Complaints and petitions

Before you make a complaint

It's important your complaint gets to the right place so we can get your issue resolved quickly. There are some things you may think are a complaint, but can be resolved more quickly by speaking directly to a particular team. Here are some common examples.

Common queries that aren't complaints

Derby Homefinder applications, including Priority Banding decisions, time on the housing register, website issues, bidding, position on shortlists. property availability, Mutual Exchange etc. See our comprehensive Find a home section or contact the Housing Options team.
Complaints about nuisance behaviour of others (anti-social behaviour), such as noise, nuisance parking, - Use the Report Anti-social Behaviour form
Updates on outstanding repairs or kitchen/bathroom replacements - Log in to MyAccount or call Customer Services
Complaints about untidy gardens, dangerous trees, fly tipping, dog fouling or other estate issues - Contact Customer Services to notify your Patch Team
Complaints about missed bin collections, council tax or benefit claims - We don't manage these services. You should contact Derby City Council.

Other things we don't accept as complaints

A request for information or an explanation of our policies
An issue raised more than six months after the event, unless there are exceptional circumstances
Cases that have been referred to the insurance company, where legal action is being taken or where a disrepair case has been submitted
Where the underlying issue is not within the control or remit of Derby Homes
Requests from Members of Parliament and councillors are addressed as part of a separate policy and procedure

If we decide not to accept a complaint, we will be provide you with a detailed explanation, setting out the reasons why the matter is not suitable for our complaints process. We must exercise discretion fairly and appropriately when deciding not to consider a complaint. We will not unreasonably deny someone access to our complaints procedure.

What we do consider a complaint

A complaint is defined as:

an expression of dissatisfaction, however made, about the standard of service, actions or lack of action by the organisation, its own staff, or those acting on its behalf, affecting an individual resident or group of residents.

If you still want to make a complaint, go to the next page.

Make a complaint

You can contact the Housing Ombudsman at any time during the complaints process. Alternatively, if your complaint is about Money Advice, you can ask for it to be reviewed by the Financial Ombudsman.

You can make a complaint by:

Using the webform below
Email us at [email protected]
Telephone us on 01332 888777
Send it in writing to: Customer Experience Officer, Derby Homes, 839 London Road, Alvaston, Derby, DE24 8UZ
Visiting us at our Head Office: Derby Homes, 839 London Road, Alvaston, Derby, DE24 8UZ

Please ensure you have read the guidance: Before you make a complaint

Make a complaint to Derby Homes

Housing Ombudsman Scheme

As a landlord, we're also a member of the Housing Ombudsman Scheme. The scheme is set up by law to look at complaints about housing organisations that are registered with them.

If you are not satisfied with the response to your complaint from Derby Homes, you can ask for your complaint to be reviewed by the Housing Ombudsman at any time during the complaints process. View the Housing Ombudsman's contact details in the useful contacts section.

They’ll investigate your complaint and gather evidence to help them reach decision. Their powers are similar to those of a court in terms of getting evidence, and they’ll keep you up to date with the results of their investigation. Their decision is final, and there is no right of appeal.

Visit www.housing-ombudsman.org.uk to find out more about the service they provide.

Financial Ombudsman Service

Our Money advice service is a financial service that is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. If your complaint relates to our financial services, you can ask for it to be reviewed by the Financial Ombudsman if:

you are not satisfied with the response to your complaint, or
eight weeks have passed since you raised your complaint

The Financial Ombudsman will only investigate your complaint once we’ve had an opportunity to look in to it, so please contact us first. They’ll investigate your complaint and gather evidence to help them reach decision. Their powers are similar to those of a court in terms of getting evidence, and they’ll keep you up to date with the results of their investigation. Their decision is final, and there is no right of appeal.

View the Financial Ombudsman's contact details in the Useful contacts section.

Our complaints procedure

Please talk to us if you are dissatisfied with any of our services. You should first contact the staff who provided the service, who will try to resolve it for you. If you remain dissatisfied you can speak to their line manager. If you are still not happy, you should make a complaint. We aim to resolve all complaints first time.

Dealing with your initial complaint

When we receive your complaint we will:

acknowledge your complaint within two working days
investigate and respond to you within ten working days.
review all available evidence relevant to the investigation
discuss the outcomes of the investigation with you and provide a written record of this
record all information on our Housing Management system

Stage two complaint escalation

Where you feel we have not resolved your complaint satisfactorily, you can ask for it to escalated to the next stage. This will be looked at by a different investigating officer. We call this a 'stage two' complaint. If you want us to do this, you must request your complaint be escalated to stage two within 20 working days from receiving our response to your initial complaint.

The relevant Head of Service will appoint the most appropriate manager to investigate the stage two complaint. The investigating officer must be a different person to the officer who investigated the initial complaint.

If you are still dissatisfied

If you’re still not satisfied after the appeal process has been carried out, you can request that your complaint be considered by a 'designated person'. This will be an MP, a local councillor or a recognised tenant panel. The designated person will either try and resolve the complaint themselves, or refer the matter directly to the Housing Ombudsman.

Remember, you can contact the Housing Ombudsman at any time during the complaints process.

Petitions and group complaints

A group complaint is one that has been submitted by residents from more than one property, relating to the same issue. If it appears that the individuals involved are raising different issues, or the circumstances vary for a similar issue, it may be more appropriate to deal with matters as separate complaints.

The group need to agree on a lead complainant. The names and addresses of all members of the group are needed as part of the complaint to show that their permission has been gained and to confirm they are a member of the group making the complaint.

How we deal with group complaints

Group complaints are submitted into our complaints process are dealt with through our two-stage complaints procedure.
We will only communicate with the lead member of the group.
The lead group member is responsible for sharing information with the other residents and individuals in the group.

Groups members can contact the Housing Ombudsman at any time during the complaints process. Find out more here.

Insurance claims

We will respond quickly to any claims against Derby Homes or our contractors. We will visit your home and send the completed claim form to our insurance section, or the contractor, within ten working days of receiving your claim.

Remedy and compensation

If we’ve made a mistake, there are several ways we try to put it right. We can:

make an apology
carry out work, such as repairs
review a decision we’ve already made
improve the way we do things and train our staff so the mistake doesn’t happen again.

If we find you’ve been disadvantaged in some way, either by the cause of your complaint or in pursuing it, we will consider paying you compensation. Generally, compensation will be a payment in recognition of distress or inconvenience caused to you. The person who investigates your complaint will determine the right level of compensation.

Paying compensation to you

We are committed to delivering high standards and will pay compensation to you if we fail to meet our published standards in the following areas:

Right to Repair

You have the right to have certain repairs done within set time limits. If we do not complete a qualifying repair within the set time limits, you have the right to ask us to arrange for another approved contractor to carry out the work. If this contractor fails to carry out the work, you may get compensation.

The timescales for carrying out repairs can be found here in our Repair FAQs.

Missing a home visit appointment

We will pay £10 if we miss an appointment made with you. This includes if we are more than 30 minutes late for an appointment and fail to contact you to let you know. This applies whether the appointment is written or verbal.

You can also claim compensation if we have arranged for an external contractor to visit you and the appointment is missed.

Failing to acknowledge a letter

We will pay £10 for each letter that isn’t acknowledged within three working days. This compensation covers letters addressed and delivered to a specific housing office for issues that are able to be resolved by that housing office (for example, if you contact your Local Housing Office to inform them of a fly-tipping issue on your street).

This compensation does not apply to emails.

Communal Door Entry system

We will pay £5 for each four week period your communal door entry system does not work.

Compensation is not payable where the loss arises as a result of negligence by the tenant or failure to confirm with tenancy conditions, or if it is the result of a third party (for example, water, gas or electricity suppliers).

Useful Contacts

Customer Experience Officer

Derby Homes
839 London Road
Alvaston
Derby
DE24 8UZ

[email protected]

Derby City Council Corporate Complaints Officer

Derby City Council
The Council House
Corporation Street
Derby
DE1 2FS

Housing Ombudsman Service

The Housing Ombudsman Service is set up by law to look at complaints about the housing organisations that are registered with them. Their service is free, independent and impartial.

They resolve disputes involving the tenants and leaseholders of social landlords (housing associations and local authorities) and any voluntary members (private landlords and letting agents who are committed to good service for their tenants).

www.housing-ombudsman.org.uk

0300 111 3000
[email protected]

Make a complaint to the Housing Ombudsman

Housing Ombudsman Service
PO Box 152
Liverpool
L33 7WQ