Our compliance with the Housing Ombudsman Complaint Handling report 2026
This report seeks approval and comments from Overview & Scrutiny and Cabinet Members regarding complaint handling for their social housing stock in line with the Housing Ombudsman Complaint Handling Code.
From 1 April 2024 the Housing Ombudsman Complaint Handling Code became statutory. Landlords are obliged by law to follow its requirements. There will be a legal duty placed on the Ombudsman to monitor compliance with the Code.
The proposal in this report is to ensure that we achieve best practice in complaint handling and ultimately provide a better service to tenants.
The reasons for the proposal and the need for the Members to provide comments is to demonstrate to the Housing Ombudsman that we are operating our Complaints Handling in line with their Code
1. That the Overview & Scrutiny Committee note the content of the report and make any recommendation to Cabinet.
2. That the Overview & Scrutiny Committee provide comments to Cabinet to consider for its response as the Governing Body, in relation to the Self-Assessment Report 2025 (Appendix 1), which will be published on the Council’s website as part of the new statutory requirement and submitted to the Housing Ombudsman.
3. Members responses demonstrate that they have had sight of the annual complaint report together with the self-assessment. That Members are assured that the self-assessment reflects the landlord’s complaint handling practice.
4. That this report is added as an agenda item going forward for Cabinet every August.
Appendix 1: Self-assessment 2025
Appendix 2: Complaints Policy