What to do if you are not happy with a decision

If you are not happy with a decision we have made, you have the right to ask for a review.

The decisions include:

• not to accept your housing application,
• the band or priority date that you have been awarded,
• the suitability of a property you have been nominated for.

The first thing to do is to contact your local Home-Option team (click here for contact details of your local Home-Options team) to discuss your application. There may be information that has not been taken into consideration or your circumstances may have changed since you first applied.

If you have spoken to your local team and are still not satisfied, there is a formal review process you can use.

Stage One

Within fifteen working days of being informed of the decision, contact your local Home-Option team (click here for contact details of your local Home-Options team) and ask that a senior officer reviews your application. If there are circumstances that you want to be taken into account, then you may wish to send a letter, a email or explain them over the phone.

The senior officer has a further fifteen working days to review your application. They then must write to you (by letter or email) within another five working days to let you the outcome of the review.

Stage Two

If you are still dissatisfied with the decision after a review by the senior officer, then you can ask for a stage two review. You should do this within 15 working days of the outcome of the stage one review.

Contact your local Home-Option team (click here for contact details of your local Home-Options team) and ask for a stage two review.  

On receipt of a request for a stage two review, the Home-Options Co-ordinator (an officer employed by the Derbyshire and Staffordshire Moorlands Home-Options Partnership) will carry out a mandatory reconsideration of the decision to check if the policy has been applied correctly.

If, in the opinion of the Home-Options Co-ordinator, the policy has not been applied correctly, then the Home-Options Co-ordinator will make recommendations as to how matters can be rectified. If the policy has been correctly applied (or either the partner or the applicant do not agree with the recommendations), then the review will proceed to stage two.

A review panel made up of three officers from different Home-Options panel  will look again at your housing application and re-consider the decision. They have 15 working days to do this from the date you request your appeal, and then five more working days to write to you to let you know the outcome.

Again, if there circumstances that you want to be taken into account, then you may wish to send a letter, a email or explain them over the phone. You may also request an oral hearing where you meet with members of the review panel to explain why you think the decision should be changed.

If you are still dissatisfied after the stage two review, you can make a formal complaint to the partner dealing with your housing application.

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman

Ultimately, the applicant may appeal to The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, an independent body that investigates complaints about councils and other organisations providing a public service. The service is independent and free to use, but the Ombudsman will normally expect that applicants will use the full complaints procedure above before asking the Ombudsman to get involved.

More information about the Ombudsman can be found on the website: Link to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman's website - https://www.lgo.org.uk/.

For more details of the review process, please see the Home-Options allocations policy for your area.

Guidance on Using AI to Write Your Review Request

We have seen an increase in the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to draft review requests. While AI tools can be helpful to help you present your case, it can also cause its own problems because it can;

  • make mistakes or include incorrect information
  • exaggerate or overcomplicate issues
  • refer to the Home-Options policy or laws incorrectly
  • remove your personal voice
  • overlook important personal or individual circumstances.

These points can make a review more complicated and can cause delays to the process. Where possible, we prefer to hear from you directly, in your own words as clear, simple requests are easier for us to understand and respond to. If anything is unclear, we will contact you to make sure we understand the issue before the review is concluded.

  • If you choose to use AI to support you, please ensure you:
  • check that all information you supply is accurate and reflects your own experience
  • focus on your situation and the impact upon you
  • are aware you may be sharing personal information with external systems
  • keep the review clear, concise and focused on the issues you want us to consider
  • check AI has not added information or legal references that are inaccurate or not related to your review
  • advise if you have included AI generated, or altered, images or videos.