If you'd like to raise a complaint, visit our complaints page.
Complaints performance: April – September 2023
For the first half of the year, there were 581 complaints. This is a significant number of complaints, reflecting dissatisfaction with our service. In turn, it puts increased pressure on service teams: specifically the Complaints Team, which manages an increased workload. In H2 2022-23 there were 478 complaints, so already we have experienced an increase of around 100 complaints for a similar period.
The table below sets out the breakdown of complaints handled at each stage. This shows that most are resolved at Stage 1. Most that escalate to Stage 2 are resolved without going to the Housing Ombudsman Service (HOS).
| April-June | July - September | Total | |
| Stage 1 | 191 | 264 | 455 |
| Stage 2 | 54 | 72 | 126 |
The table below sets out the reasons for complaints. Most relate to the repair service. Changes are currently being made to our data management system to break down the reasons for complaints, so we can focus on what improvements need to be made in each area.
| Business area | Stage 1 April-June |
Stage 2 April-June | Stage 1 July-Sep | Stage 2 July-Sep |
| Repairs | 138 | 34 | 198 | 57 |
| Housing | 21 | 10 | 23 | 5 |
| Planned Maintenance (gas compliance, gas repairs) | 3 | 1 | 18 | 1 |
| Estate Services | 24 | 6 | 18 | 6 |
| Payments | 3 | 2 | 7 | 0 |
| Homeowners | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Development/Shared Ownership | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
The main reasons for dissatisfaction at stage one are:
- The communication throughout the repairs process and not customers updated.
- The time taken to do a repair, the repair outstanding or not completed.
- A lack of case ownership of repair cases to make sure work's been completed, not updating customers and/or managing contractors.
The increase in complaints escalating from stage 1 to stage 2 remain as:
- Communication: Failure to keep customers informed of progress, driven by failures within the repair’s customer journey. Delays in responding to customers' communication, and no response from teams to update customers or internal colleagues to provide updates to customers.
- Ownership: A lack of case ownership of repair cases: not updating customers updated about delays and managing contractors. Customers often tell us work hasn’t been completed by contractors, rather than us managing contractors to make sure work is completed.
- Length of time: Customers remain dissatisfied with the time taken to complete work. Multiple surveyors or contractors are appointed and then changed, leading to delays.
Housing Ombudsman Service (HOS) update
The Housing Ombudsman is an independent body that reviews housing complaints. We work in line with their Complaint Handling Code, which sets out good practices so landlords can respond to complaints effectively and fairly. In April – September 2023 nine cases were escalated to the HOS for formal investigation, bringing our total to 13 live investigations. Of these, 8 relate to repairs, 2 ASB, 1 parking, 1 shared ownership and 1 communal maintenance.
From April 2024, the HOS had more powers under their Complaint Handling Code to make sure landlords comply. As part of this, they reviewed and strengthened the code. We took part in the consultation in November 2023.
We regularly complete a self-assessment against the Complaint Handling Code, to see how we’re performing. You'll find our most recent self-assessment here.
The Tenants' Champion
RHP meets formally with the Tenants' Champion, Cllr Paulina Vassileva every six months to review all Tenants’ Champion cases. We've held digital ‘round tables’ to discuss individual case-related matters and trend-led conversations. The Complaints Team are supported by relevant business owners to make sure Cllr Vasileva hears first-hand from the areas of the business that are driving contact to her office.