About us
Putting Customers First
Our Customer Care promise to you
Homes for Islington (HFI) is fully committed to providing excellent services for all of our customers.
We can only do this by providing exceptional customer service at every opportunity. Our commitment to customer care and our customer care standards help shape the way we provide services, whether you are a resident, visitor, local business or partner organisation.
We will review our customer care standards regularly to make sure they
continue to reflect what matters most to our customers.
Our staff will receive appropriate training to enable them to satisfy our customers’ expectations.
HFI Values and respects customers
- We will treat all customers well, regardless of sexual orientation, race, gender, disability, religion or age.
- We will treat you with courtesy and respect at all times.
- We will make sure that services are relevant to our customers and take into account people’s differing needs.
- We will deal with your enquiries in a helpful, polite and professional way.
- We will ensure that the services we provide are fair and free from discrimination.
- We will ensure that our offices and services are accessible to all.
- We will ensure that our staff and contractors wear identification at all times.
- Where we are unable to help, we will clearly and honestly explain why.
- Wherever possible, we will try to resolve your enquiry at the first point of contact.
We will provide an easy to use service
- Our reception areas and services will be open at published times.
- Where it is more convenient, we will offer an appointment.
- If you are unable to use our reception areas, you can ask for a home visit.
- We will provide information in a format of your choice.
- We will offer an interpreting and translation service on all of our printed information.
- We will provide you with opportunities to feedback on our services and will publish actions taken as a result of your complaints, comments and compliments.
We will respond promptly to customers
- We will answer calls made to direct lines within six rings, with a greeting, name and location. Answer phones will only be used to ensure that telephone calls do not go unanswered and all messages will be responded to within 24 hours or the next working day if the message is left over a weekend or Bank Holiday.
- We will answer your letters or e-mails within ten working days and if we cannot, we will tell you why and tell you when you can expect a reply.
- When you visit our area offices, our staff will aim to deal with your enquiry within 10 minutes of your arrival. If waiting times are likely to exceed this target, we will tell you this when you enter the area office and let you know what the waiting time is.
Our reception areas
- Reception areas will be clearly signed internally and externally and display clear and accurate opening times.
- Reception areas will be adequately staffed during opening hours.
- Reception areas will be clean and tidy.
- We will give you a receipt for all documents and letters you hand in at reception.
- We will provide free access to a computer in our reception areas so you can get information on the “Getting London moving” choice-based lettings scheme and other services.
- Services and staff available will be displayed clearly in all reception areas.
- We will provide courtesy phones in our reception areas and ensure they are working properly.
- Information held in our reception areas will be reviewed regularly to ensure it is accurate and up to date.
Enquiry handling
Staff will:
- deal with your enquiries in a helpful, polite and professional way
- listen carefully to your enquiry
- address any special needs with sensitivity, tact and diplomacy
- record all your contact details correctly
- ensure that the nature of your enquiry has been understood correctly
- offer to send relevant information relating to your enquiry
Face to face contact
- We will ensure that our staff and contractors wear identification at all times.
- Customers will be greeted in a polite and courteous manner.
- Full attention will be given to the customer at all times.
- Staff will be helpful and aim, wherever possible, to resolve the customer’s enquiry.
- All staff will be neatly dressed to meet members of the public.
- Staff will wear uniform where a dress code is in place.
Written correspondence
- We will answer your letters or emails within 10 working days and if we cannot, we will tell you why and tell you when you can expect a reply.
- If we write to you we will write clearly and accurately. We will include a contact name and direct dial telephone number and email address if appropriate.
- We will acknowledge and respond to all the issues you have raised with us within the correspondence.
- We will acknowledge written complaints within three working days, giving you the name of the officer who will be dealing with the matter.
- We will use plain English.
Other types of communication
- We will make sure our leaflets and posters are clearly presented and translations of the text will be available if you ask.
- We will broadcast service information in the reception areas of our offices.
- We will put information about all housing issues on our website
Contact us
Central Street Area Housing Office
85 Central Street, London, EC1V 8DT
Tel: 020 7527 6250
Fax: 020 7527 6207
Email: csha@homesforislington.org.uk
Minicom: 020 7527 6202
Holland Walk Area Housing Office
85-88 Holland Walk, London, N19 3XS
Tel: 020 7527 7480
Fax: 020 7527 7407
Email: holland.walk@homesforislington.org.uk
Minicom: 020 7527 7405
Lyon Street Area Housing Office
1 Lyon Street, London, N1 1DQ
Tel: 020 7527 6880
Fax: 020 7527 6827
Email: lyon.street@homesforislington.org.uk
Minicom: 020 7527 6830
Upper Street Area Housing Office
Northway House, 257 Upper Street, London, N1 1RU
Tel: 020 7527 5300
Fax: 020 7527 5301
Email: upperstreet.AHO@homesforislington.org.uk
Minicom: 020 7527 5301
Home Ownership
50 Isledon Road, London, N7 7LP
Tel: 020 7527 7715/7720
Fax: 020 7527 7711/7733
Email: homeownership@homesforislington.org.uk
HFI Direct
Tel: 0800 694 3344
Minicom: 0800 073 0536
To report a repair by email: repairs@homesforislington.org.uk
To text a repair: 07781 472 556
For other email enquiries: HFIDirect@homesforislington.org.uk
Homes for Islington Ltd
Highbury House
5 Highbury Crescent
London, N5 1RN
To complain, comment or compliment
Homes for Islington welcomes your feedback, whether you are unhappy and wish to complain, or you feel we have provided an excellent service.
Please speak to a member of staff at your area office or cick here for more information.
Customer care (pdf file 188Kb)