Member Responsible for Complaints (MRC)
The Ombudsman’s Complaint Handling Code requires landlords to appoint a Member Responsible for Complaints (MRC) on its governing body. The MRC plays a key role in complaints management by providing assurance to the governing body on the effectiveness of the landlord’s complaints process. This includes taking responsibility for overseeing complaint performance, analysing trends and outcomes, and presenting findings to the board or equivalent body.
On this page
- What is a Member Responsible for Complaints?
- Role on the governing body
- Why is there a requirement to have a Member Responsible for Complaints?
- Appointing a Member Responsible for Complaints
- Understanding the role
- A positive complaints culture
- Self-assessment and annual submissions
- Podcast with the Centre for Learning
- Landlord Learning Hub
What is a Member Responsible for Complaints?
A Member Responsible for Complaints (MRC) is a designated person on a landlord’s governing body who holds lead responsibility for overseeing complaints handling performance and ensuring accountability across the organisation.
An MRC plays a crucial role in ensuring that the landlord:
- handles complaints effectively and fairly
- learns from complaints to improve services
- maintains transparency and accountability in how complaints are managed
- supports a positive complaints culture within the organisaiton
Role on the governing body
The MRC’s role is to provide assurance to the governing body on the effectiveness of the complaints process, and present findings from analysis of complaint performance to the board or equivalent body. This includes scrutinising performance data to identify trends and themes and make recommendations to improve service delivery or review ineffective practice.
Ultimately, the MRC is responsible for driving a better service for residents and ensuring that learning from complaints informs decision making and business improvement across the organisation.
Why is there a requirement to have a Member Responsible for Complaints?
Under paragraph 9.5 of the Ombudsman’s Complaint Handling Code, landlords are required to appoint a member of the governing body to take lead responsibility for complaints and support a positive complaint handling culture.
The MRC plays a critical role for ensuring the governing body receives regular, meaningful information on complaint handling performance. This enables the board or governing body to gain insight into how effectively complaints are being managed and whether the organisation is learning from them. The MRC is also expected to seek assurance from operational teams that change is happening and that resident’s voices are being heard through the process.
Appointing a Member Responsible for Complaints
The Member Responsible for Complaints must be a member of the governing body:
- for housing associations, this would typically be a board member
- for local authorities, it would be a lead member or a Councillor who has oversight in the cabinet for housing
To remain impartial within the organisation, the MRC should not be involved in the operational or handling or reporting on complaints.
Landlords may choose to have more than one MRC in their organisation. For example:
- a senior executive may be appointed to oversee operational complaints
- a Board member may be designated to hold the organisation to account of complaints performance
We recognise the variety of landlord types within the Scheme. For some smaller landlords, we understand that it may not be possible to appoint someone who is separate from operational complaint handling. In this circumstance, we would ask that the appointed person (MRC) maintain objectivity between their day-to-day role and oversight of performance.
Understanding the role
Role expectations
The Code requires landlords to appoint a Member Responsible for Complaints on their governing body. To support landlords in meeting this requirement, we have developed a set of role expectations that outline the key responsibilities and behaviours expected of an MRC.
Understanding the role
Explore the frequently asked questions about the role of a Member Responsible for Complaints and how the role is positioned within an organisation.
Information and data
Look at the data and information required from complaints teams for the MRC to do their role and present findings to the board.
Guidance for governing bodies
This guidance supports landlords to strengthen the role of governing bodies in overseeing complaints performance and using complaint performance to improve services.
Please note, this guidance is currently under review and may be updated to reflect changes in the Complaint Handling Code.
A positive complaints culture
The MRC plays a key role in creating a culture where senior management regularly review issues and trends arising from complaint handling. This includes ensuring that themes or trends are identified, assessed, and reported to the governing body- particularly where they highlight potential systemic issues, serious risks, or policies and procedures that may be ineffective.
The role should promote a culture of cross-organisational and cross-department learning where operational teams collaborate with each other to ensure that learning from complaints leads to improved service delivery to residents.
How can the MRC drive a positive complaints culture?
This video explains how the Member Responsible for Complaints drives a positive complaint handling culture in its organisation.
Self-assessment and annual submissions
All member landlords are required to submit an annual submission demonstrating compliance with the Ombudsman’s Complaint Handling Code. As part of the annual submission, landlords must provide:
- a copy of its complaints policy
- a published self-assessment against the Code
- an annual complaints performance and service improvement report
- the governing body's response to its findings
MRC responsibilities in the self-assessment process
The MRC plays a key role in the self-assessment process. Their responsibilities may include:
- resident involvement: engaging with residents to gather evidence that supports the answers within the self-assessment
- board facilitation: leading or facilitating board discussion on the self-assessment findings
- accountability: ensuring that a self-assessment is completed at least once annually, or following any change in operating model
- reporting: providing an overview of findings on behalf of the governing body as part of the annual submission
How engaged in the self-assessment should the role be?
The video looks at the role of the Member Responsible for Complaints in the self-assessment process of the Complaint Handling Code.
Podcast with the Centre for Learning
Season 3 episode 3 – Member Responsible for Complaints
In this episode of our podcast series the Ombudsman’s Centre for Learning speak to Andrea Keenoy, Chief Operating Officer at the Housing Ombudsman.
They discuss the role of a Member Responsible for Complaints and the impact it can have on organisations. This episode provides valuable insights into how the MRC can influence complaint handling culture, drive service improvements, and ensure accountability at the governance level.
Landlord Learning Hub
Centre for Learning online platform
The Centre for Learning offers a dedicated landlord Learning Hub – a free resource to provide learning to help member landlords achieve excellence in complaint handling and promote a positive complaint culture.
When you sign up to the hub, please tell us your role within the organisation to receive access to training and events specific to your role.
Not signed up yet?
You’ll need to create an account to access the full range of resources. It’s quick, easy, and completely free for member landlords.