Dear Ms Perez,

Thank you for your request dated 1 July 2022, we have treated this as a Freedom of Information request. You have asked for the following information:

 

  • This complaint is to also advise why direct work telephone numbers (and often email addresses) are not made available to ease communications between the parties. Not being able to make direct contact is stressful enough for those who are able to make these liaisons. It is hardly person focused when those same people are unable to quickly resolve issues.  Who actual funds the work telephones, telephone lines and access to emails etc? 
  • An understanding of what the term ‘people focused’ on your letterhead means
  • How this activity/aspiration etc is being managed and audited internally by Barnet Council and or the Barnet Group
  • I would also like this complaint to advise the auditing and compliance processes of complaint management and who in the relevant organisations is directly accountable for this (with contact names and emails). 

 

 

Barnet Homes’ response:

 

  • This complaint is to also advise why direct work telephone numbers (and often email addresses) are not made available to ease communications between the parties. Not being able to make direct contact is stressful enough for those who are able to make these liaisons. It is hardly person focused when those same people are unable to quickly resolve issues.  Who actual funds the work telephones, telephone lines and access to emails etc? 

 

Our customer service model is a First Point of Contact service. We think the most efficient way of providing a service to our residents is via the Customer Contact Team. This team exists to handle the high volume of contact that we receive on a daily basis in the most efficient and effective manner. We’ve increased the range of enquiries that the team can deal with, and for more complex enquiries or issues we use a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system to route the query to the relevant officer.

 

This is a more robust method of managing contact than customers emailing or leaving voicemails as it ensures that customer enquiries are directed to the correct officer, there is contingency if an officer is absent from work, and it also helps to ensure that officers respond to customers in a timely manner as managers are able to monitor the CRM system. An article which referred to this was included in the tenant magazine At Home about this, around a year ago (please see attached).

 

Barnet Homes uses the same telephony system and email infrastructure as Barnet Council and it is paid for via Barnet Homes’ management fee.

 

 

  • An understanding of what the term ‘people focused’ on your letterhead means

 

“Person centred” on our letterhead means we value our customers and our staff. In delivering our Vision and Mission we also strive to be person-centred, which means to treat everyone we meet as an individual and remember that one size does not fit all.

 

Every day our employees strive to improve people’s quality of life. Our people are passionate about making a difference, and we’re proud to play an important role in improving people’s quality of life. Whether it’s council tenants and leaseholders, social housing residents living in Opendoor Homes properties, people at risk of homelessness, people living in market rental properties, or people with learning or physical disabilities, we are committed to providing great service at great value.

 

 

  •  How this activity/aspiration etc is being managed and audited internally by Barnet Council and or the Barnet Group

 

This isn’t audited but we measure it through staff engagement surveys and customer satisfaction surveys. Both of these surveys are carried out by independent third party organisations. Customer satisfaction is also published in the annual report to residents.

 

I would also like this complaint to advise the auditing and compliance processes of complaint management and who in the relevant organisations is directly accountable for this (with contact names and emails). 

 

Complaints-handling performance is regularly included in Barnet Homes’ internal audit programme, which is conducted by the appointed auditor Mazars. The internal audit programme is overseen by the Group Audit and Risk Committee, which sets the programme according to business priorities and risk.

 

Your rights

If you are unhappy with the way your request for information has been handled, you can request a review by emailing Talk2Us@barnethomes.org and marking it as an appeal for the attention of the Data Controller.

If you remain dissatisfied with the handling of your request or complaint, you have a right to appeal to the Information Commissioner at: The Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF (telephone: 08456 30 60 60 or 01625 54 57 45; website: www.ico.gov.uk).

There is no charge for making an appeal.

Kind regards

Carly Williamson

Complaints and Information Manager