Complaints

You can make a complaint in any of the following ways:

• By using our online form below
• By email: info@bpha.org.uk
• Telephone 0330 100 0272
• By post (Complaints, bpha, Bedford Heights, Manton Lane, Bedford, MK41 7BJ)
• In person to a bpha employee
• On social media facebook/bpha.uk or X.com/tweet_bpha

Please note: we only accept complaints where a dissatisfaction has happened in the last 12 months. If you are worried about making a complaint, please ask someone to help or support you through the process, we want to make it as easy as possible for you.

Our Customer Communications Centre can be contacted on 0330 100 0272 and always aim to resolve your issue straight away. If they’re unable to do this, it may be that your concern will need to be logged for further investigation.

It might be that your issue could be better resolved through another organisation where you may be able to seek independent advice. We can help by signposting you to other organisations where appropriate.

So that we can help you as quickly as possible, please tell us what the problem is and when it started. It would be helpful if you could let us know the names of any employees you have already spoken to about this matter.

We will ask you what you would consider as a reasonable resolution and will explain to you if this is achievable.

We will strive to resolve your complaint as quickly as possible. When we receive your complaint, we will contact you within 72 working hours.

At this point, we will discuss your concerns in more detail so that we can work towards reaching an agreed solution.

Your complaint handler may need to investigate further and will agree with you a communication plan to keep you informed of the progress.

When the investigation is complete, your complaint handler will contact you to advise you of the proposed resolution and any learnings identified from your complaint. Where possible this will be within 10 working days of your complaint being logged with us.

You can read and download our full Compliments and Complaints Policy here.

If we’re unable to resolve your complaint, you can ask to escalate to an appeal. You must do this within 20 working days. It’s helpful to tell us what you feel we have failed to explain or do.

Our Complaints Resolution Team will escalate your complaint for you and assign it to a senior member of service area.

You will be contacted to discuss the appeal process and timescales. If we are still unable to resolve matters, we will write to you with a full response advising you of the next steps.

You can also refer to the Housing Ombudsman.

If you’re not satisfied with how your complaint is being handled, you feel you have not received a response, or you disagree with the final decision, you can refer your complaint to the Housing Ombudsman Service at any time.

This must be done within twelve months of ending our complaints process.

Alternatively, you can contact a designated person who may be able to recommend other ways for it to be resolved. A designated person is:

• a member of Parliament
• your local councillor
• a recognised resident panel

The designated person may decide to refer the matter directly to the Housing Ombudsman.

The Housing Ombudsman prefers customers to follow the complaints procedure before opening a formal case with them. However, you may contact them for advice at any point during the process:

• Online: www.housing-ombudsman.org.uk
• By telephone: 0300 111 3000
• By emailing: info@housing-ombudsman.org.uk
• By post: Housing Ombudsman Service, PO Box 1484, Unit D, Preston, and PR2 0ET

It is important to us to manage your complaints correctly. The Ombudsman expects that we follow their code and we report on how we are doing.

• You can read our annual complaints and service improvement report here
• You can see our annual landlord report and our self-assessment report from the Housing Ombudsman here
• You can also find some of the service improvements we have made as a result of your feedback from complaints, satisfaction and other engagements here.

The Housing Ombudsman has now started publishing all decisions on cases it has investigated. Click here for more information.