Complaints

Unipol is responsive to the needs of users of our service and welcomes comments and complaints as a means of improving services. We won’t necessarily be able to change the things in the way that you would like or always meet your needs but we will always be able to give you an explanation of why we do what we do. Unipol will always be professional and courteous in dealing with complaints and we will try to be as quick as we can in responding to you.

First

If you have a complaint, in the first instance please discuss this with the member of staff who is working with you to try and resolve the matter. In this instance the complaint can either be verbal (but polite) or written.

Second

If you are unhappy about a response you receive, or the complaint is actually about the member of staff involved or if feel that the complaint warrants further investigation then you must complain in writing to the member of staff who has managerial responsibility for the area or service that you are complaining about.

These staff are:

Accommodation Bureau Operations (excepting Nottingham)
Ms Nicola Brown, Accommodation Bureaux Team Leader

Accommodation Bureau Operations: Nottingham
Jamie Woolley Accommodation Bureau Manager

Housing Management Operations (excepting deposits)
Ms Geneve Smith, Housing Services Manager

Housing Management Operations: Deposits Only
Ms Liz Hodgen,Assistant Chief Executive - Operations

Code of Standards and the Large Student Developments Codes
Mr Simon Kemp Code of Standards Administrator and National Code Administrator

IT Services
Mr Mark Knott, Information and Communications Technology Officer

Finance
Ms Fiona Barry, Financial Controller

Data Protection
Mr Ron Strong, Assistant Chief Executive - IT and Development

Hopefully they will be able to resolve the issue at that level.

Your letter should contain a clear statement of your concerns, including any supporting documentation and should explain how you think your complaint could be best resolved.

If You Are Unsure Who to Complain to at this Stage

If you are unsure who you should write to you can send the complaint to:

The Delivery Officer for the Chief Executive who will ensure that it is given to the correct member of staff for action.

Third

If you feel that the complaint has not been resolved by the above managers, or if your complaint is about them, then you can complain to Mr Martin J Blakey, Chief Executive. Your complaint must be in writing. There is no further complaints mechanism. If your complaint is specifically about the Chief Executive, then you can complain to, The Chair, Unipol Student Homes and this should be sent c/o the Chief Executive who will ensure that it is passed to the Chair.

Timescales

Unipol aims to provide a response to your complaint within 14 days of receiving your letter although in complex cases this may take longer and we will endeavour to keep you notified of progress and reasons for delay.

Where a complaint is received a long while after an incident has taken place, Unipol will aim to resolve this in less time than it took you to complain.

If you write to the Chair, there are no time limits for responses.

Who Can Complain

Those who are directly using the Unipol service:

Current students
Tenants and ex-tenants
Registered landlords (within the last three years)
Parents/Guardians of tenants if they have written permission from the tenant which must be supplied at the time of raising the complaint.
Neighbours who live within 200 metres of a Unipol complex.

Writing to Us

Write to the relevant member of staff at:

Unipol Student Homes
155/157 Woodhouse Lane
Leeds LS2 3ED

If the complaint is about a member of staff the envelope should be marked "Private and Confidential" to avoid the envelope being opened by the general mail operative.

Faxes

Leeds: 0113 234 3549
Nottingham: 0115 848 8598

What Happens Next

In dealing with a complaint the following action can be taken:

To uphold the complaint (and take action accordingly)

To dismiss the complaint where it is judged there is no action that Unipol can take to resolve the matter or where there is deemed to be no case to answer or that the complaint is trivial, malicious or vexatious.

The Complaints Procedure Cannot Be Used For:

Matters where the courts have already become involved
Matters where police action is pending or a criminal change has been laid.