Repairs
We will carry out emergency repairs or make them safe within 24 hours
We aim to carry out 80% of non-emergency repairs within 28 days
We will complete 85% of repairs right first time
We will ensure that your home meets the Government’s Decent Homes Standard
Planned Works
We will publish a list of planned investment works each year on our website
We will provide a list of the review dates for improvements to your home, once the review has been completed we will confirm when the improvement will be completed
We will help you to access housing adaptations, should you need them, and fund any appropriate adaptations up to £1000 ourselves
Responding to contact
We will respond to general enquiries within five working days
Our average call waiting times for repairs, income and customer service is three minutes
Rent and service charges Safety
We will ensure that you have valid gas and electrical safety certification for your home
We will ensure that relevant Co2 and smoke detection is in place in your home
Where applicable, we will tell you about the presence of any asbestos and ensure that it is managed effectively We will ensure that current Fire Risk Assessments are in place for all appropriate buildings
We will ensure that personal emergency evacuation plans are in place for every customer that requires assistance in the event of an emergency in our supported services
We will tell you how much your rent and service charges will be before you move into your home
We will provide you with different ways to pay your rent including online
We will review service charges each year to ensure that they are fair and transparent and we will advise you of any charges each March
Money advice
Every customer that is in arrears will be offered a referral to our free Money Advice Service
We will carry out your money advice assessment within 8 working days
We will include a benefit check to make sure you are receiving everything that you are entitled to We will provide a hardship fund to support customers experiencing financial difficulties
Allocating homes
We will allocate our homes in a fair and transparent way that takes your needs into account
We will complete a financial assessment with you before we approve an application to make sure the property is affordable to you
We will ensure that the property you move into meets our published Lettable Standard
We will usually offer an accompanied viewing for all lettings so that you can see the home you are being offered before you accept it
We will visit you six to eight weeks after moving in to identify and agree with you any issues that have arisen, and any additional needs you have
We will support you to exchange your home with another household in social housing, if you wish to
We will support you to maintain your tenancy and avoid unnecessary evictions
We will help vulnerable customers to live independently
Neighbourhood
We will keep communal areas where you live safe, clean and well-maintained
We will carry out grounds maintenance each month from November to February at a reduced specification (no grass cutting), and every 14 working days between March and September
We will work with partner organisations to promote social, environmental and economic well-being in the areas where we provide social housing
We will provide a community fund for grants between £50 and £1,000
Complaints
We will ensure you are able to raise a complaint easily
All colleagues will understand how to raise a dissatisfaction or a complaint
We will respond to you and try and put things right for you as an early resolution within five working days
Formal complaint Stage 1: We will make contact with you in person or by telephone and acknowledge your complaint in writing within five working days
A Stage 1 response will be issued within 10 working days of the complaint being acknowledged, and extension of a further 10 working days is possible
Complaint appeal Stage 2: We will make contact with you in person or by telephone and acknowledge your complaint in writing within five working days
A Stage 2 response will be issued within 20 working days of the complaint being acknowledged, and extension of a further 20 working days is possible
We will take learning from each complaint in order to improve our services
Support
We will understand the diverse needs of customers including those arising from protected characteristics, language barriers and additional support needs
We will provide supported housing services that help customers to live as independently as possible
We will recognise, respond and record customer vulnerabilities and will make reasonable adjustments where appropriate to do so, and support customers to access any additional services that they may need
Domestic abuse
We will work with the local authority to help to provide safe house accommodation within Wychavon and support and advice to those living in safe house accommodation across Worcestershire
Your neighbourhood officer will help you to access support and advice for domestic abuse services should you need to
Anti-Social Behaviour
We will work with the local authority, police and other organisations to deter and tackle Anti-Social Behaviour and hate crime
We will take reports of Anti-Social Behaviour seriously and respond within five working days
We will take action against Anti-Social Behaviour where appropriate and possible for us to do so
We will provide support to anyone affected by Anti-Social Behaviour or hate incidents, agree an action plan with you, where appropriate, and work with you to help achieve a resolution which may involve working with other agencies, including mediation
We will agree with you how we will keep you updated and how frequently this will be
The Regulator
The Regulator of Social Housing is the organisation that makes sure housing associations are doing the right thing. They are part of the Government.
The Regulator of Social Housing Consumer Standards contain specific expectations and results that housing associations are expected to get to
Home Standard - providing quality accommodation and a cost-effective repairs and maintenance service.
Tenancy Standard - providing homes in a fair, transparent and efficient way
Neighbourhood and Community Standard - keeping neighbourhoods and communal areas clean, safe and help tackle anti-social behaviour
Tenant Involvement and Empowerment Standard - providing choices, information and communication appropriate to diverse needs, a clear approach to complaints and a wide range of opportunities for tenants to have influence and be involved
The Regulator also has economic standards that relate to how we operate as a landlord.
Governance – ensure effective governance arrangements that deliver aims, objectives and intended outcomes for our customers in an effective, transparent and accountable manner.
Financial Viability – we will manage our resources effectively to ensure viability is maintained while ensuring that our assets are not put at undue risk.
Value for Money – we will clearly state our agreed objectives, demonstrating value for money when delivering homes and services that meet a range of needs and optimise the economy, efficiency and effectiveness of our services.
Rent – we will set our rents in accordance with the Government’s Policy Statement on Rents for Social Housing.
