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

Case 202328882 - Decision of 30 April 2025

This complaint completed Stage 2 of our procedure in April 2024. The complaint to the Ombudsman was about our response to the resident’s reports of damp and mould and our complaint handling.

The Ombudsman found there was no maladministration in our response to the reports of damp and mould, and reasonable redress in relation to our complaints handling.

The Housing Ombudsman issued these recommendations:

• the landlord should, if it has not done so already, carry out the improvements set out in its complaints responses including:
  • monitoring its newly-introduced communication system referred to in the Stage 1 response
  • reviewing the communication between the contractor and the landlord
• the landlord should feedback to the resident the outcome of inspection findings even if they are not formal reports
• the landlord should discuss with the resident recording her health condition centrally and explain to her what she can expect as a result
• the landlord should confirm to the resident whether it carries out routine inspections and maintenance of the exterior of the building
• the landlord should consider its record keeping in relation to documents held on individual staff email systems, so that records are not lost when staff members leave their employment with the landlord
• the landlord should notify the Ombudsman of its intentions regarding these recommendations within 4 weeks of this report

Following the determination, a meeting was held with the relevant managers and it was confirmed that ODS’ messaging system for appointments was functioning and had been expanded. Routes for communication between ODS and the Council, especially around access, were reenforced. It was confirmed that those attending a property are expected to update the resident on the outcome while there. We contacted the resident regarding recording her health condition, but she did not respond. We confirmed to the resident that the building is inspected annually, and that staff attend regularly and are expected to report any issues they see, alongside reports from residents. It was confirmed that use of our CRM system has been expanded, so all contact should be recorded on there. The Ombudsman notified us that the resident requested a review of the decision, but we have heard nothing further.

At the time of this report, this determination was not available on the Housing Ombudsman website.

Case 202416790 - Decision of 9 June 2025

This complaint completed Stage 2 of our procedure in July 2024. The complaint to the Ombudsman was about our response to the resident’s reports of a leak from the roof.

The Ombudsman found there was maladministration in our response to the reports of a leak from the roof. 

The Housing Ombudsman issued the following orders:

• within 4 weeks of the date of the determination the landlord is ordered to:
  1. write to the resident to apologise for the failures identified in this report
  2. pay the resident £400 for the distress and inconvenience caused by its failures in its response to the resident’s reports of a leak from the roof. The landlord may deduct the £75 it has offered if this has already been paid
  3. write to the resident to provide a summary of the staff training undertaken in relation to record keeping and effective communication - this should include when it was carried out, broadly who with and the content - if this has not yet been carried out the landlord should write to the resident to explain why and confirm when it will take place
• the landlord should provide evidence of compliance with the above orders to the Ombudsman, also within 4 weeks

Following the determination, an apology was sent to the resident, the additional compensation was paid, and the Area Property Officers completed training on Knowledge & Information Management using the Housing Ombudsman’s resources.

The full report for Case 202416790 can be found on the Housing Ombudsman website.

Case 202425826 - Decision of 26 June 2025

This complaint completed Stage 2 of our procedure in May 2024. The complaint to the Ombudsman was about our handling of damp and mould in the property, staff conduct, concerns about our record keeping, and the level of compensation offered.

The Ombudsman found maladministration in our handling of reports of damp and mould in the property, no maladministration in our handling of the complaint about staff conduct, reasonable redress in our handling of the resident’s concerns about our record keeping, and service failure in our handling of the level of compensation offered. 

The Housing Ombudsman issued the following orders:

• the landlord must apologise to the resident for the additional failures outlined within this report - the apology should be in line with the Ombudsman’s guidance on apologies (available on our website)
• the landlord must provide the resident with advice on how to make a claim to its insurer
• the landlord must carry out a further inspection of the property:
  • it should take into consideration the outstanding concerns raised by the resident and provide its position on those
  • if it identifies repairs, it must put together an action plan with defined timescales for carrying out the repairs
  • it should also complete a risk assessment noting the household’s vulnerabilities and any potential hazards in the property
• the landlord must arrange to and/or evidence that it has completed all works outlined within the stage 1 response
• the landlord must pay the resident a total of £1,553.64 which is broken down as:
  1. £1,103.64 it offered in its stage 2 response if it has not done so already
  2. £50 it offered after its stage 2 response for the delay in fitting the PIV, if it has not already done so
  3. £300 awarded for the additional failures identified in its handling of the damp and mould
  4. £100 awarded for the failure to refer the resident to its insurer when she did not accept the amount offered
• the landlord must provide evidence of its compliance with the above orders within 6 weeks of the date of this decision

Following their determination, a further inspection of the property was completed and additional work arranged, an apology was issued to the resident alongside guidance on how to make a claim on our insurance, we confirmed that the work the resident agreed to was completed, and the compensation was paid.

View the full report for Case 202425826 on the Housing Ombudsman website.

Case 202325520 - Decision of 28 July 2025

This complaint completed Stage 2 of our procedure in October 2023. The complaint to the Ombudsman was about our handling of repairs to rendering and our complaint handling.

The Ombudsman found service failure in our handling of repairs to rendering, and service failure in our complaint handling.

The Housing Ombudsman issued the following orders:

• within 4 weeks of the date of this report, the landlord must pay £700 compensation to the resident for the failings identified in this report. This is comprised of:
  • £500 for the distress and inconvenience caused by the landlord’s handling of repairs to the rendering
  • £100 for poor complaint handling
  • £100 previously offered by the landlord during the complaints process, but which the resident has said she has not yet received
• evidence of compliance with this order must be provided within 4 weeks

Following the determination, the compensation was paid. As the service failings were historic, changes had already been implemented in the handling of complaints and repairs.

View the full report for Case 202325520 on the Housing Ombudsman website.

Case 202404375 - Decision of 23 September 2025

This complaint completed Stage 2 of our procedure in May 2024. The complaint to the Ombudsman was about our handling of the resident’s reports of damp and mould, the resident’s reports of anti-social behaviour, and the complaint.

The Ombudsman found that it could not investigate our handling of the ASB reports as this had not been included in the complaint at Stage 1 or Stage 2 so was outside of their jurisdiction. They found maladministration in the handling of her reports of damp and mould, and no maladministration in the complaint handling.

The Housing Ombudsman issued the following orders:

• the landlord is to pay the resident £800 for its omissions in handling her reports of damp and mould. If it has already paid the £300 offered at Stage 2, it is to evidence this and subtract it from the outstanding sum
• the landlord is to apologise to the resident for the failings identified in this report
• the landlord is to provide evidence of compliance with this order within  weeks of the date of this letter

The Ombudsman also made the following recommendation:

• the landlord should reoffer the resident the £100 it offered at stage 2 for stage 1 complaint handling delays

Following the determination, we apologised to the resident and requested her bank details in order to pay the compensation, but these were not provided. It has been noted that since the resident’s initial reports of damp and mould in 2022, we have made considerable changes in how we respond.

The full report for Case 202404375 can be found on the Housing Ombudsman website.

Case 202316703 - Decision of 19 November 2025

This complaint completed Stage 2 of our procedure in September 2023. The complaint to the Ombudsman was about our handling of the mutual exchange process, damp and mould repairs, and the complaint.

The Ombudsman found service failure in our handling of the mutual exchange process and the damp and mould repairs, and maladministration in our complaint handling.

The Housing Ombudsman issued the following orders:

• the landlord must apologise in writing to the resident for the failure identified in this report. The landlord must ensure the apology:
  • is provided by someone senior
  • is specific to the failures identified in this decision, meaningful and empathetic
  • has due regard to our apologies guidance
• the landlord must pay the resident £450 made up as follows:
  • £100 for the time and trouble caused by its failure to notify the resident of outstanding repairs on her MEX
  • £100 for the distress and inconvenience caused by its failings in the handling of damp and mould repairs
  • £100 for the time and trouble caused by its failure to thoroughly investigate and address all aspects of the resident’s complaint
  • £150 it offered in the final response for the lack of communication and support. The landlord may deduct the £150 if it has already paid this. It must pay the remaining balance directly to the resident and provide documentary evidence of all payments by the due date

The Ombudsman also issued the following recommendations:

• we encourage the landlord to contact the resident to establish the nature of her conditions and whether she is likely to need any additional support or adjustments in future dealings
• we also ask the landlord to take onboard our learning suggestions (given at the end of the report) to improve its record-keeping practices and communications with its residents

Following the determination, an apology was sent to the resident from the Director of Housing, but the resident did not provide their bank details for compensation to be paid. The Housing Officer engaged with the resident to provide additional support around their housing needs. As the complaint was originally raised in 2022 regarding events starting in 2021 and completed our complaints process in 2023, improvements had already been made around mutual exchanges, repairs and decants, and complaints handling. 

Case 202505886 - Decision of 27 November 2025

This complaint completed Stage 2 of our procedure in July 2025. The complaint to the Ombudsman was about our response to the resident’s reports of damp and mould, reports of anti-social behaviour, reports of lack of soundproofing, and complaint handling.

The Ombudsman found service failure in our response to reports of damp and mould, no maladministration in our response to anti-social behaviour, reasonable redress in our response regarding the soundproofing, and no maladministration in our complaint handling.

The Housing Ombudsman issued the following orders:

• the landlord must pay the resident £300 to recognise the distress and inconvenience caused by its response to her reports of damp and mould. This must be paid directly to the resident. The landlord must provide documentary evidence of payment by the due date
• the landlord must contact the resident to arrange and inspection in regard to her damp and mould concerns. It must take all reasonable steps to ensure the inspection is completed by the due date
• if the landlord cannot gain access to complete the inspection, it must provide us with documentary evidence of its attempts to inspect the property no later than the due date
• what the inspection must achieve:
  • the landlord must ensure the surveyor:
    • inspects damp and mould in all rooms of the property and produces a written report with photographs
  • the survey report must set out:
    • whether the property is fit for human habitation and whether there are any hazards
    • the most likely cause of the damp and mould
    • whether the landlord is responsible to repair or resolve the issue together with reasons where it is not responsible
    • a full scope of works to achieve a lasting and effective resolution to the issue (if the landlord is responsible)
    • the likely timescales to commence and complete the work
    • whether temporary alternative accommodation is necessary either because of the condition of the property or during the works

Following the determination, we paid the compensation and arranged for a further inspection and written report to be prepared. Following this, a scope of work was provided with a 12-week timeframe for completion. 

At the time of this report, this determination was not available on the Housing Ombudsman website.

Case 202420462 - Decision of 22 January 2026

This complaint was investigated by ODS on our behalf and completed Stage 2 of our procedure in May 2024. The complaint to the Ombudsman was about identifying the cause of damp and mould and the handling of the complaint.

The Ombudsman found maladministration in the handling of identifying the damp and mould, and service failure in the handling of the complaint.

The Housing Ombudsman issued the following orders:

• the landlord must apologise in writing to the leaseholder for the failures identified in this report. The landlord must ensure:
  • the apology is provided by a senior member of staff
  • the apology is specific to the failures identified in this decision, meaningful and empathetic
  • it has due regard to our apologies guidance
• the landlord must pay the leaseholder £950 made up as follows:
  • £800 for the loss of us and enjoyment of the bedroom for an extended period
  • £100 for the distress and inconvenience caused by its failues in identifying the cause of the damp and mould
  • £50 for its complaint handling failures
    This must be paid directly to the leaseholder by the due date. The landlord must provide documentary evidence of payment by the due date

The Housing Ombudsman also made the following recommendations:

• it is recommended the landlord review this case, including the report by the RICS accredited surveyor, as part of its contract management arrangements with its damp and mould specialist
• we recommend that the landlord informs the leaseholder whether it will regularly inspect and maintain the gutters or if residents need to monitor and report concerns

Following the determination, a letter was sent to the leaseholder by the Director of Housing, compensation was paid, the resident was advised of our intention to implement a cleaning programme for guttering and to report any concerns to us, and Property Services reviewed the certifications of the damp and mould specialists that they engage. 

At the time of this report, this determination was not available on the Housing Ombudsman website.

Case 202450589 - Decision of 11 February 2026

The Housing Ombudsman determined that this complaint regarding the Right To Buy was outside of their jurisdiction. The resident was referred to the Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman. 

Case 202517957 - Decision of 23 February 2026

This complaint completed Stage 2 of our procedure in November 2025. The complaint to the Ombudsman was about our handling of the resident’s concern about drainage issues, and their complaint.

The Ombudsman found we had offered reasonable redress for our handling of the concerns about drainage issues and the handling of the complaint.

The Housing Ombudsman issued the following recommendations:

• the landlord should pay the resident the £500 compensation it offered during its complaint procedure if it has not already done so
• the landlord should carry out further investigations to make a conclusive finding on the underlying cause of the issue and inform the resident of its position on future maintenance and responsibility

Following the determination, the compensation was paid, a camera survey of the drains was arranged, remedial work ordered, and it was confirmed that we would have no ongoing responsibility for the block paving.

At the time of this report, this determination was not available on the Housing Ombudsman website.

Case 202512026 - Decision of 27 March 2026

This complaint completed Stage 2 of our procedure in November 2025. The complaint to the Ombudsman was about our handling of the resident’s ASB reports and our complaint handling.

The Ombudsman found service failure in our handling of the resident’s ASB reports, and reasonable redress in our complaint handling.

The Housing Ombudsman issued the following orders:

• the landlord must pay the resident £300, made up of:
  • the £200 previously offered for its delayed complaint response
  • £100 for the failures identified in its handling of the resident’s reports of ASB
  • this must be paid directly to the resident by the due date. The landlord must provide documentary evidence of payment by the due date
  • the landlord may deduct from the total figure any payments it has already paid
• the landlord must:
  • provide the resident with timescales for the installation of CCTV
  • update her on any progress made during its partnership working with police in relation to drug dealing and drug use on the estate
  • address any current concerns she has about ASB and set out an action plan as to how it will address this in accordance with its policy
  • the landlord must provide the above to us and the resident in writing by the due date

Since the determination, the compensation has been paid and an update on enforcement in the area provided to the resident and the Ombudsman. Compliance with the other orders is still ongoing.

At the time of this report, this determination was not available on the Housing Ombudsman website.