Scope

This procedure covers all functions within Inspired Villages. We encourage all feedback from residents and customers, whether positive or negative, and will review it and use it to promote continuous improvement in our services.

Complaints relating to personal care services should be raised directly with the provider through their own complaints procedure.

 

How to raise a complaint or give feedback

The best way to give us feedback or to raise a complaint is to speak directly with the village manager or sales team in person or share your thoughts by email or letter. Our colleagues are often able to resolve queries straight away.

If you wish to specifically raise a complaint, please send an email to [email protected], write to the village or sales team, or use the link on the Inspired Villages website. We will note down any complaint raised verbally and ask you to confirm the details before treating it like any other written complaint.

 

How we investigate complaints

Your complaint will be acknowledged within 24 hours.

All complaints regarding village services will be investigated by the Village Manager, and complaints about sales or rentals by Sales Management. You will receive our written response within 5 working days.

If our response does not meet your expectations, we will refer the complaint to the Regional Operations Director or Sales Director who will provide our final decision within a further 15 working days.

If at any stage we need more time to investigate a complaint, we will contact you and agree a new deadline. We will provide a final decision within 20 working days of initially receiving the complaint unless we have previously agreed a later deadline.

During the escalation process, you will not have to restate the complaint or provide reasoning unless you wish to do so.

We may wish to contact you during our review process. If you would prefer us to contact an intermediary who is acting on your behalf, this will be arranged, and we will co-operate with that person in the same way.

If you are not satisfied with our final decision, or we do not provide that decision by the relevant deadline, you may refer your complaint to The Property Ombudsman.You should normally make any referral within 12 months of receiving our final decision, to facilitate the Ombudsman’s investigation.

As an ‘ARCO Approved Operator’, we always seek to comply with the ARCO Consumer Code (see www.arcouk.org). ARCO itself does not have a complaint handling function but has nominated The Property Ombudsman as its Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) provider. Where we are unable to resolve satisfactorily any complaint from you about compliance with the ARCO Consumer Code, you may refer this to The Property Ombudsman.

The Property Ombudsman:

Milford House, 43-55 Milford Street, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP1 2BP.

Tel: 01722 333306.

Email: [email protected]

Web: www.tpos.co.uk

We will co-operate fully with the Ombudsman during any investigation and comply fully with the Ombudsman’s final decision, which will be binding on us.

Certain complaints in relation to rents and leasehold management may also be referred to the Residential Property First-tier Tribunal.

We will provide you with contact details for the relevant office where your complaint appears to fall within the remit of the Tribunal. We will treat all complaints equally, in confidence, keep you updated, and monitor outcomes to check for fairness and compliance.

We will not treat you any differently if you make a complaint. This procedure is owned by the Operational Excellence Director and is reviewed annually for accuracy and compliance. Next review March 2025.