Ombudsman stresses importance of complaints in challenging times as 22 complaint handling failure orders issued
8 September 2022
We issued 22 complaint handling failure orders in the first quarter of 2022-23, April to June 2022. In 17 cases, landlords complied with the orders and there were five cases of non-compliance.
The Ombudsman issued 22 complaint handling failure orders in the first quarter of 2022-23, April to June 2022. In 17 cases, landlords complied with the orders and there were five cases of non-compliance.
The quarterly report names the landlords and shows that orders were issued to 19 landlords over the three month period, made up of eight councils, ten housing associations and one housing co-op.
The purpose of complaint handling failure orders is to ensure that a landlord’s complaint handling process is accessible, consistent and enables the timely progression of complaints for residents, as set out in the Ombudsman’s Complaint Handling Code. The orders should also help landlords identify where their complaints procedure may need to be strengthened in line with the Code.
By 1 October 2022, all landlords should have self-assessed against the Code and published it on their websites. They are then required to do it on an annual basis.
Richard Blakeway, Housing Ombudsman, said: “We know there are immense financial pressures on landlords, but it is crucial that we don’t see a deterioration in complaint handling services. In fact, challenging times mean complaints and their insight are increasingly important to help maintain effective service areas.
“It’s vital for complaint teams to be respected and adequately resourced to deal with complaints effectively and ensure the landlord learns, improves and prevents service failure.
“No landlord should lose sight of the need to focus on effective complaint handling. More than 60 landlords have received complaint handling failure orders over the 18 months of these reports, some several times. Those landlords in particular need to ensure they are progressing complaints in a timely way and meeting our standards on complaint handling as set out in the Code.
“The deadline for landlords to meet the requirements of the revised Code is fast approaching. Landlords that have not yet carried out their self-assessment need to ensure they meet that date.”
The quarterly report also includes short case studies to illustrate how the orders work and the impact, including feedback from residents.