Housing Service Standards

Customer Contact

• Treat you fairly and politely at all times – we ask that you treat our staff in the same manner 
• Greet you in a friendly and pleasant manner at all times and use your name 
• Tell you the name, section and location of the person you are talking to 
• Listen carefully to your enquiry and take notes of what you say
• strive to resolve your enquiry when you first approach us and if this is not possible, we will tell you what will happen next. 
• Provide access to a telephone language translation service, translators or signers to meet your needs and will ask the right questions to identify your needs
• Know our procedures and apply them consistently 
• Refer you to the correct department or agency if we cannot help with your problem 
• Maintain a smart and appropriate image 
• Keep within 10 minutes of pre-arranged appointments 
• Give easy access to Council buildings 
• Make sure we use the right equipment if you have special needs 
• Notify you of the date and time of an appointment within 5 working days of your request or within 24 hours for an emergency
• Take time to go through application forms, agreements etc with you

Telephone Contact

• Answer the telephone within 5 rings 
• Offer to call you back if you are using a public telephone or if your enquiry is likely to take some time to deal with 
• Offer you a home visit if you unable to come into the office

Personal Callers

• Make special arrangements to speed up the service at busy times 
• Keep our offices clean and tidy with up-to-date information on display 
• Offer you more privacy if you would like it 
• Ensure that we see drop in callers within 15 minutes

Home Visits

• Treat you and your home with respect at all times 
• Identify ourselves clearly on arrival by showing you a council name badge

Letters

• Reply to your letter within 10 working days 
• Write clearly, avoiding jargon and abbreviations

Repairs

• Provide you with an out-of-hours emergency repairs service
• Make an appointment, whenever possible, to carry out repairs to your home 
• Ensure our Contractors identify themselves before entering your property by showing you a council name badge.

If you are a new Council tenant

• Provide you with a Welcome Pack when you sign your tenancy agreement 
• Explain your rights and responsibilities 
• Visit you within 15 working days of you moving into the property 
• Make sure any queries you have about your new home are dealt with to your satisfaction

If you have applied for Sheltered Accommodation

• Visit you to assess your request within 30 days 
• Arrange for you to visit a sheltered scheme, if you find this helpful

If you make a Homeless Application

• Give you a decision within 30 working days regarding your application

If you are in Temporary Accommodation

• Help you with your move into a permanent home and provide a free removal service if you are on income support/benefit

If you apply for a Renovation Grant

• Tell you whether you have a grant within 20 days of your enquiry

If you request our Community Alarm service

• Install your alarm on the day of our initial visit or within 7 days if electrical work is needed 
• Repair any faults on equipment on the same day they are reported 
• Contact new customers within 48 hours after their discharge from Hospital