The complaints process - Council housing complaint report 2025 to 2026
A resident or their representative can make a complaint by telephone, by email, via our website, by post, in person to our Customer Services team at Westgate Library (days and times on our website), or by speaking to their Housing Officer or any other member of staff. It is not necessary to use the word ‘complaint’, as it is our duty to recognise an expression of dissatisfaction that meets the criteria and offer to record it as such.
We have a two-stage process, as set out in the Housing Ombudsman’s Code.
Stage 1
At Stage 1, the Code instructs us to acknowledge the complaint within 5 working days. This acknowledgement will set out our understanding of the complaint, what the complainant is looking for as a resolution, provide the date by which they can expect a response, and provide the contact details of the Housing Ombudsman.
The Code says we are to respond within 10 working days, and in this response we explain how we have investigated the complaint, set out our findings, confirm any action taken, state whether it has been upheld or not, offer compensation where appropriate, and detail what any next steps are, including how they can escalate to Stage 2. We also include the details of the Housing Ombudsman again.
We are permitted to use extensions when necessary, but this must be no more than 10 working days without good reason. Extensions may be required if it is a particularly complex case, if visits need to be arranged, if we unavoidably need input from someone on annual leave, or if we are awaiting further information or evidence from the complainant. We will always explain why an extension is required.
Stage 2
If someone is unhappy with the response they received at Stage 1, or if we fail to do what we agreed to do as part of the resolution offered, they can ask for their complaint to be considered at Stage 2 where it will be reviewed by someone more senior.
At Stage 2, the Code says we are to acknowledge the complaint within 5 working days. This acknowledgement will follow the same format as the one at Stage 1, as well as including confirmation as to why the complainant has escalated the complaint to Stage 2 (if known), and it will state if there are any issues from Stage 1 that have been resolved and do not require further investigation.
The Code allows us 20 working days to respond at Stage 2. In this response we will explain the outcome of our review and any additional investigation, as well as including any changes to the outcome and proposed resolution. Again, the details of the Housing Ombudsman are provided along with confirmation that they have completed the final stage of our internal process and can approach the Housing Ombudsman should they remain dissatisfied.
We are permitted to use extensions when necessary, but this must be no more than 20 working days without good reason. Extensions may be required for the same reasons given above. Again, we will always explain why an extension is required.
Housing Ombudsman
We are required by law to be part of the Housing Ombudsman scheme and comply with their Code. As part of this, we have to publish an annual self-assessment of our compliance with the Code, as well as this report. Annual reports need to include details of all our determinations and orders made by the Housing Ombudsman against the Council in the year.
The Housing Ombudsman require that a complaint has completed our internal process or has been declined for investigation by us before they will take the case. They may contact us to confirm that a complaint has been through Stage 2, or ask us to escalate it if it has not. They can also give us a deadline to provide a final response.
During their investigation, the Housing Ombudsman will request evidence from us which we are obliged to provide. They may decide that the complaint sits outside of their jurisdiction and/or refer a case to the Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman. If they have identified a solution that could quickly resolve the issue, they can propose this, or they may suggest mediation.
Following an investigation, the Housing Ombudsman will issue a determination. They will decide if there has been a service failure, maladministration, or severe maladministration, or if they are satisfied with the actions we have taken (sometimes called ‘reasonable redress’).
They can issue various orders, including instructing us to:
- apologise to the complainant
- pay compensation to the complainant
- take action to put things right
- stop doing something they think we should not do
- review our policies and practice.
We have to provide evidence to the Housing Ombudsman that we have complied with their orders. If we fail to do as they ask, they can refer us to the relevant regulator, publish the details of our failure to comply, issue a Complaint Handling Failure Order, and/or apply to the Secretary of State to have their order enforced as if it were a court order. They will also publish the details of the failure on their website and in press releases/reports.
