Service Standards

As part of our Corporate Strategy, we are committed to delivering better customer services and ensuring great value through business efficiency. We regularly review service standards to ensure that improvements are made and we are meeting your needs. We do this by involving our residents in the process.

Click here to read our HHS Customer Charter 2022
 

Our objectives

• Provide more homes in Cambridge
• Deliver better customer service
• Ensure great value through business efficiency
• Develop motivated and effective people

Our Local Offer

The local offer will set out the standards you can expect from Hundred Houses Society in relation to your contact with us, the services we provide and in the places where you live.

Customer Service

• Have a published complaints procedure “Putting things Right” and deal with complaints within specified timeframes.
• Have a published “Customer Service Standards” in place and available on request.
• Provide a variety of ways to contact us, social media, tenant portal, phone, letter, email, website and face to face.
• Have a private and accessible room available at our offices for customers to speak to staff.
• Offer home visits where requested and offer flexibility of appointment time.
• Respect your confidentiality and treat you with respect.

Neighbourhood and Communities

• Carry out Quarterly inspections of all our roads/estates/villages and take action to resolve any issues found.
• Respond to complaints about your neighbourhood by visiting and investigating the matter within 10 days.
• Carry out 2 Estate Walkabouts per patch per year, these will be publicised in advance and stakeholders and residents will be invited to attend.
• Carry out year round ground maintenance to all our communal areas.
• Carry out cleaning of communal internal areas and complete a record in each block of when this has been done.
• Provide funds for local residents to apply for to make improvements to their local areas.
• Get involved in 2 community events each year in the local area in partnership with other local agencies.
• Work in partnership with other agencies to tackle Anti-social Behaviour, such as the Problem Solving Group.
• Respond to complaints of Anti Social Behaviour (ASB) within 5 working days, unless serious anti-social behaviour such as violence which will be responded to within 24hrs.
• Work proactively with complainants and perpetrators of ASB to resolve the issues at the earliest opportunity.
• Keep victims of ASB up to date with action taken and offer support and assistance to victims while investigations are undertaken.
• Utilise all possible remedies including mediation, written warnings, Notice of Seeking Possession, Injunctions and Court Action where appropriate to tackle anti-social behaviour.
• Provide diversionary activities to help alleviate nuisance.

Rent and Tenancy

• Each tenant will have a named Housing Officer and be provided with their contact details.
• Provide a range of ways to pay rent such as direct debit, allpay online, pay point, cheque and debit card.
• Provide 4 rent and or service charge statements per year
• Actively chase rent arrears and where necessary take legal action for non payment of rent, including recovery of former tenant arrears.
• We will assist customers who require support to maintain their tenancies.
• We will offer the appropriate tenancy as set out in our Tenancy Policy.

Allocation and Lettings

• We will work in partnership with other Cambridgeshire Landlords and local Authorities to deliver a choice based lettings scheme “Homelink” and advertise vacant properties on this system.
• We will work help those who are under occupying their home to downsize to more affordable accommodation.
• We will conduct “settling in interviews” with all new tenants within 6 weeks of the new tenancy to ensure that tenants are happy with their new home.
• We will provide access for our tenants to Mutual Exchange website Home swapper to enable them to seek a move.

Resident Involvement

• We will actively encourage and promote resident involvement to all new tenants during the sign up.
• We will promote resident involvement and upcoming events in e-newsletters and on our website.
• We will offer a range of ways to get involved at varying levels to suit the needs of as many residents as possible.
• We will provide training and vouchers to those who give up their time to get involved and make a difference.
• We will provide facilities and or grants for resident groups to use to assist in their activities.

Repairs and Maintenance

• Provide an Emergency Repair Service accessible 24 hours a day, 365 days per year, when the office is closed.
• Publish the repair priority timescales for repair.
• Publish the landlord and tenant responsibilities
• Seek the feedback of residents on how satisfied they are with the service.
• Publish the performance of contractors and satisfaction in relation to repairs.
• Carry out gas safety checks to all properties every 12 months.
• Have a publicised planned maintenance program for replacement windows, doors, kitchens, bathrooms and roofs.

Our response times to repairs from the day you notify us are:

Response time for repairs

Category	Response time	Examples
Emergency	We will make safe within 24 hours	Total loss of heating in winter Burst pipes
Urgent	Within 5 working days	Dripping overflow pipes General electrical work
Routine	Within 20 working days	Plastering Repairs to doors and windows

If our contractors fail to complete certain repairs, you may be paid compensation.

Keeping you informed - we will:

• Keep you up-to-date with all information and events that may effect you.
• Provide useful up-to-date information in our reception area.
• Provide you with copies of our policies on request. Email info@hhs.org.uk with your request.

Keeping our website up-to-date - we will:

• Ensure our website is user friendly and complies with accessibility requirements. If you read or hear something on our website that needs fixing such as a broken link please email us on  info@hhs.org.uk and we will put it right.