These standards set out the level of service that we aim to provide overall and in our main areas of work.
We are committed to meeting these standards. We welcome your feedback to help us to monitor what we do and further improve.
Our guiding principles
At all times, we will:
- be polite and helpful
- communicate clearly
- respond quickly to your enquiries and try to provide our services right first time
- not keep you waiting without an explanation
- make it clear what we can and can’t do and when it can be done
- treat everyone fairly and with respect, and try to tailor our services to be accessible to your needs
- admit when we have made mistakes and try to put things right
- have well trained and knowledgeable staff to deal with your enquiries
- tell you who is dealing with any matter you have raised with us
- provide regular information to you in a variety of ways, such as on our website
- follow data protection law, treating information we hold about you in confidence and working to make sure the information we hold is relevant and correct
When you phone us, we will:
- answer the call quickly (our aim is to answer within 60 seconds) and tell you who you are speaking to
- aim to resolve your enquiry at the first point of contact
- offer to take a message or arrange to ring you back if the person you need to speak to is not available
- ring you back within 2 working days if we are unable to resolve your enquiry immediately
- use our answerphones only when it is necessary
- leave a message on our answerphones to let you know when we will be next available
When you write to us, email us or contact us through our websites, we will:
- acknowledge your communication within a maximum of 5 working days
- reply in full to your communication within 10 working days, and let you know if we can’t and when you can expect a full reply
When you want an appointment to see us, we will:
- arrange an appointment in your home (if appropriate, depending on distance and travel) or at one of our offices to suit your needs
- make the appointment for a time convenient to us both
- tell you as soon as possible if we cannot keep the appointment, and why
When we visit you at home, we will:
- be on time or, if delayed, call you to let you know when we will arrive
- show you suitable identification and be happy to wait while you check it
- explain the reason for the visit
- respect your home and all reasonable customs
- leave a card if you are out, telling you how to contact us
Our leasehold (including shared ownership) and rented services standards
This is a summary of our key standards relating to leasehold (including shared ownership) and rented homes managed by Waterloo Homes. There may be some points that are different for a particular development to reflect the requirements of a specific lease, so always check your lease or tenancy agreement too.
A: Repairing and maintaining areas we are responsible for
The repair and maintenance of any areas of your home or any communal areas we are responsible for in your lease or tenancy is as important to us as it is to you. If something goes wrong, we want to put it right first time.
Key standards we will deliver
We have shown the standard for leasehold and market rent homes separately as there are some differences between the two tenures in terms of the repairs and maintenance services we deliver.
For leasehold (including shared ownership) homes:
- we will provide and maintain the communal areas (such as any hallways, or windows in blocks of flats) of any homes to a high standard
- we will deliver a prompt and efficient repairs service for communal areas with clear published timescales for carrying out emergency, urgent and routine repairs to these areas
- we will provide a variety of ways to easily report a communal repair
- we will explain whether the repair work is our responsibility or yours
- we aim to complete communal repairs at the first visit
- we will consult you about any planned improvements which may affect your home and give you clear timescales for such planned work
For rented homes:
- we will provide and maintain homes to a high standard
- we will deliver a prompt and efficient repairs service with clear published timescales for carrying out emergency, urgent and routine repairs
- we will provide a variety of ways to easily report a repair
- we will explain whether the repair work is our responsibility or yours
- we aim to complete repairs at the first visit
- we will consult you about any planned improvements which affect your home and give you clear timescales for such planned work
- we will cancel a repair if you do not keep the appointment we have made with you and charge you for the cost of the call out, unless there are exceptional circumstances for this
- we will carry out yearly service and safety checks on all gas and solid fuel appliances in your home
- we will respect your home and clear up after the work has been done
- we will ask your permission if we need to use your electricity supply or other items to carry out works in your home, though we may be unable to carry out these works if you do not give us this
- we will gather residents’ feedback on the performance and behaviour of our repairs staff and contractors and inform you of the outcomes of this. This may be by way of a phone call to you after works have been completed, or by asking you to complete a short survey
B: Your local neighbourhood and community
We want you to enjoy living in your home and neighbourhood, without fear from others. It should feel like a place where people get along and you are proud to call home.
Key standards we will deliver
- we will ensure that the estates we manage are clean and safe
- we will regularly inspect our estates and monitor their upkeep, condition and the services we provide
- we will use a range of ways to help prevent and deal with anti-social behaviour
- we will treat reports of anti-social behaviour seriously and confidentially, and investigate them quickly and efficiently
- we will take appropriate action against people who cause a nuisance to their neighbours and work with other agencies where necessary to resolve this
- we will consult you about the steps we plan to take to deal with the problem and keep you informed of progress
- we will produce an action plan to deal with on-going problems we need to monitor and review
- we will guide you towards any other relevant sources of help and support and will focus on your needs, concerns and safety
C: Selling and letting our homes
We want to help as many people as we can to live in an affordable home. When you want or need to move, we will make it as easy as we can for you to live in the place you choose.
Key standards we will deliver
- we will sell or let homes as quickly and as fairly as possible
- we will give you information about how we provide affordable housing, and if you are eligible for low cost home ownership housing
- we will tell you about our services as your landlord, together with other information to help you settle into your home including how to use the heating system and any other appliances provided by us
D: Setting and managing rents and service charges
Paying your rent (where applicable) and any service charge is an essential condition of your lease or tenancy. We want to help and encourage you to pay on time.
Key standards we will deliver
- we will offer a range of payment options, including Direct Debit which is our preferred way for you to pay any rent or service charge
- we will give timely information to you about your rent or service charge account, with support for those who need it
- we will keep any rent and service charge arrears low by taking firm but fair action, and keeping you informed of any action we are planning to take
- we will contact you promptly if you fall into arrears of any rent or service charge payable
- we will take appropriate legal action against you if you repeatedly fail to pay any rent or service charge due, which could lead to forfeiture of your lease or tenancy
- we will work with specialist agencies to provide you with advice on managing your money, including help with budgeting and dealing with debt
E: Involving you
We want you to feel that we are open to your feedback and always interested in what you have to say. Your involvement influences our decision-making and helps us to improve.
Key standards we will deliver
- we will offer a range of ways for residents to get involved to help improve and develop our services, including surveys and by using digital communications such as text messaging, email, social media and our website as appropriate
- we will listen to you and take your views into account wherever possible
- we will consult with you as soon as we are able to on changes that directly affect you
- we will tell you the outcome of your involvement and what changed
- we will encourage and assist residents from under-represented groups to get involved
- we will provide regular news updates through our Waterloo Homes website
- we will develop incentives to encourage customer involvement, and for keeping to the terms of your lease or tenancy
- we will make sure at regular intervals we update the information we hold about you, including any particular needs you may have, and how you would like us to communicate with you
F: Achieving value for money
We carefully manage our business and finances to try to provide value for money. In all that we do, this means striking the balance between price, performance and resident satisfaction.
- we will focus on delivering services that offer value for money and will work with you to achieve this
- we aim to deliver services to you in the most efficient and effective way
- we will involve customers in reviewing how we are doing on delivering value for money, and report progress to you
What you can do to help us
Your responsibilities to help us achieve these standards include:
- being polite when speaking to us
- paying any rent or service charge payable on time
- paying any rent or service charge by Direct Debit
- taking reasonable care of your home
- reporting to us quickly any repairs we are responsible for in accordance with your lease or tenancy with us
- repairing quickly the things you are responsible for in accordance with your lease or tenancy
- behaving in a responsible way towards your neighbours and other people
- keeping any appointments we make with you, or telling us if you can’t
- telling us when you think we have done a job well ,or if you feel we have not
- reading the information we send you
- giving information we ask you for, when we need it
What we will do to check we are meeting these standards
- we will start to record telephone calls to Waterloo Homes for training and monitoring purposes
- we will carry out ‘mystery shopping’ checks on a range of services
- we will monitor all complaints and customer feedback and what we have learnt from it
- we will carry out regular customer satisfaction surveys to check how you rate the service provided
- we will check how any contractors appointed by us are performing
- we will monitor how we are doing on an on-going basis and identify areas to improve
- we will tell you about how we are doing and our plans to further improve on our website
- we will compare our performance against other similar housing providers
- we will deliver relevant customer service training for all our staff
- we will work with our resident-led Local Boards to monitor our performance against these standards
Please let us know if you have any query or comment about any of these standards. If you want to make a complaint about our services, we have clear published timescales for responding and will tell you how to take the complaint further if you are not satisfied.
You can contact us in the following ways:
