We’re pleased to launch the first in a new series of podcasts. The aim is to provide insight based on the cases we handle and the issues we see, and to share best practice on complaint handling.  

Over the last 18 months, landlords, residents and service providers have faced and risen to the many challenges presented by Covid-19. As the restrictions change this week, our first podcast reflects on those challenges with a focus on the three areas of repairs, delays and communication.  

Richard Blakeway, the Housing Ombudsman, introduces the podcast and is joined by Verity Richards, Head of Dispute Support, and Dave Simmons, Sector Engagement Lead. You can listen to our podcast below. 

We also welcome your feedback. Get in touch with us: enewsletter@housing-ombudsman.org.uk 

Since March 2021, we have published details of more than 400 individual decisions on cases we have investigated on our website. This ever-expanding resource increases our transparency to promote learning, fairness and accountability in the sector and demonstrate the difference complaints can make for individual residents and wider benefit.  

Cases published to date cover a range of issues we consider from repairs and anti-social behaviour to complaint handling as well as the type of outcomes following an investigation. Alongside findings of maladministration, this includes where we have found no maladministration or where something has gone wrong but we believe the redress provided by the landlord was appropriate. New decisions are published every two weeks and the landlord in each case is identified. 

We issued 23 complaint handling failure orders between April and June 2021, highlighting issues with progressing complaints and meeting our standards on complaint handling. Information on these is set out in our second quarterly report on failure orders which shows that in 17 cases the landlords complied and there were six cases of non-compliance. 

The report marks one year since the launch of our Complaint Handling Code, providing clear expectations on complaint handling by landlords in the Housing Ombudsman Scheme. It also introduced the new power to issue complaint handling failure orders where a landlord is failing to comply with its membership obligations. 

Alongside this latest report, we have also issued new guidance on the effective involvement of board members and councilors, who have an important role in promoting a positive complaints culture within their organisations.