First Independent Reviewer of Service Complaints appointed

The Housing Ombudsman has appointed Adam Sampson as its first Independent Reviewer of Service Complaints. He will support the Ombudsman in learning from complaints about our service to continually improve our performance.

Adam brings a wealth of knowledge and understanding to the new role having been CEO of Shelter for seven years as well as experience within the Ombudsman sector. He set up both the Prisons Ombudsman and the Legal Ombudsman, where he was Chief Legal Ombudsman.

We reported a strong performance in our 2019-20 Annual Report and Accounts, including reaching the six-month target on determinations for the first time. We have also delivered much greater transparency during 2020-21 with the publication of both landlord performance data and our decisions.

Adam said: “I am delighted to be joining the Housing Ombudsman as its first Independent Reviewer of Service Complaints. Having spent seven years running Shelter, I am passionate about ensuring that people get the service from housing providers that they deserve. And having run Ombudsman services, I know all too well how important it is for Ombudsman schemes to treat complainants and providers with fairness, tact and efficiency. I know that Richard and his team are committed to doing just that and I’m really excited about helping them in any way I can.”

Richard Blakeway, Housing Ombudsman, said: “I am absolutely delighted Adam is joining as our first Independent Reviewer of Service Complaints. His rich experience as both an Ombudsman and of housing will bring tremendous value to the role. As an Ombudsman, we focus on quality and service and it is important we model the service we expect in others. Learning from our complaints is something we continuously do. Adam’s independent, rigorous and transparent approach will support us with that.”

Housing Ombudsman starts publishing its investigation reports on individual cases

We have today started publishing all decisions on cases investigated, a major step in increasing our transparency.

Decisions will now be published every two weeks, providing an ever-expanding resource to promote learning in the sector and demonstrate the difference complaints can make for individual residents and wider benefit.

The first cases published highlight a wide range of issues we consider, including Right to Buy, moving home, repairs and anti-social behaviour, as well as the type of outcomes following our investigations. The landlord in each case is identified.

Highlights of the first group of decisions to be published are:

• A finding of maladministration (service failure) where Metropolitan Housing Trust failed to do enough or act quickly enough to address the anti-social behaviour issues reported, including noise nuisance (201905797).
• A Notting Hill Genesis case about the accuracy of information provided to a resident concerning their Right to Buy where we reached an agreed settlement of £500 compensation through our mediation process (201809422).
• A Stockport Homes case where we found there was no evidence that the landlord was required to reimburse a resident for improvements at a previous property and any alterations needed at the new property should be determined by an occupational therapy assessment (202002678).
• A finding of reasonable redress in a London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham case about repairs where the landlord took steps to acknowledge its failures in relation to delays and offered compensation which we found satisfactory (202003176).
• A complaint about an application to move property where we found no maladministration in how Thirteen Housing dealt with the resident’s application but service failure in how it handled her complaint due to delayed responses and poor record keeping (201910486).

Richard Blakeway, Housing Ombudsman, said: “This is a crucial step towards greater transparency, accountability and demonstrating the difference complaints can make. The cases published today show the wide range of issues we handle, and the different outcomes we reach, investigating in an independent, fair and impartial way.

“Our investigations are a critical tool for learning. Our casebook provides essential knowledge, helping landlords to improve performance and services. I would encourage landlord staff – whether a board member or frontline staff – and anyone who cares about achieving excellence to regularly consult our casebook to develop their organisation and improve the experiences of residents.

“The publication of our investigations is also important to help residents to understand our work and see the decisions we make about their landlord.”

All decisions published