Lee Abbey London is proud to be a member of the ANUK/UNIPOL National code of Standards for student accommodation providers – a Government- recognised code of best practice.
This means Lee Abbey voluntarily agrees to comply with good practice standards for both the physical condition of our building and its day-to-day management. We are checked to ensure we are meeting the standards.
Amongst other things, students living at Lee Abbey can expect:
- buildings that meet or exceed fire safety requirements;
- managers of buildings to act in a professional and courteous manner;
- managers to be trained in mental health awareness;
- repairs to be completed within agreed timescales; and
- complaints to be handled professionally, with external input from the National Codes if they cannot be resolved.
How to make a complaint, or appeal against charges for damage
There may be occasions when you feel you have cause for complaint. You may make a complaint as an individual or as a group of residents, or as a neighbour living in Lexham Gardens or nearby.
Please start by discussing the matter informally with the Director or staff member concerned, before considering raising a formal complaint. The vast majority of complaints can be resolved fairly and to everyone’s satisfaction this way.
After informal conversations, if you still wish to pursue a formal complaint, please follow this procedure:
Stage 1
Please raise your complaint with the Director in the first instance, who will forward it on to the appropriate person for follow-up. If your complaint relates to the Director personally, please raise your concern with the Deputy Director. If you would like to raise a complaint confidentially, please raise it with the elected student representative who will communicate with the Director on your behalf.
We will acknowledge your complaint within three days and respond to you substantively in writing within 10 days. If the matter is complex and will need a longer period of consideration, we will write to you within 10 days explaining why, and telling you when you can expect a full response.
In the response, Lee Abbey management will set out any actions they intend to take and when, and will honour any outcome within 10 days of a settlement being agreed.
If you would like to raise a concern regarding safeguarding, please report it directly to our Designated Safeguarding Person.
Stage 2
If Stage 1 does not produce a satisfactory outcome, please request at Reception an appointment with the Director or Chaplain. The Director will consider your complaint and will determine the outcome.
Stage 3
If you are not satisfied with the Director’s decision in Stage 2, you may appeal against this decision by submitting your complaint in writing to Reception, addressed to the HR Manager. They will arrange for your complaint to be investigated and heard by a panel including at least one member of the Board of Trustees of Lee Abbey London. When considering your appeal, the panel will refer to your Resident Licence, the Residents’ Handbook and any other relevant evidence.
If your complaint has still not been resolved
If the above process does not result in a satisfactory outcome, or if you do not receive a response from Lee Abbey management within 28 days, you are entitled to raise your complaint with the National Code of Standards Complaints Investigator.
Note: The National Code investigator will ask for evidence that you have followed our procedure to attempt to resolve your complaint first.