The Head of Housing Services has submitted a report to seek Cabinet approval for the Annual Complaint Performance & Service Improvement Report (Housing) 2023/24.

Cabinet is recommended to:

1.    Agree the content of the Annual Complaint Performance & Service Improvement Report 2023/24 (Housing) in Appendix 1; and

2.    Provide a formal response to the Annual Complaint Performance & Service Improvement Report 2023/24.

The Head of Housing Services had submitted a report to seek Cabinet approval for the Annual Complaint Performance & Service Improvement Report (Housing) 2023/24.

Councillor Smith presented the report and its findings. The central issues raised in complaints were delays in repairs, poor communication, and the handling of damp and mould. Councillor Smith stated that they recognize there is a need for better communication and complaint management and that they are working in a number of areas to make improvements. For example, they are working to:

·       Create a dedicated customer care team.

·       Create a texting service in ODS.

·       Provide enhanced training to staff so they are better equipped to handle complaints.

·       Implementing new systems to track complaints and related service issues.

Councillor Smith stated that although they would hope that people would not usually have cause for complaints, it is important for them to be open about their performance and the areas where there is room for improvement. Councillor Smith said they welcome the report and its recommendations.

Bill Graves, Landlord Services Manager, stated that the second proposal in the current report relates to the requirement for the governing body of the Council to make a response to the report and publish it on the website.

Councillor Hollingsworth commented on the difference between how Council complaints and ODS complaints are logged. He emphasised that they need to ensure that ODS are using the same reporting template as the Council, otherwise it is difficult for them to differentiate what the different issues are.

The Landlord Services Manager said that they are looking into this. They are prioritizing additional key works, in order to better categorize complaints relating to ODS. He stated that the categorization would be improved in the next year’s report. He also said that a breakdown of the different categories of complaints was provided in the leaders meeting earlier in the week.

Councillor Brown added that the amount of work being done helps to put the number of complaints into context. She said that including the number of tenants being managed and issues being addressed would be good in future reports. Councillor Brown stated that including casework would also help to provide further context in future reports. She agreed with Councillor Smith that they would like it if no one had cause to complain, but that they are grateful when people do complain because this allows them to improve their services. Councillor Brown reiterated the comments made by other group leaders that this is a good report, which shows that generally, they are working pretty well, and it is a small percentage of people who are making complaints. Many of the complaints are also addressed in a reasonable manner. Councillor Brown thanked Councillor Smith and the Council Officers for the report.

Councillor Arshad agreed with Councillor Hollingsworth that having consistency in the way that ODS and Council complaints are logged would be beneficial. She also thanked the Officers and Cabinet member for their work on the report.

It was agreed that Councillor Smith would circulate the Governing Body response to this report following the meeting.

Cabinet agreed to:

1.    Agree the content of the Annual Complaint Performance & Service Improvement Report 2023/24 (Housing) in Appendix 1; and

Delegate to the Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities to provide a formal response to the Annual Complaint Performance & Service Improvement Report 2023/24.