Policies

Our policy on Abuse and Violence towards employees recognises the challenges faced by colleagues by a small number of tenants. It outlines the processes involved that will reduce the risk and support colleagues in the event of an incident.  We do not tolerate abuse or violence towards employees.  With community partners and the Police, we aim to take appropriate legal action against perpetrators, whilst providing care and support to those affected.

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The adaptations policy helps us to future proof homes by looking at different options to meet people’s changing needs.  We work with different partners such as Rochdale Borough Council’s Home Improvement Agency and Occupational Therapists as well as other RBH teams. We support tenants to either move to alternative accommodation which better meets their needs, or through the installation of adaptations in an existing home.  There is a specific budget for this and we manage and allocate this money in a fair and equitable way using existing frameworks.  This ensures we provide value for money and enables us to support tenants to sustain their tenancies and stay independent for longer.

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Bribery sits within the wider fraud framework and as with fraud or malpractice, RBH has a zero tolerance to any form of bribery.  Bribery is the process by which someone induces someone else to do something that gives them an advantage or benefit.  The person committing the act will usually receive some form of reward though this may not necessarily be cash and this may not always be received directly.  This would, for example, include paying someone a bribe to win a contract.

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RBH has a zero tolerance in relation to any form of fraud or malpractice.  Fraud is any wrong or criminal act intended to result in personal gain for the perpetrator or another party with which they are associated.  There are a number of ways in which this can be done. The policy provides examples and guidance on what you should do if you suspect or become aware of any fraudulent act.

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Money laundering is the process by which the proceeds of crime, which can include cash or assets, is given the appearance of being legitimately earned.  The most common kind of money laundering is the process by which criminals transfer high volumes of cash into the banking system.  For RBH the most likely way in which this may be done is via the rents system where small amounts of cash could be paid over a period of time to create a surplus after which a refund is requested in the form of a cheque or bank transfer.  More widely colleagues may become aware of unexplained wealth or assets such as high value cars.  RBH has a zero tolerance to any type of fraud or malpractice.

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The policy highlights our approach to classification and types of anti-social behaviour and how we will tackle this to prevent impacts on our neighbourhoods. It covers the actions we can consider and our partnership working whilst also highlighting the need to assess risk and how we work with vulnerable witnesses or perpetrators to manage causes and prevent further reports.  The policy details how we work with our partners and in what circumstances we share information as well as the training our employees working in more specialised frontline roles receive.

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This policy details how we manage asbestos in our homes. The policy provides reassurance to our tenants and residents that we professionally manage the risks to the highest recognised standard. The policy details the risks associated with asbestos and advice about how we manage and monitor asbestos in the home to maintain a safe home for our tenants and residents.

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The purpose of this policy is to promote the expectation that we require tenants to look after and take care of their home.  The policy is designed to ensure there is a consistent and transparent approach to Chargeable Repairs.

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We understand that on occasion things go wrong with our services. When this happens, we feel it is fair to compensate and restore our tenants to the position they would have been in had the service failure not happened. We aim to look at this in a fair and consistent way to ensure we put things right.

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We want to deliver good, quality and fair services to all our tenants. If you are unhappy with our services and wish to complain, our policy explains the steps you can take. We will always approach complaints in a non-biased way and are committed to investigating everything fairly and consistently. All feedback is welcomed and helps us to build better services for our tenants.

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To view the complaints handling code please click here

We deal with a large volume of confidential information which quite often relates to individuals, so there will be a significant amount of overlap with the Data Protection Policy.  Although this is not always the case - such as where we hold information which may be financially or commercially sensitive but hold no personal information.  This could include information about rates agreed under a procurement exercise.  This policy gives guidance on what sort of information should be considered as sensitive, and what steps should then be taken to ensure this is treated with the required confidentiality.

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This policy sets our zero-tolerance approach to damp and mould in our homes and provides reassurance to all our tenants that RBH will respond in a timely manner to inspect, clean and treat all signs of damp and mould and rectify any faults to prevent a reoccurrence.

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The Data Protection policy sets out how RBH protects personal data. It outlines the principles, rules and guidelines that all employees must follow when handling any data that could identify an individual. As a housing provider, RBH manages significant volumes of the personal data of our tenants and other customers as well as employee personal data. The policy gives guidance on collecting, storing and sharing personal data in a legal and responsible fashion. When handling personal data, employees are aware of who is responsible for the data, why RBH has it and who it can be shared with. It also outlines the steps that must be followed if a data breach occurs. All personal data held by RBH is done so as a part of a recorded process with a recorded legal basis.

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Our Decant Policy sets out how we will deal with emergency, temporary and permanent decants due to health and safety or other factors that require us to find alternative accommodation.

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Our Domestic Abuse Policy is designed to raise awareness about the definitions of abuse and to develop a culture of reporting and responding appropriately to concerns or disclosures.  Our aim is to support tenants suffering from domestic abuse. The policy details how we work with our partners to share information and those working in more specialised frontline roles will receive in-depth training.  The policy looks at actions and signposting for perpetrators and victims.  The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 is also incorporated into the policy.

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This policy sets out our approach to electrical safety in all our homes. It provides reassurance that all regulations and best practices are being delivered to the highest possible standard to ensure the safety and welfare of all our tenants and residents. The policy details the continuous safety checks we undertake using professional qualified electricians to provide reassurance that all our homes and other assets are maintained to the highest electrical standard.

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This policy outlines RBH’s approach to the rehousing of tenants affected by regeneration and redevelopment schemes including the demolition and major refurbishment of RBH homes. It applies where a tenant needs to permanently move from their home due to a safety or property condition problem. This policy includes details of the support a tenant can expect to receive, options for rehousing and any financial support or home loss payment that may be payable. This policy has been developed to ensure RBH takes a consistent and fair approach when dealing with tenants who need to permanently move home due to these reasons.

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We will ensure that homes and premises are safe and well-maintained, reducing the risk of fire. A named ‘Responsible Person’ will lead the management of fire safety and ensure compliance is achieved and maintained. The Responsible Person will develop the fire safety planned programme and accurate records will be held for each property owned and managed that is covered by the regulations. The records will include the requirements for fire risk assessments and all servicing, maintenance, inspections, and repair of active and passive fire safety measures that are in place - such as fire alarm systems, emergency lighting, and any other equipment relating to fire safety. Actions arising out of fire risk assessments will be addressed in line with the recommended timescales given and carried out by accredited, competent persons. We will periodically undertake an asset data review to ensure that fire safety data held against each property asset is accurate.

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This policy details how we maintain and service all RBH homes and assets in accordance with gas safety regulations. Our qualified professional gas engineers maintain and service gas boilers and fires to ensure all our tenants and residents live in a safe and warm home using appliances that are well maintained and efficient.

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Our Lettings Policy sets out how we will allocate our homes.  The policy aims to provide sustainable and safe communities by working in partnership with Rochdale Borough Council to help with their statutory duties. The policy also details how we will offer properties in cases where an urgent move is needed, and what our criteria is for this.

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We support people with a disability through reasonable adjustments to our services or accommodations. We will do this by understanding the different needs of our tenants and tailoring services to meet those needs.

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This policy outlines our approach to the rehousing of tenants affected by regeneration and redevelopment schemes including demolition and refurbishment. It also applies where a tenant needs to permanently move from their home due to a safety or property condition problem. The policy includes details of the support that can expected, options for rehousing, and financial support or compensation that may be payable. The policy has been developed to ensure we take a consistent and fair approach when dealing with tenants who need to permanently move home due to these reasons.

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This policy outlines the approach that we take in the setting of the rents and service charges each year. It seeks to ensure that the rents and service charges we charge will be compliant with; the Regulator of Social Housings (RSH) Rent Standard 2020, the associated guidance within the Government’s Policy Statement on Rents for Social Housing and The Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 (and 1988 additions).The service charges also enable us to maximise our ability to deliver the highest quality services possible for our customers.  The aims of the policy are:

• to comply with existing statutory requirements within the legal framework
• give a clear and consistent message to tenants about their rental and service charge obligations
• as service charges are based around use of services, we want to ensure tenants have a clear understanding of the costs of the services that they receive.

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The Rent to Buy Policy outlines how we will allocate and manage Rent to Buy units in line with Homes England requirements. Rent to Buy is a scheme that is aimed at helping people in housing need who want to buy a home but are unable to save a deposit. It allows working households to rent a home at Intermediate Rent providing them the opportunity to save for a deposit to then go on and purchase their home.

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The responsive repairs policy details how we will provide a responsive ‘tenant focused’ repairs service to our highest standards. The policy outlines typical repairs undertaken and expected completion targets developed with our tenant representatives.

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This policy outlines our statutory requirements and correct procedures which we are required to follow in respect of the Preserved Right to Buy (PRTB) and the Right to Acquire (RTA) applications. The policy sets out how we will deal with Preserved RTB and RTA applications and ensures we meet government and regulatory requirements, and also ensures that our tenants, exercising their Right to Buy or Right to Acquire, receive a consistently fair and high quality service.

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Our Safeguarding Policy is designed to raise awareness about the abuse and neglect of children, young people, and adults at risk. It also seeks to develop a culture of reporting and responding to safeguarding concerns or disclosures.  The policy details how we work with our partners and ensures all staff are trained with those working in more specialised frontline roles receiving more in-depth training.

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The aims of the policy are to highlight the importance of volunteers and their work across Rochdale Borough, to detail the support we offer to volunteers in various settings, and to demonstrate how we work to provide positive outcomes for tenant and resident volunteers and how we protect their safety, health and wellbeing.

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The tenancy policy sets out how we manage tenancies across our neighbourhoods and the types of tenancy we offer, to provide clarity to our tenants and be consistent in our approach. The policy documents specialist services within the tenancy agreements and our commitment to tenancy sustainment wherever possible. The policy enables users to understand our approach to tenancy management and the legislation that drives our procedures.  

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Our water safety policy outlines how we provide a safe water environment in all our homes by promoting safe water practices and safety checks throughout the year to communal water systems. We employ a specialist in water safety to ensure water safety checks and advice are to the highest standard.

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Whistleblowing is also called ‘speaking up’ and is a way for individuals to raise a concern about anything that they think isn’t quite right. In most instances individuals will feel comfortable raising concerns with their manager if an employee or with their usual contact at RBH if a tenant or one of our partners.  Where this isn’t the case there are a number of other routes individuals can take to ensure their concerns are addressed.  The Whistleblowing Policy gives guidance on the routes that are available and how individuals should go about doing this.

To view the full policy please click here