Annual Council Housing Complaint Performance and Service Improvement Report 2025 to 2026

The following sections detail our complaints performance in 2025/26. During the year, there were delays in responding to complaints at both Stages 1 and 2. 

We had a backlog of Stage 1 complaints in the previous year which impacted on 2025/26, and completing the clearance of that backlog likely contributed to the increase in Stage 2 complaints alongside other factors discussed elsewhere in this report. The Stage 1 backlog was cleared in the first quarter of 2025/26.

Complaint handling performance was also affected by a backlog of Stage 2 complaints. A recovery plan was implemented in January 2026 and the backlog was fully cleared by the end of February 2026. Since February 2026, performance in responding to Stage 2 complaints has improved significantly, with 90% or more of responses issued within timescales each month.

Stage 1

Stage 1 complaints received

From 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026, we handled a total of 389 complaints at Stage 1:

• Stage 1 complaints handled by the Council: 265 (compared to 226 in 2024-25)
• Stage 1 complaints handled by ODS: 124 (compared to 188 in 2024-25)
• Stage 1 complaints total: 389 (compared to 414 in 2024-25)

Overall, the total number of Stage 1 complaints received between 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026 has fallen by 6%. Whilst Stage 1 complaints handled by the Council have risen by 17.3%, this is a much lower increase than the 68.7% reported last year. The 34% reduction in complaints for ODS has been attributed to the continued use of systems enabling them to address customer feedback more promptly, as well as working closely with the Housing Customer Care & Complaints team to identify cases where it would be more appropriate for the Council to investigate directly (such as ongoing damp and mould issues requiring the input of surveyors), which would also help account for the some of the increase in Council-handled cases. 

In addition to the Stage 1 complaints above, we declined to accept and investigate 12 complaints for the following reasons:

• 5 were complaints the resident had already made previously
• 4 were service requests being made for the first time
• 1 was regarding an issue that happened more than 12 months ago
• 2 were not regarding services provided by the Council

When complaints are rejected, the resident is provided with the reasons for this, directed to the appropriate channel/organisation for their issue (where applicable), and provided with the contact details of the Housing Ombudsman.

Number and percentage of Stage 1 complaints received by ODS and the Council, by tenure, are:

• tenant: 358 (92%)
• third Party: 3 (1% of complaints, two of which were on behalf of a tenant)
• leaseholder: 11 (3%)
• shared Owner: 7 (2%)
• private Owner: 10 (2%)

Stage 1 complaints timescales

Overall, 54.6% of Stage 1 complaints were responded to within the Housing Ombudsman’s Complaint Handling Code timescale. 56.4% was reported on our TSM submission, as this figure only includes tenants. 67.7% of Stage 1 complaints handled by the Council (up from 48.6% last year) and 41.5% of Stage 1 complaints handled by ODS (down from 100% last year) were responded to within timescales. 

Stage 1 complaints outcomes

Of the Stage 1 complaints investigated by the Council, 5 were withdrawn. Of the Stage 1 complaints investigated by ODS, 1 was withdrawn. 

Overall, of the complaints received during the relevant period that have been resolved, 60% of Stage 1 complaints were upheld (this was 66% in 2024/25). Of these, 61.5% of those handled by the Council were upheld (69% last year), and 56% of those handled by ODS (57% for 2024/25). 

It should be noted that some complaints may have covered more than one service area so the total number shown below will be higher than the number of complaints received. 

A complaint being upheld does not mean that all of the points raised were upheld, therefore it may show as ‘upheld’ against a service area that was involved, but we did not find any service failures in their part of the complaint. 

Stage 2

Stage 2 complaints received

From 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026, we handled the following number of complaints at Stage 2:

• Stage 2 complaints handled by the Council: 80 (compared to 38 in 2024-25)
• Stage 2 complaints handled by ODS: 8 (compared to 13 in 2024-25)
• Stage 2 complaints total: 88 (compared to 51 in 2024-25)

This shows an overall increase of 72.5%, with an increase in Stage 2 complaints handled by the Council of 113%. There was a reduction in Stage 2 complaints handled by ODS of 38.5%, likely because we trialled taking over the handling of their complaints at Stage 2.

The Council rejected 1 complaint at Stage 2 as a duplicate of a previous complaint. ODS did not reject any complaints at Stage 2.

Number and percentage of Stage 2 complaints received by ODS and the Council, by tenure, are:

• Tenant: 83 (95%)
• Leaseholder: 1 (1%)
• Shared Owner: 2 (2%)
• Private Owner: 2 (2%)

Stage 2 complaints timescales

Overall, 28.4% of Stage 2 complaints were responded to within the Housing Ombudsman’s Complaint Handling Code timescales. 26.5% was reported on our TSM submission, as this figure only includes tenants.  30% of Stage 2 complaints handled by the Council were responded to within timescales, a significant reduction from 83.8% for 2024/25. 12.5% of Stage 2 cases handled by ODS were responded to within timescales, a significant reduction from 100% in 2024/25. 

During 2025/26, complaint handling performance was also affected by a backlog of Stage 2 complaints. Any concerns around health and safety or vulnerabilities were flagged to the relevant service areas so action could be taken, but the full investigation and response were delayed. A recovery plan was implemented, and staffing levels increased in the team in January 2026. The backlog was cleared in February 2026, and since February 2026 monthly performance in responding to Stage 2 complaints has improved significantly as shown in the table below:

The percentage of all stage 2 complaints, due within the reporting month, that were responded to within the Housing Ombudsman’s Complaint Handling Code timescales, are:

• February 2026: 83.3%
• March 2026: 100%
• April 2026: 94.1%
• May 2026: 90%

Stage 2 complaints outcomes

Of the Stage 2 complaints investigated by the Council, 1 was withdrawn. 

Overall, 51% of Stage 2 complaints were upheld, which is a decrease from 57% in 2024/25. Of these, within ODS 37.5% were upheld, and within the Council 53.8% were upheld (up from 33% and down from 62% respectively in 2024/25).

Many of these will have already been upheld at Stage 1 but were escalated to Stage 2 for reasons such as seeking further compensation or repairs agreed not having been completed. It does not necessarily indicate that the Stage 2 conclusion disagreed with the Stage 1 decision.

It should be noted that some complaints may have covered more than one service area so the total number shown below will be higher than the number of complaints received.

A complaint being upheld does not mean that all of the points raised were upheld, therefore it may show against a service area that was involved as upheld, but we did not find any service failures in their part of the complaint. 

Compensation

In 2025/26, across Stage 1 and Stage 2 complaints, the Council and ODS offered a total of £76,908.29 in compensation.

£66,058.73 was offered by the Council (compared to £36,005.50 in compensation in 2024/25) and £10,849.56 by ODS (we did not previously report on ODS compensation figures).

This is excluding additional amounts ordered by the Housing Ombudsman. Housing Ombudsman orders to pay compensation are inclusive of any amount already offered or paid. This increase is due in part to the larger number of complaints, as well as the failure to respond to complaints within timescale, which is proactively compensated for.