Updated policies
Ensuring services are fair and clear
In each edition of Talk, we let you know about any updates to our policies. These are documents, used by customers and bpha colleagues, that explain how bpha approaches a situation.
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We regularly work with customers to review and update our policies to make sure that they’re relevant to customers’ needs, fair, workable, and help us to comply with regulation.
Equality, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EEDI)
We want everyone who works for us, lives in our homes or uses our services to feel valued, included and able to access the support they need. Our EEDI Policy helps us ensure our services are fair, accessible and responsive to the different experiences and circumstances of the people we serve.
We've updated the policy to strengthen our commitment to treating everyone with fairness, dignity and respect. The policy puts more focus on responding to discrimination and hate incidents, and making our services easy for everyone to use. This means removing barriers that may stop people getting the help they need and making sure our services work well for customers and communities with different needs.
Pets and Animal Assistance
This policy sets out bpha’s approach to requests for permission to keep a pet or animal companion and explains when permission is required.
We recognise that animals can help reduce social isolation and improve wellbeing, and that some customers may also require an assistance animal. The updated policy better reflects this, with the following changes:
- Permission is not needed for registered assistance animals or small caged pets
- Permission will not be withheld unless there is a valid reason and supporting evidence
- Customers are expected to meet the responsible animal owner guidelines
- Permission could be refused or revoked if the animal/pet is not looked after properly or causes a nuisance in the community.
We have also updated the permission request form, which you can find here.
Complaints and Compliments Policy
This Policy sets out our approach to handling customer complaints and what you can expect to happen at each stage. It’s designed to promote a positive complaint handling culture that welcomes feedback. It also provides information on how to log a compliment about our services.
The updated policy is in a ‘question and answer’ format to help customers find the information they need more quickly. It also:
- Shows more clearly how both Stage one and Stage two complaints will be handled
- Shows the timescales in which we’ll respond to a customer who has logged a complaint more clearly
- Directs customers to where support and advice can be obtained
- Explains the role of Housing Ombudsman Service and how to contact them
- Is clearer about how we meet the Housing Ombudsman’s Complaint Handling Code 2024.