Working in housing puts professionals in a position of trust in relation to their customers, employers and the public who rely on them to make professional judgements. CIH has a responsibility to maintain professional standards in the sector and to ensure housing professionals are equipped to make effective decisions in challenging situations.
CIH’s professional standards, code of ethics and code of conduct provide a profession-wide shared view of the standards of ethical and professional behaviour that are expected of others working within housing and related sectors. All CIH members are required to adhere to these principles.
Professional conduct of CIH members is overseen by the CIH professional standards committee.
Principles
The CIH Professional Standards Committee is committed to upholding high professional standards while supporting members to learn, improve and remain within the profession wherever appropriate. In carrying out its functions, the Committee will ensure that all decisions are:
- Fair and proportionate – considering the circumstances of each case and the severity of the conduct identified
- Consistent and transparent – applying clear, evidence-based decision-making processes
- Focused on maintaining public confidence in the profession and the integrity of CIH
- Supportive of professional development and remediation – recognising that, where appropriate, members should be supported to address concerns and improve their practice
- Directed toward maintaining membership wherever possible – using proportionate interventions such as guidance, training, supervision, or conditions in place of exclusion, unless the seriousness of the matter requires otherwise
The Committee will seek, where appropriate, to resolve concerns at the earliest stage through constructive and proportionate measures, including advice, mediation, and supported improvement,
before progressing to formal or restrictive outcomes.
Exclusion from membership (including suspension or termination) will be used only where necessary to protect the public, maintain professional standards, and uphold confidence in CIH.
The Professional Standards Committee cannot investigate complaints about:
- Individuals who are not CIH members
- Organisations or employers which CIH members are employed by
- Housing providers, landlords, or housing associations
- Local authorities or housing services
- Tenancy disputes or service complaints (for example repairs, allocations, or evictions)
- Recruitment or job application decisions made by housing organisations
- Matters covered by general law (employment legislation, criminal activity, GDPR breaches, etc)
- Complaints which are currently being investigated as part of a disciplinary process by the member’s employer.
The Professional Standards Committee can undertake investigations into members where a breach of the CIH Code of Conduct is in the public domain
For example, if a CIH member is:
- Convicted of a criminal offence
- Found guilty of fraudulent activity or malpractice
- Removed from their employment/role due to unlawful, inappropriate, offensive, discriminatory or unethical behaviour
- The subject of media coverage following their breach of the code of conduct.
The Professional Standards Committee can investigate complaints against members in relation to a breach of the CIH Code of Conduct from another CIH member or member of the public
For example, if a CIH member breaches the principles and any of its sub-items listed in the CIH code of conduct.
- Act with integrity and respect
- Maintain professional competence
- Be responsible and accountable.
There are other organisations that may be able to assist a complainant in circumstances where the professional standards committee is unable to investigate.
- Citizens Advice - an independent organisation specialising in confidential information and advice to assist people with legal, debt, consumer, housing and other problems in the United Kingdom.
- GOV.UK - Help, advice and information about public services in England and Wales.
- Acas - Confidential, free advice for anyone who needs employment law or workplace advice.
- Protect - Free expert and confidential advice on how best to raise concerns and protection as a whistle-blower.
- England – Housing Ombudsman Service is a free, independent and impartial service for complaints about housing organisations, and dispute resolution involving the tenants and leaseholders of social landlords (housing associations and local authorities).
- Scotland – Scottish Public Services Ombudsman is the final stage for complaints about most public services in Scotland.
- Wales – Public Services Ombudsman to Wales is the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales.
- Northern Ireland – Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman offers free service to investigate unresolved complaints about public bodies in Northern Ireland.
- Ireland – Residential Tenancies Board is an independent public body that regulates Ireland’s rental sector.
In an emergency:
- Dial 999 for the police
- Contact the nearest hospital accident and emergency (A&E) department
If it is not an emergency:
How to submit a complaint about a CIH member
Before submitting a complaint, we would recommend you try to resolve your concerns directly first. This can be the quickest and best way to deal with a complaint or problem.
If your complaint does meet the criteria set out above, please follow these steps before submitting a complaint with CIH:
At CIH, membership is considered on an individual basis. You must be able to evidence a direct interaction with the member in question, where their conduct breaches the CIH Code of Conduct or falls short of its principles.
You must submit evidence of your complaint against an individual current CIH member: evidence is information that supports your complaint and demonstrates that the facts are true and can support your complaint; the evidence must be relevant to the complaint, and please ensure these are well organised (for instance, in chronological order).
Essential evidence to gather and submit with your complaint:
- Documentation: such as receipts, invoices, contracts, the outcome of a complaint process (example from the Housing Ombudsman Service)
- Correspondence: such as emails, letters, phone call records (including names, dates, and times).
- Visual/audio evidence: such as photographs, videos, screenshots.
Please note: We are unable to assist with complaints against organisations: these should be addressed through the organisation’s complaints process. We will not be able to assist if you are unable to provide evidence. Personal accounts of an issue cannot be admitted as evidence.
Please note: CIH can only investigate complaints about the professional conduct of a current individual CIH member in relation to a breach of the CIH code of conduct that meets the criteria set out above.
Any form of malicious complaint is subject to be investigated as a breach of the code of conduct and disciplinary action.
Please note: CIH will not investigate complaints where no form or evidence has been submitted.
Please use our online form:
For full information about outcomes, actions and timings, please download the complaints guide.
Working together and respectful communication
Being involved in a complaint can be a frustrating and sometimes emotional process. However, we ask everyone engaging with us to communicate in a respectful and constructive way, so that we can carry out our work fairly, effectively, and efficiently.
In line with the CIH Code of Conduct, we operate a zero-tolerance approach to unacceptable behaviour directed at our staff. This helps ensure that complaints can be handled fairly and effectively, while safeguarding the wellbeing of everyone involved in the process.
While we understand that people may feel strongly about the issues raised, behaviour that is abusive, threatening, or disruptive will not be accepted.
Unacceptable behaviour may include:
- Abusive, insulting, offensive, or discriminatory language
- Threats of violence or harm
- Harassment, intimidation, or personal attacks
- Repeated or excessive contact that disrupts the handling of a complaint
- Refusal to engage constructively with the complaints process
- Refusal to provide the details or evidence required to investigate a complaint
- Persistent or unreasonable challenges to the complaints process, including its scope under the CIH Code of Conduct.
Where behaviour is considered unacceptable, we may issue a warning, place reasonable limits on methods of contact, or, in some cases, restrict or end further engagement.
Members who have been found to have breached the CIH Code of Conduct have the right to lodge an appeal based on the following specific circumstances:
- You have new facts or evidence that were not available to you during the investigation stage, and which may be relevant for the original decision; or
- You are challenging the facts or evidence on which the Professional Standards Committee relied when making their decision, as inaccurate
Please note, we will not be able to review the professional standards committee’s decision simply because you disagree with the decision made on the original evidence presented.
The appeal must be lodged in writing within two weeks of receiving notification of the outcome of the complaint, attaching the new facts or evidence, explaining how these should change the original decision. Appeals will be considered by nominated members of the CIH Governing Board, the outcome of this investigation will be communicated within 60 working days. Should it take longer due to the complexity of the case, this will be communicated to the member.
Except in exceptional circumstances, when we deal with a complaint, we are committed to protecting the confidentiality and reputation of both sides as far as possible. We disclose a complaint only if it reaches a professional standards committee hearing, with information only disclosed if necessary to properly investigate the matter, and in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018. We ask that both you and the member have the same respect for confidentiality.
In the event of finding that there has been a breach of the code of conduct, CIH reserves the right to give publicity to the breach, and any subsequent disciplinary actions, in the interests of CIH and the public, always in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018.
Being involved in a complaint can be very difficult; for further support you can reach out to:
- Citizens Advice is an independent organisation specialising in confidential information and advice to assist people with legal, debt, consumer, housing and other problems
- For England and Wales: Citizen’s Advice Bureau
- For Scotland: Citizen’s Advice Scotland
- For Northern Ireland: Citizen’s Advice Northern Ireland
- Employee assistance programme provided by own organisation
- Trade Union if affiliated.
