We’re changing the way we handle complaints 02 December 2020 We're committed to the Housing Ombudsman's code

You may have seen that the Housing Ombudsman is introducing a new Complaints Handling Code. The new code can be accessed on their website by clicking here.

As an organisation, we strive to put the Customer First and to promote a culture of Listen, Act and Learn, this means we’re focussing more on learning outcomes and looking at how we report these back to you.

The good news is that we’re fully committing to the code and we make the official switch over from 1 January 2021. The even better news is that we have made significant progress so far on making these changes.

What we’ve done so far:

• We’ve introduced the role of Customer First Learning Specialist as an advocate for our customers who wish to give feedback through a complaint or praise. The role ensures that complaints are logged and investigated as per our policies and processes, as well as offering support and guidance to LHP staff on how to investigate and respond to complaints. In addition, the Customer First Learning Specialist will work with all our service areas to implement the learning identified as part of any complaint investigations
• We’ve provided Customer First training on the new processes and learning outcomes for 350 staff, in just six weeks!
• We’re introducing Customer First Champions across the organisation to promote our Customer First approach within their service area
• We’ve updated our policies related to complaints:
• Complaints Policy
• Reasonable Adjustments Policy
• Limited Contact Policy
• Compensation Policy

you can read copies of these by clicking the links above or visiting our dedicated Complaints page. You can also download copies of the policies at the foot of this page

• We’ve overhauled our Customer Complaints Handbook and introduced the Customer First Complaints Handbook. We will soon be sending a copy of this to you through the post. You can also read this on our Complaints page.
• We’ve opened a dedicated Complaints email at complaints@lincolnshirehp.com
• We’re committed to reporting learning outcomes from complaints to you through our new Listen, Act and Learn We will do this monthly on our website and in each edition of the magazine.

What does this mean for customers?

The changes to the process are outlined in the Customer First Complaints Handbook but they can be summarised as:

• We will try to resolve your complaint as soon as we are made aware of any problems. Your complaint will be recorded immediately, and thoroughly investigated to ensure we put things right.
• You can still make a complaint in the usual fashion:
  • Online at lincolnshirehp.com/complaints-and-compliments
  • Via email at complaints@lincolnshirehp.com
  • On the telephone: 0345 604 1472
  • By direct message on social media. Twitter: twitter.com/lincolnshirehp or Facebook: www.facebook.com/lincolnshirehp.com