Oxford City Council has published its annual housing complaints report for 2023/24.
The Complaint Performance and Service Improvement Report highlights key performance data, trends and service improvements related to council housing complaints.
The report also outlines how the Council is adapting to meet new regulatory standards set out in the Housing Ombudsman’s Complaints Handling Code and the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023.
The report includes a breakdown of complaints handled directly by the Council and ODS.
There is a two-stage complaints process. The Council’s aim is to resolve all initial (Stage 1) complaints as quickly as possible. If a tenant is unhappy with the outcome, they can make a further (Stage 2) complaint where a senior officer will carry out a more detailed review.
Key findings
There were 565 Stage 1 complaints – with 431 (76%) handled by ODS and 134 (24%) by the Council.
Overall, 334 complaints (59%) were upheld and 231 (41%) were not upheld. These included 82 complaints about the Council and 252 about ODS.
A total of 30 complaints were escalated to Stage 2 - with 19 (63%) handled by the Council and 11 (37%) by ODS.
Many of these had been upheld at Stage 1 and needed more work like agreeing compensation or completing repairs. As a result, 25 (83%) were upheld on review – including 16 complaints about the Council and 9 about ODS.
The main issues raised in complaints included delays in repairs, poor communication and the handling of damp and mould. The Council recognises the need for better communication and improved complaint management to reduce dissatisfaction.
Nearly all complaints were resolved within the Housing Ombudsman’s timescales, including 95% of Stage 1 complaints and all Stage 2 complaints.
Learning and service improvements
In response to feedback and in preparation for the new Housing Ombudsman’s code, the Council made significant changes to its complaints handling processes in 2023/24, including:
- establishing a dedicated customer care and complaints team within Landlord Services to ensure independent and thorough investigations
- the introduction of ODS’ texting service to make managing repair appointments and providing immediate feedback easier for tenants
- providing enhanced training for staff to recognise complaints early and respond effectively
- appointing a specialist damp and mould surveyor to deal with complex cases
- implementing new systems to improve tracking and reporting of complaints and related service issues
Next steps
In the year ahead, the Council aims to further develop its strategy for involving tenants in running their homes and estates, improve IT systems for tracking complaints and ensure resident feedback continues to shape services.
These changes are designed to build confidence in the complaints process and ensure the Council’s housing services meet the expectations of its tenants and leaseholders.
Comment
“We welcome the publication of this report, as it’s vital for us to be open about our complaints performance and show where we need to do better. We take complaints very seriously and we’re determined to learn from past mistakes to keep improving our services for our tenants and leaseholders.”
Councillor Linda Smith, Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities,
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