Appeals
In instances where you wish to contest a decision made in line with OVH’s published policies or procedures, you may raise an appeal. A non-exhaustive list of issues you may appeal include:
- Eligibility for independent living following a needs and risk assessment
- Decisions on investments or adaptation work
- Decisions to allow ‘Right to Buy’ and ‘Right to Acquire’ applications
- Service charges for tenants and leaseholders
In-line with the Housing Ombudsman Complaint Handling code we aim to:
- Resolve a Stage One appeal within 10 Working days
- Resolve a Stage Two appeal within 20 Working days.
What is a complaint?
A complaint is when you feel we haven’t provided a satisfactory service, made a mistake, or acted unfairly in our direct responsibilities. We encourage you to first discuss your concerns with the team who initially helped you. If unresolved, you can then make a formal complaint.
Please note, a complaint does not typically include:
- Neighbour disputes
- Neighbour nuisance or anti-social behaviour – Unless you feel we haven’t handled a previously reported incident properly, please find out more on how to report incidents of anti-social behaviour here.
- Actions of external parties – We can only address issues related to our own services and those working directly with or for us.
Not a complaint? If you need to report a repair, request a service (like support with anti-social behaviour), or have a general enquiry, please contact our Customer Service Centre here. These enquiries are usually dealt with more quickly through our regular service channels.
Communication and Support
We offer a range of communication options to suit your needs, including written, phone, in-person, and email contact.
If you do not wish to make the complaint yourself, we are happy to deal with someone who will represent you. This may be a local official, family member, or other body such as an advocate. You may need to give us permission if your complaint concerns sensitive information.
Understanding our Timelines
In-line with the Housing Ombudsman Complaint Handling code we aim to:
- Resolve a Stage One complaint within 10 Working days
- Resolve a Stage Two complaint within 20 Working days.
High-Rise Customer Complaints
You can make a relevant compliant to One Vision Housing relating to high rise building safety.
A relevant complaint involves:
-
Structural failure and spread of fire (building safety risks)
Examples
- Flammable cladding on the outside of a building
- Fire doors or smoke extraction which are not working or missing that may increase the risk of fire spread
- Failure of the building’s structure, such as parts of the building collapsing, cracks, or parts of the building falling off.
-
The performance of One Vision Housing
Examples
- Communications to customers
- Responses to raised concerns
- How building safety risks are managed
Escalating Your Complaint or Appeal
If you are unhappy with the outcome of your complaint or appeal, you can request a review of your case. You can do this in the same way that you made your initial enquiry. Please tell us why you are not satisfied with our initial response. We will acknowledge your contact within five working days and provide a full written response within 20 working days. Your response letter will also explain what you can do if you are still unhappy.