Should you wish to complain about a service received from Soho Housing, you can do this to any member of our staff, either by telephone, email, in person, or by post to the office address. The quickest and easiest way is to use our complaints@sohoha.org.uk email address which is monitored between 9am and 5pm every working day.

More details about our complaints handling and policy are available here.

Service Requests and Complaints – understanding the difference

Soho Housing is committed to delivering high-quality services and resolving issues promptly. It is important to distinguish between a service request and a complaint, as they are managed under different processes.

What is a Service Request?

A service request is a request from a resident asking Soho Housing to provide or deliver a service. This is typically the first time an issue has been raised.

Common examples include:

• Reporting a repair or maintenance issue
• Requesting a routine housing service
• Asking for information or assistance

Under our Responsive Repairs Policy, when a repair is reported, Soho Housing will:

• Record all relevant details of the issue
• Log the request on the appropriate system
• Raise the job with an approved contractor to inspect and, where possible, complete the repair

A service request gives us the opportunity to resolve the issue in the first instance.

What is a Complaint?

In line with the Housing Ombudsman Service Complaint Handling Code, a complaint is defined as:

“An expression of dissatisfaction, however made, about the standard of service, actions or lack of action by the landlord, its own staff, or those acting on its behalf, affecting an individual resident or group of residents.”

When does a Service Request become a Complaint?

A service request will be treated as a complaint where there is dissatisfaction with how the request has been handled.

This may include situations where:

• There has been an unreasonable delay in responding or completing works
• There has been a failure to communicate or provide updates
• The service delivered does not meet expected standards
• Agreed actions have not been carried out

Where this occurs, the matter will be logged and managed in accordance with Soho Housing’s Complaints Policy.

Summary

A service request is the first report of an issue, where a resident is asking Soho Housing to take action.

A complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction about the service provided, or a failure to provide that service.

If you are unsure whether your enquiry is a service request or a complaint, please contact us. We will ensure it is recorded and managed appropriately in line with our policies and the Complaint Handling Code.