At Freebridge we want you to be happy with the service you receive from us, and to help us understand how we are doing we would like your feedback. We want you to tell us when we do something well, when we get something wrong, or any ideas you have for how we can improve what we do.

We monitor compliments, comments and complaints so that we can learn and improve and provide you with high quality services that you are happy with.

For more information, including details of our complaints process, please view our Compliments, Comments and Complaints leaflet.

Complaints, comments and compliments are important to us as they help us improve our services.

Complaints, comments and compliments are important to us as they help us improve our services. Customers can contact us in the following ways:

We've put a short video together that explains our process in an easy to understand way, please give it a watch below.

The Housing Ombudsman helpfully sets out the complaints process as follows, to help make navigating the process of making a complaint easier:

Step 1 Tell your landlord about the problem

The first step is to report the problem to your landlord. They may be able to put things right. If you are having difficulty reporting the issue or are dissatisfied with the service you received in response, we can help you and your landlord resolve the issue. All landlords have complaints procedures that should be easy to use, fair and designed to put things right. If you think your complaint is not being dealt with correctly, for example if you receive delayed or no response, we can help ensure your complaint is responded to by your landlord.

Step 2  Escalate your complaint to the Ombudsman

If you are unable to resolve your complaint through your landlord’s complaints procedure you can refer your complaint to the Ombudsman. We will deal with each complaint to find the best outcome for your individual circumstances. Once we receive your complaint we may:

The Housing Ombudsman Service is set up by law to look at complaints about the housing organisations, such as Freebridge, that are registered with them. Their service is free, independent and impartial.

They resolve disputes involving the tenants and leaseholders of social landlords (housing associations and local authorities) and their voluntary members. Residents and landlords can contact the Ombudsman at any time for support in helping to resolve a dispute. Their service is funded through annual landlord subscription fees, paid by Freebridge and other members.

The Housing Ombudsman can:

You can contact the Housing Ombudsman Service direct at any time and speak to their dispute support advisors who will provide assistance throughout the life of a complaint.

The Housing Ombudsman’s Complaint Handling Code introduced in July 2020 sets out good practice that will allow landlords to respond to complaints effectively and fairly. Following a review one year after it was introduced it was updated it to strengthen provisions to support a positive complaint handling culture. The changes took effect from 1 April 2022.

Key areas in the Code

The Code was introduced as part of the Ombudsman’s new powers in the revised Housing Ombudsman Scheme. The updated Code took effect from 1 April 2022 and landlords had until 1 October 2022 to become compliant.

HOUSING OMBUDSMAN COMPLAINTS HANDLING CODE SELF-ASSESSMENT

In accordance with the Complaints Handling Code mentioned above, the Ombudsman stated that they expect ‘landlords to carry out regular self-assessment against the Code and take appropriate action to ensure their complaint handling is in line with the Code’.

At Freebridge, we work hard to make fair and consistent decisions. But we understand that sometimes you may not agree with a decision we've made, and we want to give you the change to challenge it if you think it's wrong.

When Can You Appeal?

You can appeal some types of decisions we make, including:

Not all decisions can be appealed - for example, if something is already being handled by the courts.

How Do You Appeal?

You must contact us within 10 working days of receiving our decision. You can do this:

Tell us why you disagree and include any evidence that supports your case.

What Happens Next?

We’ll look at your appeal in two stages:

Stage 1 – A senior manager (who wasn’t involved in the original decision) will review your case and respond within 10 working days.

Stage 2 – If you’re still not happy, you can ask for a hearing with a Director. This meeting will happen within 5 working days of your request, and we’ll give you a final written decision within another 5 working days.

Need Help Appealing?

We’ll do everything we can to support you through the process. Let us know if you need:

We’re here to make sure the process is fair and accessible to everyone.

You can read our full Appeals policy over at the policies section of our website, under Policy & Procedural Handbook.