Analysis of our complaint data

Complaint volumes  

Our complaint statistics show us that we have had a 21% growth in complaints from 2022/23 to 2023/24. This is expected, given the following:

• Publicising complaints with posters and leaflets  

• Housing Ombudsman raising awareness through press and publications.  

• Advertisement campaigns on housing complaints by the Government  

• Internal awareness of following the complaints process  

• Increase in properties we manage

The rate of complaints per 1,000 properties is three times higher than the sector median. The Housing Ombudsman Complaint Handling Code states:

“3.3 High volumes of complaints must not be seen as a negative, as they can be indicative of a well-publicised and accessible complaints process. Low complaint volumes are potentially a sign that residents are unable to complain.”  

We are satisfied that our complaint process is well advertised and accessible. This was also positively mentioned in the feedback from the Housing Diversity Network when we received accreditation in February 2024.   

In our planned improvements for next year, we show how we will be improving our trend data collection with complaints, which will help us to reduce repeat complaints.   

Complaint decisions  

There continues to be a high number of complaints being upheld at both Stage 1 and Stage 2:   

• Stage 1 complaints upheld: 76.70%

• Stage 2 complaints upheld: 77.56% 

Early analysis of this shows that if we improve the performance in line with our service standards, then we could reduce the number of complaints that are upheld. For example:

• Complete repairs / ASB cases / damp & mould cases, within expected timescales  

• Lower our call abandonment rate and time taken to respond to emails  

• Improve communication with customers and keep them updated  

Complaints received from property type  

The proportion of complaints from our Low-cost home ownership and rental accommodation is consistent with the portion of stock in our portfolio.

Complaint Categories  

The table above shows a breakdown of complaint categories. The data is calculated based on the teams that the complaint handlers belong to. The complaint is allocated to the complaint handler in the service that we initially perceive the complaint to be about. Whilst on the surface it may look like a complaint for one team, often the failures that caused the complaint may originate from another team.   

For example, we receive a complaint about the wrong operative attending a job. This may appear to be a complaint about repairs, but it was the customer team who incorrectly booked the job to a different operative.   

Our complaint team deal with ‘quick resolution’ complaints. These are complaints are low level complaints, often with one complaint point and low risk. Whilst the below table shows complaints as one of the highest areas complained about, this is mostly due to the quick resolution complaints the team complete for other services.  

Our repairs service receives the highest volume of complaints, closely followed by our estate teams. This is consistent with the industry as shown by the Housing Ombudsman in their annual reporting.   

We recognise that housing for older people (sheltered housing) and supported housing (Foyers) have lower volumes of complaints. We will be looking at using customer engagement to identify whether our complaint process is as accessible to those customer groups, in 2024-25.    

Whilst the below does give us a good indication of where our highest proportion of complaints are, it is not as accurate as we would like. As such we will be working with our ICT team to develop new ways of categorising complaints more effectively in 2024-25.