Purpose

To seek Cabinet approval of
the ‘Annual Complaints
Performance and Service Improvement’ Report for 2023/24. From
April 2024, as part of new legislation, Kirklees Council, as a
social housing landlord, must submit an annual complaints and
performance report to the Housing Ombudsman.
 
Note: submission deadline is
30th June 2024 for all landlords, however, the Ombudsman
accepts that the timing of local elections my cause issues for some
landlords. On 5th June, the Ombudsman agreed the
following in respect of Kirklees Council,
 

·      
The landlord to ensure the self- assessment and
annual complaints performance and improvement report (as it is) is
submitted to the Ombudsman by 30th June 2024. 

·      
The landlord’s governing body to review the
self-assessment and report at their meeting in July so there is
sufficient internal scrutiny of this information; and to provide
their response which the landlord will then need to submit to the
Ombudsman.

·      
If the governing body wants changes to be made to
the documents following review, this should be set out in the
response and the revised documents submitted alongside the
governing body’s response.
 
Engagement Process
 
The
Homes & Neighbourhoods’ Improvement Board (HNIB) will be
briefed on the first Annual Complaints Performance and Service
Improvement Report on 17th June 2024.
 
The
Council’s Tenant-Led Panel (TLP) will be briefed at the
Panel’s meeting on 26th June 2024. In addition,
the TLP receive quarterly performance reports on complaints
handling throughout the year.
 
Consultation
 
Under the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023, the Housing
Ombudsman’s Complaint Handling Code (‘Code’)
became statutory from 1st April and places a legal duty
on the council, as a social landlord, to comply with the Code and a
duty on the Ombudsman to monitor compliance. Under the new
legislation, the council is required to produce an annual complaint
performance and service improvement report including a
self-assessment.
 
Landlords must ensure that this has
been reported to the council’s governing body and published
on the section of the website relating to complaints.
 When publishing the
self-assessment as part of the annual report, the council must
include the governing body’s response to the report to
provide assurance that the self-assessment is a true reflection of
the council’s complaint handling. ?The response should set
out how the Member Responsible for Complaints (MRC), Portfolio
Holder, Corporate and Housing, has scrutinised and challenged the
self-assessment and how any risks identified as part of the review
have been addressed.
 

Content

RESOLVED
–
 
1)   
That it be noted the draft Annual Complaints
Performance and Service Improvement Report 2023/24, and
self-assessment was submitted by 30th June 2024.
2)   
That the draft Annual Complaints Performance and
Service Improvement Report 2023/24, which includes the
self-assessment against the Code, be noted.

3)   
That the self-assessment against the Code was an
accurate reflection of the Council’s position and that the
areas in which the Council had fallen short, namely
‘reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act 2010’
was noted and, that plans to rectify this were in place and being
progressed.
4)   
That approval be given to publish the final report
including Cabinet’s response and the self-assessment, on the
Council’s website, post submission.