North Yorkshire

Choice Based Lettings Partnership

Right of Review

‘To provide increased choice in housing to residents in North Yorkshire and help to create sustainable, mixed communities where people choose to live.’

Aug 2014 v1

Right of Review - Review Panel Process

Right of Review

Under the North Yorkshire Homechoice (NYHC) Common Allocation Policy applicants have a right of review in respect of a decision regarding their application.

A review is when you feel the NYHC policy has been applied incorrectly resulting in an incorrect decision being made about your Home Choice application, including

 Access to the register, by either eligibility or qualification  Banding  Allocation of a property  Cancelled application

For clarification:

A complaint, is when you feel that you have not received an acceptable service. eg your phone calls have not been returned. If you believe this has occurred and you want to take further action you should contact the partner landlord dealing with your application and follow their complaints procedure. See Appendix 1 for contact details of our partner landlords. This right of review does not apply to complaints.

First review by Partner Landlord / Participating Landlord

Any applicant who disagrees with a decision in relation to the NYHC policy should in the first instance, contact the partner landlord who made the decision and request a first review. The first review will be carried out by an officer of senior rank to the person that made the original decision and who will have had no previous involvement. Each partner will follow their internal procedures in respect of the first review.

Applicants will be informed of the review decision by letter and advised, should they remain dissatisfied, they have a further right of review, by the NYHC Right of Review Panel. Requests for a further review must be received, in writing, within 21 days.

When requesting a second review applicants will be given the opportunity to provide information on any relevant developments since the original decision was made for consideration.

Second Review by Right of Review Panel

On receipt of a request for a second review, the partner landlord will forward a file of all relevant documentation to the NYHC Co-ordinator who will administer the review.

The right of review panel will undertake a paper hearing but at their discretion can arrange to speak to, meet with or invite the applicant to attend a panel review. .

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The panel will have 56 days to reply to the NYHC Co-ordinator, Partner Landlord and Local Authority with an outcome and any recommendations. The applicant will be notified of any extension to this deadline and the reason for this.

The NYHC Co-ordinator will record the outcome and recommendations report and the Partner Landlord will have 7 days to notify the applicant. The applicant will receive a copy of the Outcome & Recommendation report.

If the applicant is not satisfied with the outcome they can seek a judicial review or take their case to the Local Government Ombudsman.

Composition of the Review Panel

The right of review panel is comprised of representatives, who are either senior officers or appropriate specialists from the partner landlords listed in appendix 1.

The review will be undertaken by a minimum of one representative who will have had no direct involvement in the application being reviewed

The Role of the NYHC Co-ordinator

The NYHC Co-ordinator will acknowledge, by letter, to the applicant receipt of the file, administer the request, arrange the review panel and record and monitor all second review cases and report to the NYHC Board on a quarterly basis.

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Appendix 1 Partner Landlord Contacts

City of York Council Scarborough Borough Council West Offices Town Hall Station Rise St Nicholas Street YORK SCARBOROUGH YO1 6GA YO11 2HG Phone: 01904 551550 Phone: 01723 232323 E mail: [email protected] Email: [email protected]

Selby District Council Hambleton District Council Civic Centre Civic Centre Doncaster Road Stone Cross SELBY NORTHALLERTON YO8 9FT DL6 2UU Phone: 01757 705101 Phone: 0845 1211555 E mail: [email protected] E mail: [email protected]

Craven District Council Richmondshire District Council 1 Belle Vue Square, Mercury House Broughton Road Station Road SKIPTON RICHMOND BD23 1FJ DL10 4JX Phone: 01756 700600 Tel 01748 829100 E mail: [email protected] Email: [email protected]

Ryedale District Council Yorkshire Coast Homes Ryedale House Brook House MALTON 4 Gladstone Road YO17 7HH SCARBOROUGH Phone: 01653 600666 Phone: 0345 065 56 56 E mail: [email protected] E mail: [email protected]

Broadacres Housing Association Yorkshire Housing Broadacres House Dyson Chambers Mount View 12-14 Briggate Standard Way LEEDS NORTHALLERTON LS1 6ER DL6 2YD Phone 0345 366 4404 Phone: 01609 767900 E mail: [email protected] E mail [email protected]

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