Housing charter and service standards PDF version
The mission for the housing service is to create places that people are proud to call home.
Our Customer Charter and Service Standards are in line with the values of Angus Council which are:
- integrity
- collaboration
- fairness
- focus on people
- respect
Our customers are
- tenants
- housing applicants
- carers /relatives of tenants and applicants
- other service providers, including Police Scotland and Scottish Fire and Rescue
- elected members
- our housing partners, including Hillcrest Homes
- Other housing customers e.g. empty home owners we are working with
- Internal customers/departments
Customer Charter
Our Customer Charter sets out how we aim to treat our customers when they interact with us.
We aim to deliver a consistent and high standard of customer care and our commitment to you is that we will:
- Treat you politely and with respect
- Be friendly and approachable
- Listen to what you have to say
- Respect your rights to confidentiality*
- Be open and accountable
- Give you the information you need about our service
- Value and respect the diversity of our customers and try to meet the needs of customers with specific requirements
- Work in partnership with other organisations and communities to improve our services
- Learn from your compliments, comments and complaints.
* unless we have a concern for your welfare and require to share information with relevant professionals.
Meeting you in person
If visiting you at home, we will:
- Treat your home with respect
- Arrive on time for any scheduled appointments
- Tell you in advance if we need to reschedule or cancel your appointment
In return we ask you to:
- Treat us politely and with respect
- Be patient
- Not use aggressive behaviour or inappropriate language
- Provide us with the information we need to help you
- Be on time for an appointment and let us know if you need to cancel
- Let us know if you need an interpreter or information in other formats
In line with our Customer Charter and Service Standards and as an employee of Angus Council, the expectation is that our staff adhere to all areas within the employee code of conduct.
Service Standards
Our service standards set out what our customers can expect when they receive a service from us. Our services include:
- Repairs
- Rent setting
- Requesting information
- Housing applications and allocations
- Housing advice and homelessness
- Damp and mould
- Estate and tenancy management
- Anti-social behaviour
- Complaints/appeals
- Garage applications and allocations
- Landlord registration
Please note these timescales are not included when an emergency occurs.
General Enquiries
Telephone
We aim to answer all calls made to us, however, if we are not available at the time you call, you will be able to leave us a message and we will call you back.
We aim to acknowledge your call and provide a full response to you, within 3 working days.
If you contact us by telephone and we are on leave, we will have a voicemail explaining when we are expected to return to work and provide alternative contact details.
We will aim to acknowledge we have received your email and provide you with the information you have requested within 3 working days.
If you contact us by email and we are on leave, we will have an out of office message explaining when we expect to return to work and provide alternative contact details.
Respond to postal correspondence
We will acknowledge we have received your letter and aim to respond to the information you have requested within 5 working days.
Respond to online enquiry forms that are via contact centre/email/web chat
We will aim to acknowledge we have received your email and provide you with the information you have requested within 3 working days.
If we are unable to provide you with the information you have requested at this time, we will give you a timescale when we expect to be able to give you this.
Housing applications
Processing of new housing application form (including assessment of housing needs): Within 28 working days
Processing of change of circumstances (including assessment of housing needs): Within 28 working days
Rent
Consult with our tenants regarding changes to rent and service charges: Annually
Repairs
Where the repair is an emergency: completion within 2 hours
Where the repair is urgent: completion within 24 hours
Where the repair is a priority repair: completion within 3 days
Where the repair is a routine repair: completion within 10 days
Where the repair is a complex repair: completion within 25 days
Gas boiler service: annually
Electrical inspection: every 5 years
Damp and mould
Tenant reports issue with damp, mould or condensation to Housing: Home visit within 10 working days of tenant reporting issue
Survey appointment scheduled with tenant: Within 5 working days of home visit
Priority 1 Survey undertaken: Within 7 working days
Priority 2 Survey undertaken: Within 10 working days
Priority 3 Survey undertaken: Within 20 working days
Report findings, recommendations, and any work required: Within 10 working days of date of survey
Instruct repairs if required: Within 3 days of receipt of report
Anti Social Behaviour
Acknowledgment of Anti Social Behaviour Complaint: Response within 3 working days
Investigate and provide a response for complaints pertaining to discrimination/violence and or threats of violence: Response within 15 working days
Investigate and provide a response for all other anti social behaviour issues: Response within 25 working days
Estate & Tenancy Management
Carry out patch visits: Minimum of 3 times per week
Planned estate management walkarounds: Every 3 months
Permission Requests: Response within 28 days
Alteration Requests: Response within 28 days
Tenancy Changes: Response within 28 days
Mutual Exchange Requests: Response within 28 days
Requesting information
Freedom of information requests: Response within 20 working days
Subject Access requests: Response within one calendar month
Performance information/data requests: Response within one calendar month
Complaints/Appeals
Stage 1 complaint: Response within 5 working days
Stage 2 complaint: Response within 20 working days
Responding to an appeal against a decision we have made: Response within 21 working days