Making a complaint

The co-op welcomes complaints from its members and encourage anyone using our services to make a complaint.   Our full complaints policy can be downloaded here and is available on request.  We also have a brief summary of the complaints policy which can be downloaded here.

You do not have to use the word complaint for it to be treated as a complaint. 

A complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction, however made, about the standard of service, actions or lack of action by the co‑op, its own staff (or those acting on its behalf), affecting a resident or a group of residents. 

 The co-op aims to make it easy for you to make complaints. The co‑op can receive complaints:

• in person at the co-op’s office – 131 Loughborough Road
• by phone at the co-op’s office – 0333 600 2500 / 0116 502 0888
• by letter addressed to the co-op’s Registered Office – 131 Loughborough Road, Leicester LE4 5L
• by email at hello@belgravecoop.org.uk
• through the enquiry form on the website
• by reference from the Chair or from another third party.

 Any member of staff can receive a complaint. 

 A designated Complaints Officer will take responsibility for ensuring that receipt of the complaint is acknowledged; that an investigation of the complaint takes place; and that there is communication with you throughout and regarding outcomes. 

The Complaints Officer will ensure that:

a)  the complaint is acknowledged in writing within 5 working days of receipt of the complaint

b)  an investigation of the complaint takes place, including interviews with you and other relevant parties, and a formal written communication to you regarding the outcomes of the investigation within 10 working days. If we need more time, we will let you know in writing.

At the end of Stage 1 of a formal complaint, the Complaints Officer will ensure that the co-op writes to you in plain language setting out the co-op’s decision about the complaint and the reasons for the decisions made. 

If you are not happy with some or all the outcome of your complaint, you may request a review.  The request for a review will be acknowledged in writing within 5 working days.

The co-op will form an independent review panel which will be independent of the complaint and the Complaints Officer.  You will be given every opportunity to set out your complaint to the Review Panel.

The Review Panel will offer a final written response to you within 20 working days of a review request being received.  If the Review Panel cannot meet that timescale, it will let you know.

If you are still unhappy with the outcome of your complaint, you may refer the complaint to the Housing Ombudsman Service.  You may access the Housing Ombudsman Service when you wish to and may receive assistance from the Ombudsman during the life of a complaint.

The Housing Ombudsman Service has published a Complaints Handling Code with which we will comply.  We have carried out a review of our Complaints Policy to make sure that it complies with the Housing Ombudsman’s Code.  This review is available here.

We are also keen to learn from complaints that our tenant members make to us.  Each year we analyse the complaints received; what we have done as a result of them; and what we have learnt from them.  Our report on our complaints handling performance, which includes a response from our Management Committee, is available here.