The Homes and Neighbourhoods Policy Development Committee (PDC) met on Monday 1 September 2025 to discuss a Housing Needs Complaints Outcome Report, and to consider the Committee's work plan for the upcoming months. The meeting was also scheduled to include an update from the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

Housing Needs Complaints Outcome Report

The Homes and Neighbourhoods PDC were scheduled to discuss the Housing Needs Complaints Outcome Report, and agree on recommendations to put forward to a future Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

The report investigated ways to improve the quality of communications with residents about decisions relating to housing needs, with the aim of reducing the number of complaints received. According to the report, the primary goal is to improve residents' understanding of the reasons behind decisions, thereby reducing both the number of complaints and the administrative burden they create.

The Homes & Neighbourhoods Committee held three workshops on 1 July 2025, 15 July 2025 and 7 August 2025. Several themes emerged from these workshops:

• Taking all opportunities to inform the public
• Managing expectations
• Capturing all relevant information
• Making the public feel the council is on their side
• Being supportive to vulnerable clients
• Helping clients adapt to new situations
• Ensuring one main point of contact

Taking all opportunities to inform the public

The report pack stated that providing more and better information on processes and options, and being honest about likely outcomes, would improve the customer experience and assist people in their decision making.

To improve in this area, the council was scheduled to relaunch Home Truths: Phase Two in November 2025. This would involve 'bite-sized' videos explaining processes, and being honest about demand and options, to be embedded within key stages of the homelessness and housing applications.

The council was also scheduled to hold at least six stakeholder workshops per year from April 2026, to ensure consistent messaging from all partners and help manage expectations from the outset, as well as at least six resident workshops per year from April 2026, to ensure residents have a realistic expectation of likely outcomes, waiting times and options.

Managing expectations

The report pack stated that providing targeted information on processes and options would improve the customer experience and assist people in their decision making.

To improve in this area, the council was scheduled to relaunch Home Truths: Phase Two in November 2025. This would include specific bite-sized videos targeted at those at greatest risk of homelessness, or of greatest risk if homeless, incorporating an 'elearning' approach to ensure the key messages are understood. The council was also scheduled to update information on its website in November 2025, also incorporating the Home Truths: Phase Two videos.

Capturing all relevant information

The report pack stated that information regarding health needs, family structure, school requirements, and work location are already collected. It also noted that the vast majority of applicants are 'vulnerable' and/or 'complex', otherwise they wouldn't meet the criteria, and that where specific 'flags' are appropriate, these are already used. The report also stated that it is an applicant's responsibility to provide information when circumstances change, and that a distinction needs to be made between residents not being satisfied with the outcome of a decision and the customer service they have received.

To improve in this area, the council was scheduled to include 'myth-busting' messages in Home Truths: Phase Two in November 2025, such as why it may not be of benefit to have a 'higher' banding on the housing register¹. The council was also scheduled to run a member workshop in October 2025 to ensure councillors are better informed of the process and can therefore provide better assistance to their constituents, and to review the Housing Register application process in April 2026, with less information required for approval and more verification undertaken when close to shortlisting.

Making the public feel we are on their side

The report pack stated that the use of AI technologies would improve the clarity and tone of some written communications, but that the use of such systems would be a corporate decision and sits outside the authority of service itself. It also stated that staff training and good leadership are an essential component to improving the customer experience, and that evidence from complaints, member enquiries, Ombudsman investigations and statutory reviews should be used.

To improve in this area, the council was scheduled to implement a staff training programme with a strong focus on customer care between August 2025 and September 2025, and an extended staff training programme incorporating a trauma informed approach between April 2026 and May 2026. The council was also scheduled to review the Housing Register application process in April 2026, with less information required for approval and more verification undertaken when close to shortlisting, and to implement a culture of continual learning and service improvement through a staff panel reviewing complaints, member enquiries and Ombudsman findings in January 2026.

Being supportive to vulnerable clients

The report pack stated that although the majority of households seeking housing assistance would have an element of vulnerability, some people would be a greater risk than others. It also stated that suitability assessments are a legal requirement, which are undertaken by the service, including proximity to, and transport to, schools, and that Occupational Therapists are utilised for wheelchair users, where appropriate, although there is a very limited supply of wheelchair accessible temporary accommodation across London and the surrounding area. The report also noted that assessments through Adult Social Care are undertaken, where appropriate.

To improve in this area, the council was scheduled to create a 'specialist' team targeting support and assistance to those at greatest risk of homelessness, or at greatest risk if homeless, in April 2026. The council was also scheduled to place all officers undertaking suitability assessments under a single manager in the Service Redesign in April 2026 to ensure consistency and provide quality assurance, to target a new supply of wheelchair accessible temporary accommodation in September 2025, including ensuring council-owned TA is accessible wherever possible, and to ensure that complex cases are considered at Joint Panel with Adult Social Care in August 2025.

Helping clients adapt to new situations

The report pack stated that where people are re-locating to other areas (eg through schemes such as HomefinderUK² and Bridge Housing Solutions), financial packages are already offered to assist with resettlement, and support is provided to connect with local services and facilities. It also stated that access to essential facilities and support, including what's available in a new location, is part of the statutory suitability assessment process, and that additional financial assistance (eg for travel subsidies), would have a financial implication and would need to be considered through the budget setting process, with care needing to be given to establish eligibility for assistance if resourced.

To improve in this area, the council was scheduled to develop a directory of local facilities and services where people placed in temporary accommodation outside the borough in February 2026.

Ensuring one main point of contact

The report pack stated that the current process for complaints attributes a single case officer to deal with all Stage One complaints, with resources having been redistributed centrally to deliver this, and that a desired outcome of this was to reduce the proportion of Stage One complaints escalating to Stage Two. However, through considerations discussed in the PDC Workshops, the service has reviewed the effectiveness of this approach, and analysis evidences that since a centralised named case officers have been a attributed to complaints cases, the proportion of cases escalating to Stage Two has increased by 30%.

To improve in this area, the council was scheduled to ensure all officer communications include contact details and monitor to make sure this is embedded in September 2025.

The report pack also noted that some of the recommendations highlighted by the PDC require attention from an organisational perspective, rather than being service-led, and that consideration may want to be given to a cross-PDC workshop to look at the benefits and costs of providing recorded messages while people wait on phone calls, the benefits and costs of utilising AI tools to improve written communications, and an evidenced based review of the complaints process (including rates of escalation).

The report pack listed the Housing Allocations Policy and Complaints Policy as resources used in the investigation.

The report pack also included acknowledgements to Bob Granville, Director of Housing, Paul Copper, Head of Housing Needs, Melenie Gahir, Head of Strategy and Performance, Sarah Edwards, Customer Resolutions and Insights Manager, and Gurdeep Sehmi, Scrutiny Research and PDC Co-ordinator, for their support of the investigation.

Homes and Neighbourhoods PDC Work Plan 2025/2026

The committee was scheduled to consider the Homes and Neighbourhoods PDC work plan for the following meetings: 17 November 2025, 6 January 2026 and 5 March 2026.