Compliments and Complaints

The New Housing Ombudsman Complaint Handling Code Self-Assessment

The Housing Ombudsman (HO) introduced the Complaints Handling Code in July 2020 which sets out good practice for landlords to deal with complaints effectively and fairly. Social landlords have had to meet the obligations within the ombudsman’s code since it was introduced three years ago.  

 In October 2023, the Housing Ombudsman Service consulted on their Complaint Handling Code as part of the Social Housing Regulation Act. Following the consultation, the Housing Ombudsman Service introduced the revised Complaint Handling Code. The Code provides a set of standards for complaint procedures that housing providers are required to comply with.   

 The Code became statutory on 1st April and places a legal duty on the Ombudsman to monitor whether housing associations comply with the Code. The new Complaint Handling Code helps empower residents who wish to complain. It sets out the statutory requirements for landlords to respond to complaints effectively and fairly. 

 For residents the Code explains their rights and what can be expected when a complaint is made to a landlord. It also gives information on making and progressing a complaint.  

 For a landlord, like MHA complying with the Code is a legal requirement and where a landlord does not comply with the code, they could be issued with a complaint handling failure order. 

 Much of the new Code remains unchanged but there are some notable differences. 

• From April 2024 onwards, landlords will need to submit their self-assessment annually to the HO at the same time as they submit their Tenant Satisfaction Measures (‘TSMs’).  

• For landlords with over 1,000 homes this needs to be completed by 30 June 2024. 

• Residents must be able to easily access the self-assessment so it must be published on their websites. 

 Compliance will be monitored by ensuring that landlords: 

• Have scrutinised and challenged its compliance with the Code, complaints handling performance and learning from complaints and published the outcomes on its website. 

• Complies with the Code in its Complaints Policy, and that any deviations are explained and are reasonable.  

• Complies with the Code in practice. 

Have a board member who is the Member Representing Complaints (‘the MRC’). 

 This Code acts as a guide for residents setting out what they can and should expect from their landlord when they make a complaint and provides the complainant with information about how to make a complaint and how to progress it through the landlord’s internal complaints procedure. 

 Chairs Statement  

I can confirm on behalf of the Board members and the Customer Experience Committee of Manningham Housing Association, that members review, scrutinise, and monitor the performance of the association based on the compliments and complaints and the service improvement reports presented on a quarterly basis. The reports give board and committee members assurance that the Association is meeting both its statutory and regulatory responsibilities in relation to property condition and decency standards.  

Board members of MHA reviewed at the 22 May 2024 Board meeting the self-assessment against the Housing Ombudsman Complaints Handing Code.  Members are assured that the Association complies with the Code and that complaints received from tenants are dealt with in accordance with the Code. 

Click on the link below to read the full document:

How will you handle my complaint?

Stage 1

When we receive a complaint, we will:

• Let you know within 2 working days that we have received it.
• Tell you the name of the person who is dealing with the matter.
• Contact you to discuss your complaint within 3 working days of the complaint being received.
• Write to you within ten working days of the complaint being received to explain our findings. We will also tell you what action we will take if any.

You can watch this video for more details:

Stage 2

If you are unhappy with the outcome of stage 1 you have the option to escalate this to stage 2.

We will then:

• Acknowledge that we have received your complaint within 5 working days
• Set up a Complaints Panel meeting within 15 working days of your request to appeal the outcome of stage one. The Panel will consist of two customers who are members of the Customer Experience Committee/Panel and normally a member of the Senior Management Team.
• Advise you about the Complaints Panel.
• Give you the chance, at the Panel to present your case. You can bring an advocate, such as a relative along with you. We only ask that any advocate is not acting in a legal capacity. The Panel will hear the case and ask you questions.
• Advise you within 5 working days of the Panel decision, subject to any further investigation being required.

How can I take my complaint further?

If you remain dissatisfied following our internal two-stage process you can contact the Housing Ombudsman Service if you want to take your complaint further. The Ombudsman is an independent organisation that deals with disputes between tenants, service users and their landlords. They would expect you to have followed the two stages in our complaints procedure before contacting them.

The Housing Ombudsman address is:

Housing Ombudsman Service
PO BOX 152
Liverpool L33 7WP
Telephone : 0300 111 3000
(lines are open Monday to Friday from 9:15 to 17:15)
Email: info@housing-ombudsman.org.uk

What will you do differently because of my feedback?

We will consider all complaints and compliments and decide how we can improve our services. We will let you know what changes we are making through our “Feedback” newsletter and through our website.

Reports will also be made to the Manningham Board and to the Customer Panel with recommendations for any improvements.

Please share your view with us. We are committed to providing excellent services for all our customers and we like to hear from you how we are doing.

If you think we have got it right please tell us what we have done to make you a happy customer by sending us a compliment in the form below.

If we have failed to do something for you or correctly, have not been helpful and courteous to you, have given you wrong information or have treated you unfairly then you should contact us to let us know so we can put it right and ensure it doesn’t happen again.

A request for a service, such as a request for a repair is, however, not a complaint. This would only become a complaint if we failed to deal with it properly.