At Thorngate Churcher, we aim to answer answer all questions from both our residents and their loved ones.
Here we cover the most frequently asked questions but do contact us if we have not covered something you would like to know.
Thorngate Churcher Trust is regulated by a number of different bodies which include the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH), Charity Commission and the Care Quality Commission.
The Charity Commission, which registers and regulates charities in England and Wales, to ensure that the public can support charities with confidence. The Charity Commission is a non-ministerial department.
The Regulator of Social Housing The Regulator of Social Housing is a non-departmental public body that regulates private registered providers of social housing to promote a viable, efficient and well-governed social housing sector able to deliver homes that meet a range of needs.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and social care in England and it regulates, checks and inspects care homes including Russell Churcher Court.
The Trust is also a member of:
The Housing Ombudsman Service (HOS) examines complaints about registered providers of social housing, for example housing associations, and other landlords, managers and agents. The service is free, independent and impartial. The HOS is an executive non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Department for Communities and Local Government.
The National Housing Federation (NHF), which represents the work of housing associations and campaigns for better housing. NHF members provide two and a half million homes for more than five million people.
The Almshouse Association represents 1,700 independent UK almshouse charities, providing homes for more than 35,000 people.
Thorngate Living’s own uniformed professional maintenance team ensures that any maintenance or repair work is carried out quickly, without fuss and to an excellent standard. The Trust is committed to providing the highest standards of care and accommodation.
Once construction begins, the site will be operating between the hours of 8am and 5pm – Monday to Friday.
The entrance to the site will be on Sealark Road.
Works involving the oak tree will be carried out by the main contractor after it has taken possession of the site.
The wildlife was managed by the ecologist in line with the planning application.
The start date has not yet been fixed, we are awaiting updates from the main contractor.
Here is the quick link to our online application form
Homes England, the government’s housing and regeneration agency, has provided a grant to help us deliver new affordable homes in Gosport.
To show how this money is spent, we publish all expenditure above £500 with this information reported on a quarterly basis in each financial year.
People aged 50 years or over. The applicant must be fit to live alone and be able to look after her/himself.
This can vary, and could be months to a couple of years. It is dependent on the applicants banding, priorities such as requiring a ground floor flat, desired site and the amount of movement we have had within our schemes.
Thorngate Churcher Trust (TCT) is committed to the provision of a high-quality service to all of our customers (residents and applicants), and every member of staff is responsible for delivering that service.
We welcome complaints, comments, suggestions and compliments and we use customer feedback as an opportunity to learn about what we are doing well and where we need to improve. This helps us to improve the services we deliver.
All complaints are managed in line with data protection legislation and our Equality and Diversity policy.
This policy covers occasions when residents or applicants are dissatisfied with the level or type of service they have received and wish to make a complaint, whether formally or informally.
This policy is invoked for any appeals against housing decisions when an applicant or resident believes that they have not been given the correct level of priority or banding, or if their application or is refused.
To have a process in place that is clear, simple and accessible so complaints are resolved promptly, consistently and fairly, in compliance with all regulatory and statutory requirements.
Following the introduction of the Housing Ombudsman’s complaint handling code in September 2020, a complaint is universally defined as:
“an expression of dissatisfaction, however made, about the standard of service, actions or lack of action by the organisation, its own staff, or those acting on its behalf, affecting an individual resident or group of residents.”
A service request is a request from a resident to their landlord requiring action to be taken to put something right. Service requests should be recorded, monitored and reviewed regularly. If further enquiries are needed following a service request in order to resolve the matter or if a resident requests it the issue must be logged as a complaint,
An enquiry is when a resident contacts us to ask about something concerning their home or licence agreement. For example, a resident might ask for information about their weekly maintenance contribution, or to query or clarify something on their statement of account. This is not a complaint. If we fail to provide or clarify this information, then this could become a complaint.
A comment or suggestion is when a resident expresses an idea or opinion on an aspect of their home, licence, or in relation to the wider day-to-day running of TCT. This is not a complaint. If we fail to acknowledge or respond to a comment or suggestion with respect, then this could become a complaint.
Staff are trained to recognise the difference between a complaint, service request, enquiry and a comment/suggestion. Staff are encouraged to take appropriate steps to resolve the issue for residents as early as possible.
We will ensure that residents are aware of how we are deciding to record any of the above, and ensure that they are in agreement with this.
We consider these exclusions to be fair and reasonable to residents.
TCT reserves the right to refuse to deal with complaints, or to deal with them differently, if they are pursued unreasonably or could be handled more effectively in a different manner. Additionally, a complaint will not be re-opened at the complainant’s request if, after review by TCT, it is established that no new evidence relevant to the complaint has been provided.
We aim to resolve all complaints as quickly as possible. TCT wishes to ensure that at each stage of the complaint, it is dealt with objectively and that we apologise where TCT is at fault.
We aim to respond formally to all complaints in writing within 10 working days of a complaint being received. Where a customer remains dissatisfied with the service, they can ask for a review by the appropriate Manager, or where applicable, the Chief Executive.
For all complaints, the complainant is provided with a named person responsible for their complaint who is their point of contact throughout the complaint. TCT has a lead “complaints officer” who oversees all complaints; this is the CEO. Contact details are found below under ‘making a complaint’.
The complaints officer role is to ensure that complaints handling works well. The role is to ensure that TCT:
TCT will learn from mistakes and we will publish information about complaints each year, including their number and nature, and the outcome of the complaints. On receipt of a complaint we will manage the customers expectations so that we do not promise anything that cannot be delivered or would cause unfairness to other customers.
We want to make our complaints process as easy to access and understand as possible. We therefore provide several ways for residents to make a complaint:
A resident may make a service request (pre-complaint) initially; if they are dissatisfied with the response or action, they may choose to escalate this to a complaint.
The member of staff dealing with the complaint will:
We will adapt our normal policies, procedures, or processes to accommodate an individual’s needs as much as possible, where it is reasonable to do so.
TCT has two stages to our formal complaint’s procedure:
The investigation is usually carried out by the member of staff appropriately placed to deal with the area of complaint raised, and is overseen by the “complaints officer”. There are also occasions when the complaints officer will carry out the stage 1 investigation.
The target time for responding to complaints is 10 working days from the receipt date. It may not always be possible to complete all agreed actions within this time period, if an extension is required this should not exceed a further 10 days without good reason. Throughout the extension period we will, however, keep in touch by telephone or other means, to let the complainant know the progress of the complaint.
Where residents raise additional complaints during the stage 1 investigation which were not included in the original complaint, these should be incorporated into the stage 1 response if they are relevant, and the stage 1 response has not been issued. Where the stage 1 response has been issued, or it would unreasonably delay the response, the complaint should be logged as a new complaint.
If the complainant is not happy with the outcome of Stage 1, the complainant should contact the complaints officer, stating why the outcome is not acceptable. This can be carried out in several ways, as listed in “making a complaint” above. The contact must be made within 20 working days of receipt of the outcome letter in Stage 1, otherwise we will consider the matter closed.
The complaints officer will review the decision in consultation with a member of the Senior Management Team. A formal response will be sent within 20 working days of the request for review being received. If an extension is required, this should not exceed a further 10 days without good reason. Throughout the extension period we will, however, keep in touch by telephone or other means, to let the complainant know the progress of the complaint.
Should the complaints officer have investigated stage 1 then the appropriate details will be given with the outcome as to who to direct any stage 2 complaint to.
The complaint handler at stage 2 will be a different officer to the one who dealt with stage 1.
There is no appeals process following stage 2. If a customer remains dissatisfied with how their individual situation has been handled and/or with the outcome, they can contact the Housing Ombudsman.
TCT will cooperate with the Housing Ombudsman’s requests for evidence and provide this within 15 working days. If a response cannot be provided within this timeframe, we will provide an explanation for the delay. And if accepted as reasonable, the Housing Ombudsman will agree a revised date with us.
In cases where the complaint involves the complaint officer, a member of management or the Executive team then the complaint will be directed to the Board.
Anonymous complaints are not dealt with through this complaints policy. However, depending on the nature of the complaint, it may be necessary to investigate the matter to protect the Trust’s interest.
Complaints from groups of residents will be accepted. The response will be sent to all members of the group who are named in the complaint.
We reserve the right to deal with complaints in an alternative way (outside the normal procedures) if circumstances require this. In such a rare case, the Trust records why the complaint has been dealt with differently and informs the complainant accordingly.
We also reserve the right to extend the timescales detailed in stage 1 and 2 should the complaint be in regard to a complex issue, if this is the case then the complainant will be updated regularly, and the communication channels will be made clear.
Throughout the extension period we will agree with the resident suitable intervals for keeping them informed. We will then keep in touch by telephone or other means, to let the complainant know the progress of the complaint.
When any extension is agreed, the complainant is provided with the contact details of the Housing Ombudsman.
Where something has gone wrong, we will acknowledge this and set out the actions we have already taken, or intend to take, to put things right. These can include:
Any remedy offered to the complainant will reflect the impact caused by any fault identified. It will also clearly set out what will happen and by when.
We will take into account guidance issued by the Housing Ombudsman when deciding on appropriate remedies.
TCT hopes that any complaints are resolved at Stage 1 or Stage 2 at the most. However, should the complainant remain dissatisfied following this, they can ask for a review of the case by the Housing Ombudsman Service. The Housing Ombudsman service can also assist residents throughout the life of the complaint not just when the process has been exhausted. The contact details below can be used at any time during the complaint. The Ombudsman will only investigate a complaint where the complainant has exhausted TCT’s Complaints Procedure, although this must be done within 12 months. The complainant must be an TCT resident or an TCT applicant for housing to raise this with the Ombudsman.
Housing Ombudsman Service 81 Aldwych
London WC2B 4HN
Tel: 0300 111 3000
Lo Call: 0845 712 5973
E-mail: info@housing-ombudsman.org.uk Web: www.housing-ombudsman.org.u
Complainants may ask another person to act on their behalf in bringing their complaint to TCT’s attention. This advocate may be a friend, relative or representative from an external organisation such as the Citizens Advice. An advocate may not be a solicitor or other legal professional unless they are acting in a ‘lay’ capacity i.e. not representing the complainant on a professional basis
TCT’s complaints policy meets the requirements of our regulator, the Regulator for Social Housing (RSH), Tenant Involvement and Empowerment Standard and the Housing Ombudsman’s complaints handling code.
To ensure complaints are used to help improve services, regular updates on the volume, category and outcome of complaints, alongside complaint handling performance is provided to the board governance structure. The use of complaint data alongside other management information on stock, services and resident feedback provides greater insight into the organisation.
Annually, any issues and trends arising from complaint handling, including discussion of the Ombudsman’s yearly landlord performance report and the inclusion of any organisational learning is discussed by the Board and shared in our annual report.
Consideration of individual complaint outcomes where necessary, including findings of severe maladministration of the Ombudsman or any referrals by it to regulatory bodies, including scrutiny of any subsequent procedural or organisational changes, will be reported.
In addition, annually TCT will confirm that the complaint handling code is being applied.
Where a complaint involves a third party, TCT will need to disclose some of the details about the complaint for it to be properly investigated e.g. with contractors. Any data shared will be done so in line with the relevant Data Protection legislation. TCT is registered with the Housing Ombudsman Service; this service provides individuals with an independent review should they remain dissatisfied at the end of the TCT complaints process.
Background
If you are an applicant and you believe you have not been treated fairly during the application process, you can ask for your case to be reviewed.
Applications and subsequent allocations are dealt with via our Allocations Policy. The final decision on allocation is made by trustees guided by this policy based on an assessment made by the Housing and Support Manager.
If you think the assessment is incorrect or you believe there has been some other unfairness in your case, you can request a review. The process is as follows:
Members of staff who have a complaint or grievance should follow the Grievance Procedure outlined in the Employee Handbook.
The Trust will, as far as possible respect the confidentiality of complaints. In normal circumstances the identity of the complainant will only be known by those dealing with the complaint, all of whom are not at liberty to inform others of who has lodged the complaint. It should be noted, however, that in cases where a complaint refers to a particular resident, it may be necessary to disclose the identity of the complainant to allow a fair assessment to be carried out. The relevant Data Protection legislation will be upheld at all times during the complaint’s procedure.
We are mindful of our duties as outlined in The Equality Act 2010, to make reasonable adjustments for individuals with disabilities. We will make reasonable adjustments where necessary for those people with protected characteristics, to ensure that we provide the same services, as far as is possible, as residents who are not disabled.
In respect of a complaint, this may mean allowing additional time to provide information, respond to enquiries etc. If you would like us to consider any reasonable adjustments to enable you to make a complaint, please contact the complaints officer. Contact details are found above under making a complaint.
We will manage residents and applicants information in line with current data protection legislation and our Data Protection policy.
No, Thorngate Churcher Trust maintains its own waiting list distinct from those of GBC, or Hampshire County Council Adult Services.
No, the Trust does not expect to provide second homes and therefore expects any property to be sold, and not rented out or made available to relatives.
It is extremely difficult for the timings of the sale and the Trust licence to match exactly. The Trust therefore accepts the need for some flexibility around the sale of houses and considers that it would be reasonable to expect you to have sold your house within 12 months of accepting a Licence with the Trust. Consequently, you will be invited to confirm on a regular basis the status of the sale of your house during the 12 month period.
Upon receipt of an application form the application will be assessed on a priority banding system, which is broadly based on your current living situation and the Trust’s ability to appropriately, safely and constructively support you in one of our schemes.
The Housing and Support manager will contact you either by phone or in writing to arrange an assessment when nearing the top of the waiting list.
Once the assessment has taken place recommendations are made to the Trustees and they then ascertain whether you are acceptable within the terms of the Trust’s constitution. If you have been assessed as suitable and there are currently no voids you will be informed that you have been put on the waiting list until a void is identified.
If the Trust is unable to meet your needs, you will be informed stating the reasons. You must contact the Housing and Support Manager if your needs significantly change or you decide you no longer wish stay on our waiting list.
Yes, the Housing and Support Manager will discuss possible placement and viewing with you.
You will be made three offers of accommodation. If three flats are turned down you will be removed from the waiting list. If you would like to reapply, request in writing to Housing Manager/CEO to reconsider. If you refused the offer, you must tell us the exact reasons for refusing and whether you wish to stay on the waiting list.
Unless there are exceptional circumstances, the Trustees would not consider an application for sheltered housing from an individual whose resources exceed £200,000.
As well as the applicant(s) capital/assets the Trust will also take into account their actual income level i.e. state pension, private pension, investment income, wages etc.).
Single Applicant £1610 a month
Couple Applicant £2300 a month
Yes
Melrose Gardens, off Station Road, PO12 3BZ
Elizabeth Court, Camden Street, PO12 3JB
Thorngate Court, Inverness Road, PO12 3HX
There are different sized flats, they are either classed as a single or double which means that the bedroom is small for a single person or large enough to fit a double/king sized bed or two single beds. All flats have a bedroom, lounge (various sizes), bathroom with walk in shower and kitchen (most flats have separate kitchen and of various sizes)
No, all our flats are one bedroom.
The Trust provides fridge freezer, electric cooker and laundry room. You can bring your own fridge freezer and electric cooker, but you must notify the Trust. It is the residents’ responsibility to carpet the flat, provide furniture and curtains etc
Yes, but a couple will take priority for a double flat unless the need of a single occupant is deemed greater.
Thorngate Court – Band B
Melrose Gardens – Band A
Elizabeth Court – Band A and Band B
We call the housing charges weekly maintenance contributions (WMC) and not rent because you will not be a tenant.
No, we don’t have the facility to set up direct debits, we prefer you pay by standing order.
Central heating and hot water (most flats)
Water and sewage charges (most flats)
Repairs and maintenance
The support service (wardens, Careline and emergency call system)
Staff costs
Buildings and contents insurance
Upkeep of the gardens
Cleaning of communal areas
Cleaning of the outside of the windows of your flat
Electricity bills for your flat
Council tax
Your own private telephone line, cable tv and own internet
If you want a higher level contents insurance than the level we provide
Mobility scooter insurance
Any extra help you may need to help you live independently such as a private cleaner or carer
Yes, credit meters are installed in each flat.
The Trust has a dedicated maintenance team who will redecorate the flat before you move in.
Dogs and cats are not allowed, we will normally give permission for you to keep a small caged bird inside your flat, but you must ask in advance.
No, but there are limited car parking spaces for residents and visitors.
We provide areas for charging and storage of scooters, but spaces are limited so you must inform the Housing and Support Manager if you have a scooter. Scooters must be insured by residents and we will need to see your insurance documents each year.
We provide communal lounges, laundry room, guest rooms (small charge) for relatives or friends visiting you for a short period, gardens where there are areas where residents can do some gardening themselves if they so wish and emergency call system.
Many families worry about funding the care of their loved ones. Being a charity helps us keep our private fees reasonable.
Our care home, Russell Churcher Court, currently accommodates privately funded and local authority funded residents, although the local authority may not meet the full cost of care and if this is the case family members or friends may top this up.
Our key facts document contains all of the latest information.
We provide care for people who are responsible for funding their own care and for those who require support from the local authority such as Hampshire County Council, or from a Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).
Residents who have been assessed and accepted for funding by Hampshire County Council undergo an individual financial assessment conducted by Hampshire Adult Social Services, and the level agreed is dependent upon a number of factors including available savings and pensions. If Hampshire County Council will not support the full cost of care then this does not mean prospective residents need to go elsewhere but it does mean that the balance will needed to be “topped up” by a family member or friend. (Please note this also applies to the 12 week disregard or local authority loan residents because they are likely to have the necessary assets).
The fees cover accommodation in our large en-suite rooms, all care, meals and laundry service together with heating and lighting and most activities.
Extra costs are services such as optician, hairdresser or podiatry together with external visits, toiletries, cable TV/broadband and transport to hospital appointments.
Yes of course. We encourage all our residents to furnish their rooms with their own furniture and belongings to help ease the transition from their old home to their new one.
Yes we do. We have guest rooms in our housing schemes which are available to book for those travelling longer distances.
Yes, we have a dedicated activities team which is proactive in organising activities that guests love in the home and also, where possible, external visits.
Activities range from crafts to quizzes, music events, visits from local entertainers and there is always a full programme of events at Christmas.
We are required to provide safe levels of staffing for our residents. We go above
and beyond this. Full details are in our key facts document.
A complaint can be made by telephone; in writing; by email; or in person. The Trust will respond in writing, usually via email.
Complaints should be addressed to:
Fiona Taylor, Registered Manager, Russell Churcher Court, Melrose Gardens, Gosport PO12 3BE
Telephone 023 9252 7600
Email info@thorngate.org.uk
Complainants will receive an acknowledgement within 72 hours. In this acknowledgment we will let the complainant know who will be investigating the complaint.
A complaint must be made no longer than 12 months after the date of an incident, or when the matter first came to the attention of the complainant.
This time limit however, will not apply if Russell Churcher Court is satisfied that:
The complainant can give a good reason for not making the complaint within that time limit and Despite the delay, it is still possible to investigate the complaint effectively and fairly
Where possible, complaints should be made on the form available from reception, the Registered
Manager or on the noticeboard. Complaints may also be made via our on-line feedback system, available at reception or via our website at https://thorngate.org.uk/complaint-form/
Anonymous complaints
The Trust takes anonymous complaints seriously and will investigate in the same way as other complaints providing enough information is supplied to facilitate an investigation. All complaints will be dealt with by a senior person within the organisation, usually the Registered Manager, or Deputy Manager.
Complainants will receive (as far as reasonably practical):
Assistance to help them understand the complaints procedure; and Advice on where they may obtain such assistance.
The Russell Churcher Court notice board displays a list of advocacy services, with contact details, or these may be obtained from the receptionist.
Russell Churcher Court will accept complaints from a third party under certain circumstances: Either:
Where you know that the Service User has consented, either verbally or in writing; or
where the Service User cannot complain unaided and cannot give consent because they lack capacity to do so within the meaning of the Mental Capacity Act 2005; and
The Service User representative is acting in the Service User’s best interests – for example, where the matter complained about, if true, would be detrimental to the Service User.
Our expected turnaround/resolution time is 28 days or less, and this will be advised in our initial response to the complaint.
All complaint investigations should be completed within six months unless a different timescale has been agreed. This should only be done when there is a good reason for it.
If, after you have received a response from the Registered Manager, you consider the complaint has not been resolved to your satisfaction, you may refer the matter to the Chief Executive. The Chief Executive’s details are:
Anne Taylor FCCA, Chief Executive, Thorngate Churcher Trust, Clare House, Melrose Gardens, Gosport PO12 3BZ
Once your complaint has been fully dealt with by Russell Churcher Court, and the Trust, should you remain dissatisfied with the outcome you can complain to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman. The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman provides a free, independent service. You can contact the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman Advice Team for information and advice, or to register your complaint:
Telephone 0300 061 0614 Email advice@lgo.org.uk
Website www.lgo.org.uk
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman will not usually investigate a complaint until the provider has had an opportunity to respond and resolve matters.
Our service is registered with, and regulated by, the Care Quality Commission (CQC). The CQC cannot get involved in individual complaints about providers, but is happy to receive information about our services at any time. You can contact the CQC at:
Care Quality Commission National Correspondence Citygate, Gallowgate Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 4PA
Or you can use the online form via their website at www.cqc.org.uk
Telephone 0300 061 6161
