking here.
You can read the Complaints Policy by clicking here.
Damp, Mould and Condensation Policy
Following the tragic death of Awaab Ishak, the Damp, Mould & Condensation Policy has been introduced to ensure that we comply with the latest legislation to ensure that wherever possible, customers are not adversely affected by its causes and provides for a proactive approach to managing the reporting of issues.
You can find out more about how to deal with Damp, Mould & Condensation and how to report any issues you may have by clicking here.
You can read the Damp, Mould & Condensation Policy by clicking here.
