How to Become a Tenant - Service Standards
Our Housing Options Service helps the council meet its corporate
priorities around improving housing and ensuring that there is
affordable housing for local people. This information explains how
we decide who we offer homes to, and the standards you can expect
from us.
What we do
Housing Options is part of the Housing Services Division. The
team is responsible for providing people with options for
re-housing, for example through the allocation of our own
accommodation or referral to a Housing Association. The team also
deals with the registration and assessment of housing application
forms.
Every year, many people ask us for help with housing. We have a
whole range of different types of accommodation throughout the
district such as houses, flats and maisonettes. There are areas
within West Lancashire however whereby applicants may need to wait
some time for accommodation, owing to the popularity of that area
and in some cases the lack of suitable properties in that part of
the district. We can't offer a home to everyone who asks for help,
so we have a system for deciding who we can give properties to. We
help people register with us for accommodation in the district and
we assess their housing need.
Our service promise
- When you contact us about how to register for accommodation, a
member of the Housing Options Team will answer your query.
- We will discuss your needs in detail and advise you of the
options available to you. If you are homeless, you will be provided
with the number for the Homelessness Advice & Prevention Team.
Home visits can be arranged if you are unable to come to the
office.
- We aim to register all housing applications within 10 working
days.
- We aim to achieve the highest standards but there may be
occasions where delays may be experienced. This may be because we
require information from other people, for example your doctor,
before we can assess your case.
- You have the right to appeal against any decision we make about
your application. You have 21 days from receiving the decision, to
appeal, in writing, to the Service Manager. You will then have 20
working days to provide any supporting information. The Service
Manager will then review your case and write to you with the review
decision within 10 working days.
How you can help us
- Please complete all sections of the application as accurately
as possible.
- Please provide any supporting information as quickly as
possible.
- When you contact us, please have your application number
ready.
- Please make sure you are home for any home visit that is
arranged.
- Please let us know at least 24 hours before if you are unable
to keep a home visit.
- We are happy to assist all of our customers with special needs.
Please mention any needs you may have to our staff when you contact
us.
Our general standards
We have a number of
general standards, which apply to all services across West
Lancashire District Council. You may find these useful to note:
- We aim to answer letters and emails within 10 working
days.
- If you request a fuller reply, or the matter requires detailed
investigation, we will send you an acknowledgment within 10 days,
which will set out what action is being taken and when you are
likely to receive a detailed response.
- We aim to answer your phone calls within 10 seconds.
- You can make an appointment to see a manager or speak to staff
in confidence.
- At all times our staff will show courtesy, respect and
sensitivity.
- To view our general standards see Corporate
Standards.
Give us your feedback
We want to provide services that delight our customers and which
are second to none. We monitor the standards we set but also value
feedback from our customers and residents on how we can further
improve services. If you have any comments, compliments or
complaints, there is a form on which you can make any suggestions.
These are available by downloading a copy from our website or by
visiting our main offices. Alternatively you can call Customer
Services and one of our advisers will complete a form with you over
the phone.
If you do make a complaint about our services, please note that we
have a formal process for dealing with these. These should
initially be addressed to the service manager whose details are
given below. Our promise to you is that any complaint will be
answered within 10 working days.
Contacting us
Click: Housing
Email: housingoptions@westlancsdc.gov.uk
Call: 01695 577177
Come in: 52 Derby Street, Ormskirk or the CSP at the Concourse,
Skelmersdale
Our offices are open from 9.00am to 5.00pm Monday to Thursday, and
9.00am to 4.45pm on Friday.
Our Customer Contact Centre is open from 8.30am to 5.30pm Monday to
Friday for telephone calls
We can provide this information upon request on audiotape, in large
print, in Braille and in other languages.