Responding to you

Responding to enquiries

We have a ‘2-ten’ response standard.
This means we should always acknowledge an enquiry within two working days and aim to provide a full response within 10.
We acknowledge enquiries so that you know that we have received them and are dealing with them.
Where you have spoken directly to a member of staff on the phone or received an auto-response to an email or portal enquiry we will not contact you again to acknowledge your enquiry.
Not all issues can be finalised in ten days. If this is the case we should let you know within ten working days what steps we will be taking to resolve the issue, when they are expected to be completed and how we will keep you updated you on progress.
‘2-ten’ is a minimum standard and we always aim to deal with enquiries faster than this wherever possible.
We monitor 2-ten performance through a range of methods, including scrutiny by residents through regular Mystery Shopping exercises as well as data analysis of calls and emails.
This includes scrutiny by residents of the quality, professionalism and empathy of responses as well as ensuring responses meet the ‘2-ten’ standard.
If you are interested in getting involved in the scrutiny of our performance please visit the getting involved section to find out more.

How we should respond

Our staff and contractors are expect to follow a set of behaviours which include:

• Working with empathy – by showing empathy, fairness and respect by communicating appropriately and considering how the way we act can make someone feel.
• Being trusted and reliable – including taking ownership, sticking to deadlines, doing what we say we will do.
• Demonstrating respect and inclusivity –  to each other and residents, as well as considering how someone’s  vulnerability, additional needs, diversity or individual circumstances might make a difference to the way we need to deliver services.
• Being focused on our residents – making sure we have understood what residents need,  following through on issues, making sure things are completed, checking in with residents and resolving problems.
• Working together – to deliver services that mean residents don’t need to chase us up and are not passed between teams without knowing who is dealing with their enquiry.