Right to Buy Service Standards

These are the standards you can expect from Ascham Homes if you want to buy your home under the Right-to-Buy scheme. More detailed advice is available in the ‘Residents Information Pack’▀.

Be professional, accessible and keep you informed

We will:

make information packs (which include an application form) available from all our public reception areas and council information desks
send you an application pack within two working days of your request
‘allow’ or ‘deny’ your Right to Buy (RTB) application within four weeks, unless we need to contact other local authorities for information, in which case we will let you know within eight weeks
send you an offer notice setting out the value of the property and the amount of your discount within 8 weeks of allowing your RTB application, if you are buying a house, or within 12 weeks of allowing your RTB application, if you are buying a flat or maisonette, and
advise you of your rights under the RTB and the implications for you.

If you or we are not sure that the RTB is the best option for you, we will advise you of other home ownership schemes available for council tenants and tell you who you should contact for more information.

Performance targets

Our aims include:
• to serve 96% of Right to Buy notices in statutory time limits in 2005/06, 96% in 2006/07, and 97% in 2007/08.

Customer care

We will provide good customer care to all our customers, our staff will be friendly, polite and keen to help you, dealing with your enquiry with sensitivity and discretion.

We will:

wear a visible identity badge
promote and provide equality and fair treatment for everyone
reply to all correspondence within seven working days
provide a contact name, office and e-mail addresses, and a direct dial number in all our letters
deal with all complaints within 28 days and learn from them
write in plain English
answer your phone call within five rings, telling you who we are and asking how we may help you
forward our phone to colleagues when we are out of the office
call you back on the same day if you call before 1pm or call you back by 1pm the following day if you call after 1pm
make sure all our publications are available in the most common community languages, and other formats such as audio tape, Braille and large print
communicate through interpreters and British Sign Language (BSL) signers for residents who have specific needs, and
do our best to give you information and advice about other local services that we do not provide, including services provided by the council and by other agencies.

Further, we agree to:

provide your personal details when we pass your enquiry to a specialist, together with the details of your enquiry so, that you do not have to repeat it to another person
keep the appointment that you have made and tell you beforehand if we have to cancel it
carry out customer satisfaction surveys of at least 10% of our customers, and
keep you informed of how well we are doing in delivering the service.

You can help us by:

treating your home and surroundings and our staff with respect
telling us about any changes in your circumstances so that we can provide you with the best possible service, and
telling us what you think of us.

We will use customer feedback to improve our service. Please tell us if you feel that we have not met any of the service standards.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you can make a formal complaint. The leaflet ‘Ascham Homes Complaints Procedure’ gives you information about making a complaint and is available through all of our outlets. Our staff will help you make a complaint if you are not able to do so.

How to contact us

You can access our services in a number of ways.

Telephone Ascham Direct on 020 8496 4197

The lines are open 8am to 8pm, Monday to Friday for a full service.

If you live in Billericay or Wickford, you can phone Ascham Direct on 0845 3000 363 (charged at the local rate).

You can write to us at:
Ascham Homes
1 Wood Street
Walthamstow
London E17 3JU.

You can e-mail us at:
direct@aschamhomes.org.uk

Please note that although we check this site regularly during the day, you should not use it to report urgent repairs.

You can visit us at:
Ascham Homes
1 Wood Street
Walthamstow
London E17 3JU.
Open 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday

Ascham Homes (Billericay office)
16 Morris Avenue
Billericay
Essex CM11 2LB.
Open 9am to 11am, Tuesdays and Thursdays

In an emergency outside the normal hours, as mentioned above, contact the joint Ascham Homes and London Borough of Waltham Forest emergency service on:

020 8496 3000

Other useful contacts:

Waltham Forest Direct, 772-776 High Road, Leyton, London E10 6AE

Waltham Forest Direct is the London Borough of Waltham Forest Council’s contact centre.

For all council services, call them on:
020 8496 3000

Leytonstone Citizens Advice Bureau
Greater London House
547 – 551 High Road
Leytonstone
London E11 4PB
Phone: 020 8988 9620
Fax: 020 8558 7911

Walthamstow Citizens Advice Bureau
167 Hoe Street
Walthamstow
London E17 3AL
Phone: 0870 1264 026
Website: www.walthamforestcab.org.uk/wcab

Ascham Homes's publications

You can get copies of our service standards, information leaflets, Decent Homes programme, Tenants Compact and Residents Information Pack from:

Ascham Homes reception at 1 Wood Street
Waltham Forest Direct Shops, and
Social services public reception areas

If you would like us to post a publication to you, please call Ascham Direct on 020 8496 4197.