Fed up with a bad service?
Sick of appointments not kept, telephone
messages and letters not answered, (N.B. letters
must be properly answered within ten working days),
shoddy workmanship, bad manners, rudeness and a
poor service? File a formal complaint, and see a
change.
1. Discuss the problem with a member of
staff, usually the line manger of the person who is
responsible for your problem. This is best done by
letter. If you do not know who the line manager is,
ring 020-8150 4200, and ask. Make it clear what is
wrong, and what you want done. If you are
completely satisfied, congratulate yourself.
Otherwise, proceed to the next stage:
2. Write to the Complaints Manager, Ms.
Pamela Jackson, at 192 Willesden High Road, NW10
2PB, and explain the problem to her.
3. Ask her for an official complaint number
for your complaint.
4. and for a copy of the PCHA formal
complaints procedure. You must be given a receipt
within 7 days, and a full response within 28 days.
If you do not receive a reply within this 28 day
period, write to Ms Jackson saying that you accept
the failure to reply as the reply, and that you are
not satisfied, and require her to take the matter
straight away to the Appeals Panel (see below). If
you get a reply that you are entirely happy with,
that is fine; otherwise proceed without delay
(within 28 days) to the next stage:
5. Write to Ms. Jackson simply stating why
you are dissatisfied. Do not engage in any
discussion. Ms. Jackson must then arrange for an
Appeals Panel to review your complaint. You may
take a friend or advocate to this meeting - it may
be possible for the IFGR to send someone along to
be with you. If you are satisfied with this, then
that is fine; otherwise:
6. You should take the complaint to the
Housing Ombudsman
Please feel free to contact the Fed at any
time. We have a great deal of experience in this
procedure, and may be able to help you.
(N.B. If you are a Pathmeads, Sutherland,
Springboard or St Matthews tenant, the process will
be slightly different. Ring them up and ask for a
copy of their Complaints Procedure).
Getting advice about environmental
problems:
Mould, fungus, rodents etc often need outside
advice and an expert statement about the situation.
Your local authority will have an environmental
team. Start by asking them. They may not be able to
help you due to a conflict of interest since they
may have dealings with PCHA. In that case, seek
advice from a private company, such as that of Mel
Cairns (tel: 020-7233 7780 - email:
mcairns@waitrose.com). If you are involved with
solicitors and legal aid, legal aid will often pay
the bill.
Going to court:
You can, of course, go to the Small Claims
Court or the County Court at any time, but with the
benefit of a judgment from the ombudsman, the
process should be much smoother and legal aid
easier to get. Speak to a local solicitor who
specialises in housing matters. They will usually
give a free 15min or 30 min consultation to see if
it is a good idea to apply for legal aid.
Good luck!
Suffered loss or feel a need for
compensation?
Telephone the PCHA office on 020-8150 4200
and ask them to put in the post a copy of the PCHA
leaflet called "Compensation for failure to repair:
Purpose and scope". There are arrangements to cover
almost all eventualities, damage, delays etc. There
are various questions to be asked, and the
procedure is different for different types of
problem. Let us know if you think the Fed can help
you.
Ever wondered who runs the show?
The Royal Bank of Canada (Europe) Ltd.'s
managing director, Adrian Bell, is chair of
Genesis, which is run by three more bankers, two
surveyors, two accountants and Jacqueline Cannon.
Find out more here.
Get help from your MP and councillors
An invaluable source of help can be your
local Member of Parliament. If you know your
postcode,
click
here and find out who he/she is, and write
stating your problem, and ask for help.
Local councillors can be useful for a large
range of difficulties. They can be found
here.
Discover who they are and contact them for help,
advice and support.
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