The Executive Councillor for Housing and the Local Plan, Councillor Stephen Conway, approved the new Housing Landlord Service Complaints and Compliments Policy. This policy outlines the council's approach to handling feedback from residents living in its social housing.

Housing Complaints and Compliments Policy

Councillor Stephen Conway approved the new Housing Landlord Service Complaints and Compliments Policy, which will come into effect on 31 July 2026. This policy establishes a clear framework for Wokingham Borough Council's Housing Service to receive, manage, and respond to feedback from residents living in its social housing. It aims to ensure complaints are handled fairly, transparently, and in a timely manner, aligning with the requirements of the Housing Ombudsman's Complaint Handling Code¹ and the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO)².

The policy was developed following a review by the Housing Ombudsman, which identified fifteen recommendations for improvement. These recommendations have been incorporated into the revised policy to strengthen compliance and service delivery. A resident focus group was held in February 2026 to gather feedback and ensure the policy is resident-focused and accessible.

The policy details the two-stage complaints process, outlining what residents can expect at each stage, including response times and escalation procedures. It also clarifies what constitutes a housing complaint and what does not, such as initial reports of anti-social behaviour or queries. The policy covers all Housing Service functions, including repairs and maintenance, tenancy management, allocations, and neighbourhood management.

In addition to complaints, the policy also addresses compliments, encouraging residents to share positive feedback to help the council recognise good practice and staff contributions. The policy emphasizes accessibility, with provisions for reasonable adjustments to support residents who may face barriers to engaging with the process. This includes offering documents in alternative formats, providing translation services, and accepting complaints through various communication methods.

The policy also addresses unreasonable complainant behaviour and outlines procedures for privacy and confidentiality. It commits to learning from complaints to drive continuous service improvement, with performance and lessons learned to be published annually. The policy has been subject to an Equality Impact Assessment to ensure compliance with the Equality Act 2010³.