Decision

Cabinet received a report presenting two documents for consideration and review:-

·         Housing Complaints and Service Improvement Report 2025/26, and

·         Annual Self-Assessment against the Housing Ombudsman’s Complaint Handling Code

Members noted that, while the report was a statutory requirement for the Council as a social landlord, its primary value lay in providing insight into tenants’ experiences, identifying areas of good performance, areas requiring improvement, and the actions being taken in response.  Members further noted that the Council had worked closely with the Housing Ombudsman to implement recommendations for improving complaints handling and that Ombudsman decisions were reviewed to support ongoing service improvement.

The Portfolio Holder for Housing expressed her thanks to all officers involved in the preparation of the work and, in particular, those who had contributed to the redesign of the complaints process, noting that the changes had improved clarity and made it easier for residents to access and submit complaints alongside a desire to make it both easy to raise concerns and have them resolved.

It was RESOLVED that:

1. That the Housing Complaints and Service Improvement Report 2025/26 (Appendix A) and the Self-Assessment against the Housing Ombudsman’s Complaint Handling Code (Appendix B) be noted and approved.
2. That the Ombudsman determinations captured within the Complaints and Service Improvement Report 2024/25 (Appendix A) be noted.
3. That delegated authority be granted to the Strategic Director (RP), after consultation with the Housing Portfolio Holder, to finalise and submit the Housing Complaints and Service Improvement Report 2025/26 and the Self-Assessment, in accordance with the Council’s obligations under the Regulator of Social Housing’s Transparency, Influence and Accountability Standard and the Housing Ombudsman’s Complaint Handling Code, taking into account any comments made by the Cabinet.