Our Customer Service Standards

At Sutton Housing Partnership (SHP), our Customer Service Standards are not just a set of guidelines, they are the base of our relationship with our residents and the foundation of our mission to provide safe, comfortable, and well-managed homes.

Our phone lines are open from 8:45 AM to 5:00 PM on working days. Outside of these hours, we offer an emergency out-of-hours service.

We aim to:

  • Answer calls within 20 seconds and return calls within one working day

  • Respond to emails within five working days

  • Reply to letters within seven working days

If you need to make a complaint about our service: 

You can make a complaint in person, over the telephone, by email or on our website. We will acknowledge your complaint within 24 hours and we will respond within 10 days of acknowledgement to stage 1 complaints and within 21 days of acknowledgement on stage 2 complaints. We will also make it clear how you access external support via the Housing Ombudsman and other agencies so you understand the options available. 

Read our Complaints Standards.pdf [pdf] 563KB and our Challenging Behaviour Policy.pdf [pdf] 243KB

Reporting a repair: 

You can report a repair via our website or by telephone. We offer a range of two hour slots and we will contact you by text message or phone call to advise when an operative will be attending. We will offer appointment times that are convenient to our residents wherever we can and we operate a 24 hour emergency service that is accessed through the usual telephone number, 0208 915 2000. 

How quickly we do a repair will depend on how urgent it is. We take circumstances into account and prioritise work for disabled, older or vulnerable residents if appropriate.

Our target timescales are:

Our target timescales

Emergency repairs (category A) - includes exposed wires

3 hours

Emergency repairs (category B) - includes loss of heating in winter 

24 working hours

Urgent repair (category C) - includes loss of heating in summer 

5 working days

Routine repair (category D)

20 working days

Planned repairs 

90 working days

Further details can be found on our Repairs FAQs

Adapting your home:

We will work with the occupational therapy service to identify adaptations you might need or be entitled to. We will complete major adaptations (e.g. level access showers, access ramps) within 30 working days of the order being issued to us and we will seek your feedback on our adaptations service by service by asking you to satisfaction survey. 

If you would like permission to make changes to your home, you can request this via a form on our website ( Permission to alter a property ).

Complaints Standard

Team purpose:

We will continuously improve complaint responses and resolution using lessons learnt, ensuring timely communications and transparency at all times.

Complaints Standard (PDF 274 KB)

Customer Contact and Information Standard

Team purpose:

Whenever you contact us, we promise to live by our values and strive to be the best. We will make it effortless for you to communicate with us, while being transparent to build the trust and confidence to impact your lives, and keeping your safety and well-being at the heart of everything we do.

Customer Contact and Information Standard (PDF 277 KB)

Aids and Adaptations Standard

Team purpose:

We will strive to make any request for Adaptations effortless for our residents, ensuring they are at the heart of what we do and involved in the process every step of the way.

We will keep you informed and liaise with any other stakeholders required to achieve great outcomes.

Aids and Adaptations Standard (PDF 272 KB)

Allocations and Lettings Standard

Team purpose:

We are committed to the standards you can expect for the viewing and allocation of properties and how we will support you with moving to your new home.

We will regularly review and monitor these standards to ensure that we meet our commitment. We may ask you to support us in checking and monitoring standards by asking you to take part in a short satisfaction survey. This will help drive improvements to the services that we deliver.

Allocations and Lettings Standard (PDF 280 KB)

Anti-Social Behaviour Standard

Team purpose:

We will respond to all reports of anti-social behaviour and be clear on the standards you can expect when you access our service.

We are committed to working in partnership with local services to build better communities where residents feel safe. This will include working with the Safer Sutton Partnership Service to develop and deliver community safety strategies.

We will always work within the boundaries of confidentiality.

Antisocial Behaviour Standard (PDF 272 KB)

Day to Day Repairs Standard

Team purpose:

In order to ensure value for money, SHP’s Direct Labour Organisation (DLO) and its sub-contractors will use standardised materials to simplify parts requirements and van stock loads in order to improve its repairs processes and reduce maintenance costs. 

Where it is possible to give residents choice of materials, without adversely impacting on costs or quality, we will endeavour to do so - putting you at the heart of what we do.

Day to Day Repairs Standard (PDF 269 KB)

Estate Cleaning Standard

Team purpose:

We strive to meet or exceed residents’ expectations by providing a high level of service in managing all of our sites. In order to keep your shared spaces well maintained, we have devised a Red, Amber and Green classification system following consultation with residents.

Estate Cleaning Standard (PDF 268 KB)

Governance, Performance and Information Standard

Team purpose:

As a team we ensure that we have the right systems and processes in place to support sound leadership and decision-making to enable SHP to achieve their aims and meet all statutory and regulatory requirements.

We make sure that the residents' voice is heard within our governance arrangements and that there is organisational transparency around our performance.

Governance, Performance and Information Standard (PDF 271 KB)

Grounds Maintenance Standard

Team purpose:

We strive to meet or exceed residents’ expectations by providing a high level of service in managing all of our sites.

In order to keep your shared spaces well maintained, we have devised a Red, Amber and Green classification system following consultation with residents.

Grounds Maintenance Standard (PDF 275 KB)

Home Ownership Standard

Team purpose:

The Home Ownership team bills and collects homeowner service charges, processes Right to Buy applications, and deals with sales enquiries and services to Sutton’s 1600 leaseholders and service charge paying Freeholders.​ ​We will make this as effortless for all through timely communication and processing.

The Home Ownership Team has a dedicated email: homeownership@suttonhousingpartnership.org.uk

And direct telephone number: 020 8915 2020.

Home Ownership Standard (PDF 273 KB)

Independent Living Standard

Team purpose:

Independent Living Supports residents aged 55+ living in SHP homes, to sustain tenancy independence and carry on living in their home for as long as possible. 

Independent Living Standard (PDF 271 KB)

Major Repairs and Improvement Standard

Team Purpose:

The Asset Management Team collects and holds information on property assets, creates and manages programmes of work based on this information, and manages all aspects of works programme delivery.

Resident safety and wellbeing is at the heart of everything we do. Through investment in property assets, community facilities, and training and employment initiatives, we work together to make a lasting impact on the lives of our residents.

Major Repairs and Improvement Standard (PDF 275 KB)

Mutual Exchanges Standard

Team purpose:

Mutual Exchanges support under occupation and overcrowding and gives our residents choice in where they live.

Our service standards set out how we can support you with registering with a mutual exchange service and what you can expect from us whilst going through a mutual exchange.

Mutual Exchanges Standard (PDF 267 KB)

Resident Involvement Standard

Team purpose:

We will always consider how we can make it effortless for residents to be involved in shaping our business. Residents are at the heart of our place's offer and we cannot achieve success without you.

Information on how to become involved in shaping our services will be easily available - just contact us directly, via the SHP website, or other social media platforms including Facebook and LinkedIn. 

We may also write to you to tell you about upcoming involvement opportunities. 

Resident Involvement Standard (PDF 275 KB)

Resident Engagement Strategy 2023 [pdf] 105KB

Resident Engagement Policy 2023.[pdf] 101KB

Risk and Compliance / Cyclical Maintenance Standard

Team purpose:

The Risk & Compliance Team manages the statutory building risks to our tenants and residents and the occupational health and safety risks so SHP staff.

We work together with other teams to ensure a joined-up approach to safety with risks reduced or mitigated to keep people safe in SHP locations.

Key Documents

Cyclical Maintenance Standard (PDF 286 KB)

Sutton Connect Standard

Team purpose:

Sutton Connect provides a short-term intervention housing support service to help people over 55 in Sutton to maintain independence, (e.g. improve health & well being, maximise your income, support with debt, participate in local activities, reduce loneliness and isolation).

Sutton Connect Standard (PDF 269 KB)

Tenancy Management Standard

Team purpose:

We build relationships with residents to support and sustain tenancies, improving communities with partnership working to ensure we provide a service targeting residents individual needs and taking responsibility as a team to ensure the best possible service. 

Tenancy Management Standard (PDF 280 KB)