Housing service standards

• we will try to reduce the time taken to allocate homes in accordance with the council’s allocation and transfer policy and to reduce the total number of days taken to re-let a home
• we will be clear to all our customers about the realistic prospects of their preferred housing
• we will make sure that all applicants are offered support by our staff through the process of bidding for properties under our choice-based lettings scheme ‘Home Options’

Our Chesterfield Careline response service will:  

• operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year  
• take the appropriate action in response to any calls  
• meet the Telecare Services Association key performance standards  
• monitor and record calls to help train our staff and look at how we can improve our service 
• make sure that we update information we hold every twelve months and work in line with General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR)  
• make an appointment with you or your representative to install Chesterfield Careline equipment and explain how the system works  
• advise you to test your Chesterfield Careline alarm regularly  
• respond to an equipment fault within 48 hours of it being reported to us 

The customer liaison officers provide a link between the council’s housing services and tenants whose homes are undergoing major work or improvements – before and during the process.

A customer liaison officer stays in touch with the tenant throughout the improvement works and ensures that the tenant is fully informed about what is happening. Their role is to help organise and ensure the smooth running of the whole process.  

• we will ensure that tenants who are due to have improvement works carried out in their homes are informed and consulted; we will visit each tenant whose home is due for improvement and explain the details of the work, any choices the tenant may have and the contractor involved in the job
• we will provide suitable temporary accommodation where the needs of the tenant and/or the extent of the work make this necessary  
• we will arrange consultation events where these are appropriate

It is a Government requirement that all homes must meet the Decent Homes Standard which means properties must be warm, safe, weather proof and have reasonable modern facilities. The business planning and strategy team develops programmes of work to meet the Decent Homes Standard.  

• we will ensure that our properties meet the current statutory minimum standard for housing, for example no damp, no structural faults and so on  
• we will keep properties in a reasonable state of repair for example, roofs, heating systems  
• we will carry out ongoing programmes of work to ensure that properties meet the Decent Homes Standard or identified to be in a poor condition and require programmed work, such as kitchens and bathrooms  
• we will carry out a programme of fire risk assessments to all communal areas in flats and independent living schemes  
• we will carry out a programme of asbestos surveys to all communal areas in flats and independent living schemes and will ensure that a survey is carried out to all buildings prior to any invasive works being carried out  
• we will try to carry out cyclical external maintenance checks to homes every five years  
• we will arrange internal painting to communal areas in flats and independent living schemes every five years

• we will aim to provide an excellent service to all customers who approach the council for advice and assistance when looking for housing  
• we will work closely with local and national organisations who provide support to people who are going through the homelessness process  
• we will work closely with our partners from the private sector to increase the numbers of homes available for our customers and waiting list applicants 

• we will deal with all requests for adaptations in a sympathetic and understanding manner and explaining how people may be eligible for housing and their options  
• we will process requests for minor home adaptation for disability quickly as possible and refer major adaptation requests to be considered by the adaptation panel  
• we will try to use the council’s own stock efficiently where homes are already adapted to meet disabled tenants long term future needs 

We need to make sure that rent is paid promptly and that difficulties are sorted out where possible without legal action. We will let you know of any annual rent and service charge review in line with the legally required notice period. 

• if you are in rent arrears we will try to contact you using a variety of methods (where possible) including by letter, telephone, text message, email and home visit
• if you are in rent arrears we will ensure that we provide you with appropriate advice to manage your rent account; this may include providing contact details for other organisations who can help
• if you are unable to clear your debt in full, we may agree a repayment arrangement with you to avoid taking further action against you
• We will consider making an agreement with you to allow you extra time to deal with problems affecting the payment of your rent
• we will not take any form of legal action for rent arrears without warning you first
• we will measure the amount of income collected

As a landlord we have the responsibility for replacing or repairing items that were part of a home when a tenancy started. 

• we will complete repairs and servicing within published timescales  
• we will offer appointments for all standard internal repairs and attend as promised
• we will offer appointments for inspections
• all of our employees will always wear identification badges so you know who you are letting into your home
• we will always try to complete your repair at the first visit wherever possible

We want you to enjoy living in your home and neighbourhood in safety without fear from others. It should feel like a place where people get along and you are proud to call home.  

Managing your estates

• we will carry out regular inspections of the communal area of each block of flats, including a fire safety check, to monitor safety, cleanliness and appearance
• we will carry out regular inspections of streets and land managed by the housing service 
• we will work with other council services to clean communal areas in blocks of flats once per week  
• we will work with other council services to ensure racist or other offensive graffiti is removed within 24 hours of being reported 

Tenancy management and anti-social behaviour 

• we will investigate complaints of anti-social behaviour and breaches of tenancy agreements impartially
• we will make available a range of ways to report anti-social behaviour or other problems to us and make use of all available tools to resolve the issues
• we will assign an individual officer to a case
• where appropriate, we will make referrals to specialist support providers
• we will support and maintain regular contact with victims and witnesses and keep them updated with the progress of the case
• we will organise work needed to make a victim’s home safe where they are at a risk of violence
• where people who reporting anti-social behaviour want, we will maintain their confidentiality from those they have reported
• we will ask for views on how we performed when cases are closed to help us improve our service 

Tenancy support 

We provide a service for tenants who are at a higher risk of being unable to manage their tenancies to help them stay in their homes. 

• after we have received a request to provide support, and the tenant has been accepted to receive the service, we will notify the tenant of the tenancy sustainment officer’s details and the time and date of the first appointment
• the first appointment will normally be at the tenant’s home within ten working days of the request for support  
• if accepted for tenancy support, the tenancy sustainment officer will work with the tenant to assess their needs and agree how these can be met; a support plan will be agreed with the tenant which will specify what support will be given and for how long

Garden assistance  

The garden assistance scheme offers a basic service to cut lawns and hedges at regular intervals during the growing season. There is no charge for elderly and disabled people, so long as there is no one in the household who can carry out the work. There will be a small charge to vulnerable tenants who do not qualify for the free service but are eligible for concessionary charges.  

• we will confirm whether applicants have been accepted onto the scheme using our eligibility criteria
• we will work with other council services to ensure that work is carried out according to an agreement. To do this, tenants must let us know if the work has not been carried out according to the agreement
• we will request feedback about the scheme once work ends each year and take these comments into account when we consider how the scheme should work the following year

The council is committed to tenant involvement. 

We offer a range of ways for all of our customers to get involved at a level that is comfortable and convenient to them. Our Customer Involvement Agreement describes the ways that customers can influence, shape and scrutinise Housing Services and how we will support customers to get involved. 

Tenant involvement is what happens when customers tell us what they think about the services they receive and have a chance to influence the decisions that affect their homes and neighbourhoods. Our aims for involving customers are: 

• to provide a variety of ways for customers to get involved, in a way and at a level that suits them 
• for customers to regularly receive high-quality information, in appropriate formats, that makes customers aware of all decisions we make and the opportunities they have to influence how services are delivered 
• to consult and involve customers in making decisions at an early stage 
• for customers to be satisfied with the opportunities to influence management, decision making and service delivery and feel confident that we will value and act on their input 
• to have an active and properly supported customer involvement structure 
• to involve customers in a way that achieves continuous service improvements and demonstrates value for money 
• to provide customers with access to high quality training and support to develop the confidence and skills to become involved in decision making

We will:  

• try to be accessible to all  
• be polite and helpful  
• communicate clearly  
• respond as quickly as we can 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  
• try to make our services responsive to your needs  
• say when we get things wrong and try to put things right  
• have well trained and knowledgeable staff to deal with your enquiries  
• tell you who will deal with the matter you have raised  
• follow the law on data protection by treating information we hold about you in confidence and working to make sure the information we hold is relevant and correct

Customer care  

• we aim to answer direct line calls within 20 seconds  
• we will welcome you politely  
• staff will give their name and the service area when they answer the telephone  

If the member of staff you called is not in:

• you may reach a voicemail box; voicemail messages should: 
  • provide you with accurate up to date information to let you know when the officer will be available to ring you back − allow you to leave a message and contact number
  • give another contact number or details of another member of staff
• another staff member may answer your question; if they are unable to help, they will take a message and make sure that it is passed onto the right person  

Responding to letters  

• we will thank you or reply to your letters within five working days of receipt  
• if we thank you for your letter, we will then send you a full reply to it within 15 working days from when we sent our thank you letter. If the subject is complex we will let you know of any progress  
• our reply will be helpful, informative and in plain English   
• our letters will give the name and telephone number of the person dealing with your question  
• if asked for, our letters will be given in Braille, larger text or a different language  

Responding to emails  

• emails sent to individuals will be thanked/replied to within five working days  
• we will then send you a full reply to it within 15 working days. If the subject is complex we will let you know of any progress. Our reply will be helpful, informative and in plain English  

Complaints  

We try to get things right first time. When we don’t, please let us know. We want your help to make our services better and we want you to be able to get in touch with us to sort any problems out.  

You can contact us by:  

• logging into My Chesterfield 
• completing our online complaint form  
• using the council’s social media channels such as X (formerly known as Twitter) or Facebook; complaints should be submitted via private message
• calling us on 01246 345345 
• writing to us at Customer Feedback, Town Hall, Rose Hill, Chesterfield, S40 1LP 
• visiting us in person at our Customer Service Centre 

Whichever method you choose, we will take your complaint seriously and respond appropriately. 

• we will acknowledge your complaint within five working days 
• we will assign your complaint to someone appropriate to investigate at Stage 1 
• we aim to tell you the outcome of your complaint within 10 working days and tell you how you can escalate your complaint to Stage 2 if you are not satisfied 
• if you are still not satisfied with the response to your complaint at Stage 2, you can ask the appropriate Ombudsman to investigate; we will give you their contact details