These Standards were developed by tenants and staff of United Welsh Housing Association and has the approval of United Welsh's Board of Management. They tell you what you can expect from United Welsh when you receive services from us. It also explains what you can do if you are not happy with a service you have received from us.

Our aim is to get things right first time. If we do make a mistake, we promise to learn from it and improve services as a result. These Standards are our public promise to you of the standards we intend to meet.

Click HERE to see a full and printable copy of our Service Commitments and Standards (.pdf format).

Our commitments to customers

Our service standards
Appointments

Information

Involvement and feedback

Complaints
Rent
Lettings

Moving in

Antisocial behaviour
Racist incidents

Managing estates
Right to acquire
Support plans
Repairs

Being accessible

Our main office working hours are from 9.00am to 5.00pm Monday to Friday

You can contact us by telephone using the free phone number 0800 294 0195 between 08.30 & 17.30.

If you have an emergency repair or have a housing emergency, you can contact our out of hours service on 02920 883097

We recognise that we have a wide range of customers. As part of our commitment to equal opportunities we ensure that our offices are accessible to all of our customers. We also aim to provide all our written communications in plain language.

Being responsive and reliable

We will respond to all requests with an efficient, effective and high-quality service. We will try to get things right first time. If things go wrong, we will learn from it. We will use your feedback to continuously review and improve the way we deliver services. We will also learn from our performance, how we compare with other landlords and ideas on the best and newest ways of doing things.

Being Knowledgeable

We will always try to make sure that our staff give clear, accurate and up-to-date information.

Being responsible

Our reception staff wear name badges and our front-line staff will always carry identification cards. When they respond to your questions, our staff will always give their names and contact details.

Answering phone calls

We will answer the phone within seven rings and give the name of the person dealing with your enquiry. If we can't answer straight away, we will take a message and call you back within 1 working day.

Responding to questions and requests for information

Wherever possible, we will respond If we cannot do this, we will immediately to questions or requests acknowledge your question or request made in person, by email or by and tell you when you can expect phone. We will reply to your written a reply. questions or requests within 10 working days.

If we cannot do this, we will acknowledge your question or request and tell you when you can expect a reply

If you ask for a repair inspection or any other service we will offer you an appointment. Appointment dates will be within the following timescales.

• Routine repair inspections - Within 10 working days

• Housing services – Within10 working days

The appointment can be at your home, or at our offices. If we cannot keep an appointment due to circumstances beyond our control, we will tell you beforehand and make a new appointment. We will see you within 15 minutes if you call into our offices without an appointment.

Information

We provide:

• A handbook;

• Newsletters;

• An annual report with information about our performance and service standards;

• Letters and information leaflets about services and

• Satisfaction surveys and other invitations asking you to give us feedback about our services

Involvement and feedback

We offer a range of ways for customers to get involved

We invite feedback through satisfaction surveys, our feedback form, resident’s groups and focus groups.

We will always report back to customers about how their feedback has helped us to improve our service.

We will consult you on any significant changes to the services you receive from us.

Complaints

We will acknowledge a complaint within three working days and send a full response within 10 working days.

Rent

We will send you information about how your rent compares with rent similar landlords charge

We will offer lots of ways to pay and help you find the most convenient way.

Lettings

We will offer support and keep customers up to date throughout the application process.

We will offer customers the opportunity to view the property.

We will provide other information including details of the neighbourhood, how to complain, advice on our service delivery, advice about adaptations and support agencies, housing benefit and ways to pay your rent.

• Check outstanding repairs
• Check rent payments
• Identify any special requirements or support needs
• Ensure you are satisfied with your new home

We will make sure that when you move into your new home:

• It is clean;
• The windows are easy to open and close;
• The doors fit properly, and locks on outside doors are easy to use;
• There are no major cracks or loose plaster on the walls and ceilings;
• The bathroom is clean and free of stains;
• The garden is left clear of rubbish and the grass has been cut;
• We have told you were the water supply and gas stopcocks are;
• We have told you were the main electrical switch and fuse board is;
• The smoke alarms are in good working order;
• The heating system works and we have told you how it works;
• Any hand and grab rails are secure; and
• There are no broken panes of glass.

Antisocial behaviour

We will decide what type of antisocial behaviour it is and say what steps we will take to tackle it.

We will work with a range of other agencies and agree an action plan that sets out how we will deal with reported incidents of anti social behaviour.

Racist incidents

If you report a racist incident and you have experienced violence or been threatened with violence, we will arrange an appointment to meet with you within 24 hours.

For all other cases, we will arrange to meet with you within two working days.

Managing Estates

We will inspect all large estates every month.

We will invite you to come to estate inspections and we will provide feedback.

We will regularly cut all grass areas we own.

We will regularly clean the shared areas to blocks of flats and sheltered schemes to make sure that all surfaces are in good condition and free of dirt, dust and grime.

Once being notified of it we will remove any rubbish that has been dumped in shared areas within 10 working days. However, if there is a significant risk to the health and safety of residents, we will remove the rubbish within three working days.

If you report an abandoned vehicle on your estate, we will work with other agencies and organise for it to be removed within four weeks.

Right to Acquire

We will process all Right to Acquire applications in line with the legal timescales set out in the relevant Housing Acts.

Support Plans

We will offer all new supported housing customers a support plan.

We will draw up the plan with your agreement within four weeks of moving in, and will review at least every six months.

Repairs

We will attend an emergency within 3 hours & complete emergency repairs within 24 hours, urgent repairs within three working days and routine repairs within 28 working days.