How we respect your needs and need you to respect our staff.
We always aim to resolve your queries in a timely and professional way, with an outcome that is satisfactory.
Some services continue to be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, however our staff continue to do everything they can to keep them running smoothly.
We respect your right to feedback, tell us if you have a complaint or show emotion when there is a problem. In return, we ask you to respect our staff by talking to them clearly and fairly.
However, we will not tolerate behaviour that is hurtful, abusive or hateful towards our staff or other service users.
Unreasonable behaviours
Unreasonable behaviours include:
Aggressive or abusive behaviour
Aggressive, violent or abusive behaviour could be physically or emotionally harmful, hateful, discriminative, negative or obstructive towards our employees and other service users.
Unreasonable behaviour that impacts on our ability to carry out work
This means behaviour that starts to impact excessively on the work of our staff, takes up an excessive amount of time or when dealing with the matter disadvantages other customers or service users.
Unreasonable levels of contact that impact our ability to deliver services
This includes making excessive levels of contact that can be considered as harassment.
Hate crime or hate incidents
Hate crime is any unwanted behaviour which is intended to or creates the effect of violating a person's dignity or creates an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for that person. It can be motivated by prejudice on the basis of race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, sex, gender reassignment or other grounds.
We will not tolerate this kind of behaviour in person, over the phone, by email or on social media.
When you visit our facilities or customer service point
If your behaviour is unacceptable or challenging when you visit our facilities or our customer service point:
- we'll ask you to stop so we can explain to you why your behaviour is unacceptable
- if you continue to behave in a challenging way, we will end the conversation and ask you to leave
- if you continue further, we will involve our security team or the police to manage the incident
- if repeat problems occur, then we have the right to exclude you until the matter is resolved to protect our staff and other service users
We respect your right to complain if you are not getting the service that you want or if you think that your case has been dealt with unfairly.
You can complain if you think that an enquiry or problem was dealt with unfairly.
When we visit you at your home
If you act aggressively or are abusive when when we visit you at home:
- we'll ask you to stop so we can explain to you why your behaviour is unacceptable
- If your behaviour continues, we'll remove ourselves from the situation and leave the property
- we'll report the incident to our security team and if necessary, we may involve the police
When you get services or help from us over the phone
If you're hurtful, aggressive or abusive to us over the phone:
- we'll ask you to stop and work with you to understand and try to resolve the problem
- if you continue, we'll end the call
- we'll make a record on our computer system
- if necessary, we may involve the police
When you use our websites, web forms or social media channels
If you're abusive, unreasonable or your behaviour is unacceptable:
- we'll remove your response, report it to the platform or record the issue on our own system
- we'll mute or block your account
- we'll report the incident to the police, if necessary