Purpose

Annual Complaints Performance and Service Improvement Report for 2025/26, including the Council’s self-assessment against the Housing Ombudsman Complaint Handling Code and associated policies for approval prior to submission to the Housing Ombudsman before the deadline of 30 September 2026 in line with the Section 8 of the Code.

Engagement and Consultation

The Tenant Led Panel receives quarterly performance reports for complaints, satisfaction and ombudsman cases on a quarterly basis. 

They play an important role in strengthening oversight of complaint handling by ensuring that tenants’ experiences directly inform how complaints are reviewed, responded to, and improved.

They consider feedback from complaints, satisfaction data, and wider engagement activity to understand key themes, recurring issues, and areas of service failure.

The Panel provides a tenant perspective to help shape improvements to complaint processes, policies, and outcomes, ensuring they are fair, accessible, and responsive to residents.

They also scrutinise performance by challenging trends in complaint handling, including timeliness, quality of responses, and learning from outcomes, and makes evidence-based recommendations to drive improvement.

By monitoring progress against agreed actions, the Panel ensures that learning from complaints leads to meaningful and sustained change, strengthening accountability and ensuring that tenant voice is embedded in both the review and ongoing improvement of complaint handling services.

The Tenant Led Panel were presented this report on the 24th June 2026 for their oversight and feedback was as follows:

  For the Annual Complaints Performance and Service Improvement Report and Self-Assessment (with associated policies):

  The panel advised they were happy with the report and policies presented. We felt reassured that the organisation is taking learning from the complaints and action is being taken in a much more timely manner. We feel that action is much more timely, and there is a real sense of energy and push to get things done. The panel would like to receive the Complaint Panel minutes as well as the timetable of improvements work to continue their oversight in this area. We have raised complaints as an ongoing issue and it is good to see the good work coming out from this now.

  Unreasonable behaviour policy:

  The panel expressed their support that this policy ensures that residents are treated fairly and consistently when behaviour becomes challenging. It helps prevent any individual’s actions from disproportionately impacting others’ access to services, while still ensuring that any measures taken are proportionate, sensitive to personal circumstances, and regularly reviewed. This balanced approach promotes fairness for all residents, protects staff, and supports constructive communication so the service can function effectively and equitably for everyone.

The Housing Ombudsman Service has advised or provided guidance on the Complaints Policy, the Redress Policy and the Unreasonable Behaviour Policy prior to being updated.

Background papers

Previous cabinet report relating to this decision

Decision

RESOLVED –

1)     That the Annual Complaints Performance and Service Improvement Report 2025/26 (Appendix A refers) be noted.

2)     That the annual self-assessment against the Housing Ombudsman Complaint Handling Code (Appendix B refers) be noted.

3)     That approval be given to the Unreasonable Behaviour Policy, Unreasonable Behaviour Standard Operating Procedure, Complaints Policy and Redress Policy (Appendices C to F refer).

4)     That authority be delegated to the Service Director (Homes and Neighbourhoods), in consultation with the relevant Cabinet Member, to make minor operational and legislative changes to the policy.

5)     That the contents of the IIA (para 3.5.2 refers) be noted.

6)     That the Cabinet Member and Cabinet file a response to the report and self- assessment (for inclusion within the Annual Complaint Performance and Service Improvement Report) before 11 September 2026, to support the submission before the regulatory deadline