Handling unacceptable behaviour

At Home Group, we are committed to making sure you feel heard, understood, and respected. This applies to all our services and everyday interactions with you. 

We support our colleagues to deliver a great service, and we are grateful that most customers treat our teams with kindness and respect. We also understand that difficult situations can sometimes cause people to act out of character. 

It's important to remember that our colleagues represent Home Group. The messages and decisions they communicate may not reflect their personal views. We support their right to work free from abuse, harassment, or unreasonable demands. 

We do not tolerate threatening, abusive, or violent behaviour towards our customer service team, colleagues, or contractors. 

Behaviour becomes unacceptable when it is so demanding or persistent that it places unreasonable pressure on us, or affects our ability to help others. 

Examples of unacceptable behaviour include: 

Violence or threats of violence, aggression, or verbal abuse 

• Offensive, discriminatory, derogatory, or patronising language 
• Serious but unsubstantiated allegations against individuals 

Excessive or unreasonable demands 

• Repeatedly demanding responses within unreasonable timeframes 
• Insisting on speaking to, or refusing to speak to, a specific staff member when not possible 
• Frequently changing complaint details or adding unrelated issues 

Persistent levels of contact while your enquiry is already being handled 

• Multiple phone calls in a short time 
• Excessive emails or letters about issues already in progress 

Being assertive or determined is not considered unacceptable. We encourage you to speak up if you're dissatisfied with our service. 

If we believe your behaviour is unreasonable or unacceptable, we may limit how we communicate with you or take further action. In serious cases, this could include legal action. For example, where behaviour amounts to harassment or breaches your tenancy or lease agreement. 

We always aim to resolve issues informally first; any formal actions will only be taken after careful consideration. A senior manager must authorise any restrictions. 

We’ll consider your personal circumstances, including any needs under the Equality Act 2010, and make reasonable adjustments where necessary. 

We will review any restrictions on contact or other actions at least every six months. 

If you disagree with any decision we make, you can appeal by making a complaint.

For more details, please read our person-centred service delivery policy.