Complaints about Sanctuary Housing on Facebook
December 5, 2014 16 Comments
“Stand your ground with them and don’t let them bully you.”
“Obviously if they have the money to build lots of brand new houses why the bloody hell can’t they maintain the ones they’ve got?”
“Sanctuary Housing left me without a boiler for 12 weeks in the height of winter.”“The houses all seem to have the same issues……cold, mould, crap inadequate windows yet told constantly its the tenant’s fault… it’s the only place I’ve ever lived where we’ve had this!!!!! They shouldn’t be allowed to get away with this.” “Your tenant’s handbook is king…. read it and use their own words to hang them…. put in the time to look up your rights and hit them with the contract you signed and they are contracted to deliver.” “One of the guys told me their housing surveyors are useless, they have no training or experience to say whether certain jobs need doing.” “Profit made is put in to new houses so their stock grows as well as the rent income. … they let all properties fall to disrepair and hope you do your own repairs…. you’re just the cash cows to make them bigger and the government throw even more of your taxes to them … to add insult to injury.” “One of their workers told me he was leaving because even the staff get treated like crap!” “If you miss the rent by a couple of days they are on your back wanting to know why. Sanctuary sucks, they are shit at everything, they want exposing in the newspapers, and I intend to do just that if need be.”
To any Sanctuary Housing and Sanctuary Group employees who may be reading
There’s around 11,000 of you I believe – does none of this bother you? I know Sanctuary does SOME good or even great work (I’ve worked in supported housing, care and related fields myself, so have some idea of the problems) but something is badly wrong. Comments welcome.
Facebook groups and pages for discussion, information and practical help – run by tenants and others who have suffered appalling and often illegal treatment from Sanctuary – YOU ARE NOT ALONE!
Sanctuary Housing Independent Complaints Group – Countrywide
Also
Sanctuary Housing Banbury residents group
Or alternatively…
-
Steve Stann But do they let anyone on who thinks Sanctuary is a totally crap Landlord?-
Sanctuary Housing Hi Steve Stann, I’m afraid the closing date for applications was 30 November, but keep an eye out for future vacancies.
-
About Tim
The Tim Burness Blog 
All true what is said about Sanctuary and the bullying is happening to nice decent people who work for them as well. HR sweep things under the carpet and let decent staff down. They have had so many cases of constructive dismal on the grounds of bullying by senior female staff at head office
I am a Sanctuary tenant living on the Parr Close Housing estate. In 2014, The residents on the estate had to put up with anti social behaviour where drug dealers were selling to youngsters living on the estate. This can be confirmed by residents and by contacting the sanctuary office located in wood green. It took Sanctuary estate housing officers server months before anything was done. Now we have prostitutes on the estate soliciting. I was approached last night by a male stranger offering me money for sex. Please could you advice me what to do because I am petrified living on the Parr Close Estate and Sanctuary doesn’t seems to proactive in dealing with the problem.
Further to Tims advice have a look at both shelter.org.uk and citizenadvice.org.uk as both have pages on their sites that deal with anti-social problems.
Sanctuary Housing Association have a legal obligation to investigate and act on your concerns with the help of other agencies like the Police and your local council if needed.
If they fail to do so you may have the right to be re-housed with another HA, but don’t quote me on that.
Hi Kelly, As you may have already realized, the word “proactive” is often only relevant to Sanctuary when they are collecting their tax-free money from tenants. Have you had any contact with the police? I’m guessing you have and guessing that they weren’t very helpful?
My general advice to people with serious Sanctuary problems (of all kinds) is:- Whatever you have done so far, COMPLAIN HARDER and AIM HIGHER and KEEP AT IT. Also get really hot on the case with documentation, times, dates, photographic evidence etc.
If you haven’t already done so, and you have the time, you could browse through some of the earlier blogs here (especially the comments on “Are Sanctuary Housing Above The Law”) you’ll find plenty of specific suggestions e.g. contact local council, MP, local newspapers right up to writing to government departments – contacts for them can be found on “Sanctuary Housing Association Complaints – Taking It Further” blog.
Anyone trying to complain about Sanctuary (and other mega-large housing associations who just don’t seem to care) can often feel they are banging their head against a very thick brick wall. An increasing number of people are getting practical support from the countrywide complaints facebook group, link above.
I hope some of this helps, Kelly – good luck! Any other advice from anyone is welcome here.
I worked for Sanctuary for a number of years and found unless you was a no man, yes man person who brown nosed to the right people ( Higher management) It was very difficult to progress in the company. I had and other colleagues had been for so many Internal vacancies and had such good feedbacks on the interviews but did not every get any of the roles I went for. The situations was as word got round instead of selecting the right candidate fairly the persons name was already on job that they wanted. So realistically you had no chance of getting the job no matter how well you done at the Interview. So Investors in people is just a front because they only develop and help people they want to and bully and undermine so many good people who would like to commit to the company and be treated fairly. Staff council were a waste of time as they are just a management tool used by managers and HR to find out what is happening and what people are complaining about etc. I cannot believe it is still happening and the bullying and discrimination against internal staff is still happening I have heard. I am so glad I left and got a job somewhere else were the staff are appreciated and I have had no problems getting to develop with such a caring company that make the staff feel they matter. I was not the only one who decided to leave this uncaring hypercritical organisation and cut ties with sanctuary. I feel so sorry for people who are still there and are still trying.
Hi anybody, thanks for posting. Good to hear you’ve found a better company to work for, nice one.
Does anyone involved with Sanctuary’s management have a conscience?
Where are the Sanctuary whistleblowers?
I am experiencing something very similar at Sanctuary, I have been going through hell since I started and rather than support me with some of the inherent culture and staff issues, I am being scapegoated. From raising a grievance I am ironically now under investigation…… Interesting.
This comment about how you have moved on, gives me hope.
Thank you for sharing this.
Hi iMatter
I so sorry hear about what you are currently going through and fully appreciate and understand what you are experiencing. I had a similar incident were it was made was out in my yearly appraisal I was under performing as they made out they had complaints about my work because I had gone to HR/ staff council because my managers were not helping me to progress in the company. ( Funny how this was never bought to my attention in 121 meetings and no proof, just told not going to mention names) Interestingly thou all my previous appraisals in the many years of being with Sanctuary had been excellent. Yet there were other people who had not been with the department not that long quickly progressed on.
My advise to you would be to document everything and make sure meetings with HR are not been recorded without you being aware as they will bring a mobile phone with them to meetings. ( strange that is ) Please stay strong and speak to citizen advise and only trust people you now you can as people are so keen to get on they will tell management what has been heard or said.
Remember your not the only one and there have been so many people who had similar experiences and probably still are going through the same as you.
The job market has really picked up so look for somewhere you can use your brilliant skills for a fresh start and good luck.
Wow surprise surprise a little birdy tells me Sanctuary Housing are making redundancies!!!
Redundancies at Sanctuary head office in Worcester. it is quite unbelievable that a company that made so much money in the last financial year is asking for voluntary redundancies. the strange thing is that they have so many temporary people still working with on going contracts using the new SAP system!!! This looks like a way to get rid of staff they do not want no more because maybe they don,t conform to Sanctuary,s underhanded way of working and the way they treat staff 😦
My name is Josh Watkins and I live on Solomon Avenue in Enfield. I am the son of a Sanctuary tenant. Anyway after three years my mother and I are still being bullied by our neighbour who lives above us. Her children, I say children more like something else… Run through every room in the house stomping their feet in the process. Now you’re probably thinking, hey, no big deal what’s the problem? Well you see, the place we live in the walls are thin that even the slightest noise can he heard. The noise is loud, deliberate and unnecessary. It usually starts at 7 in the morning and finishes around 12 at night.
We have contacted Sanctuary Housing who, haven’t done much to solve the situation. They have had evidence of our neighbour’s actions since last year November. Our Housing manager, who’s name I won’t reveal has said carpet will be put down and we will move you else where. This was in April 2015 and now we are in July 2015 still getting the banging above our heads. My mother and I are walking around like zombies due to the lack of sleep. We haven’t used our sitting room in three years because of it. My mother and I practically live in our bedrooms because of the noise. Recently the children have been running through every room in the house now :/.
I’ve spoken to the neighbour and she has told me “What can I do?” We’ve had meetings with Sanctuary managers who of course suggested mediation which we did do. Still nothing is happening. We was supposed to go to court and that isn’t happening now.
The local MP couldn’t help us. Sanctuary managers have failed to help us also. All I would like is some peace and quiet but the noise is ridiculous and to have been going on for THREE years, almost four it is absolutely ridiculous.
Here’s an example of the noise my neighbour has made
We was tenants of santuary housing 8months ago and left the property in exactly the condition it was given to us. Not brilliant but ok. We have just received a invoice for repairs on damages we didn’t even know about. A burn mark on the kitchen work unit. That was there when we moved in. Apparently a damaged window. When no windows were damaged when we left. Rubish left in an outside outhouse. Of which was empty when we left and has no lock on it. For all this which isn’t true. £500.00. I phoned them to complain and all they said was we did it. And they will send me the photos. I have spina Bifida and my wife did all the cleaning on the day we left she is always perfect when it comes to cleaning and checking things are right. And we left that house in a better condition than when we moved in.
Head of shared services
Good news for all present or current staff of Sanctuary Beth Foster is leaving, Sanctuary have finally seen the light and woke up to the fact she is useless and could not have done the job without all the intense help support she had to do the job. Another corporate bully who favoured apprentice staff ( especially male members) Not one to listen and help you develop or listen to problems en-counted by senior management ( Sweep it under the carpet and pretend all was fine in the department) plenty like her probably still there and one of the worst companies to work for in mine and others experience I know who have had to deal with this kind of behaviour. Investor in people is a joke and a front for bullying etc that happens behind closed doors ( fort Knox)
The following facebook group has been very active over the last 9 months or so, it now has 500 members. Plenty of support available there, endless ideas for how to TAKE ACTION. Run by tenants for tenants who have suffered at the hands of Sanctuary.
Sanctuary Housing Independent Complaints Group – Countrywide https://www.facebook.com/groups/1409393152675378/
Can anyone at Sanctuary explain how they are still asking for voluntary redundancies till end of November but still advertising for staff in their service charge team !!! How about letting the people on short term contracts go first ? Hmm shows they have no union to support staff instead of the useless staff council like Hayley Warner !!