Lambeth Self Help Housing Association
Annual Complaints Performance and Service Improvement Report
December 2024
Introduction:
This report highlights the housing association’s complaints performance and improvements from December 2023-2024.
1. Executive Summary
- Complaints Received: Total complaints 4
- Complaints Upheld: 3 complaints upheld and resolved at informal stage, 1 complaint ongoing at formal stage.
- Resolution Time:
- Complaint A: Complaint regarding waiting time for repair. Resolved informally within 4 weeks
- Complaint B: Complaint regarding quality of repair. Dispute with contractor ongoing, which delayed resolution of complaint with tenant, but now resolved informally (via new contractor) after 8 months.
- Complaint C: Formal disrepair complaint ongoing (regarding a repair that had not been reported in a timely way). All repairs completed within 5 months and attempts at resolution with complainant declined. Currently going through compensation negotiation with legal support.
- Complaint D: Complaint regarding time taken for a refurbishment to be completed and a home exchange to complete. Additional time was needed due to a vulnerable tenant’s needs, delay with contractors’ availability and necessary changes to schedule of works. Resolved informally and with rent adjustment.
- Service Improvements undertaken:
- Improved repairs log used by LSH staff and kept up to date
- Making sure all repairs requests (received by any means) are acknowledged by email, to maintain a record in writing of all requests
- Improve communication around updates to members regarding planned or reactive repairs, as unavoidable delays can cause complaints when the member is not updated as to why a delay has occurred. LSH staff will keep in regular contact with members when a delay to a repair/refurbishment occurs (e.g. when unavoidable delay with contractor availability, procurement of materials etc)
2. Complaints Overview
- Categories:
- Complaint regarding disrepair: 1
- Complaint regarding delay in repair/refurbishment completion: 2
- Complaint regarding poor quality of repair: 1
- Sources:
- 2 complaint received in writing (email)
- 1 by phone
- 1 in person (online) at LSH monthly meeting.
3. Complaint Handling Process
- Stage 1: 75% of complaints resolved at Stage 1
- Stage 2: Escalated complaints and outcomes: 1 ongoing, currently in hands of solicitors to negotiate compensation settlement
- Summary: All complaints upheld
4. Performance Against Housing Ombudsman’s Code
- Accessibility: Easy complaint submission: members can submit complaint via email, telephone or the monthly meeting
- Transparency: Clear communication throughout with all complainants, including via legal representative (for ongoing formal complaint)
- Accountability: Tenant-led organisation, with Management Committee taking responsibility for ensuring complaints are resolved fairly and promptly.
- Service Improvement: Themes and learning points taken from all complaints, with Complaints Sub-Committee feeding back to Management Committee as needed. Actions taken to prevent future complaints.
5. Service Improvements
- Response Times: Improvements made (see above) to improve timely responses.
- Staff Training: Ongoing customer service development of staff and sub-committee, to improve timely communication with complainants, and record keeping.
- Policy Changes: Adjustments based on feedback.
6. Key Statistics
| Metric | Value |
| Complaints Received | 4 |
| Complaints Upheld | 4 (100%) |
| Avg. Resolution Time (Stage 1) | 180 days |
7. Tenant Satisfaction
- Satisfaction Rate of Resolved Complaints: Percentage of satisfied tenants following resolutions: 100% (NB: one complaint resolution still ongoing)
- Feedback: Responses need to be quicker with more regular updates and better communication. LSH staff responds promptly to a complaint received, but due to voluntary nature of management committee who meet monthly, the follow up and resolution can be delayed. We are working on ways to speed this process up.
8. Future Plans
- Better Communication: We are looking at ways to increase capacity (i.e employing additional staff). We resolve to give more regular updates to tenants/members, especially those awaiting repairs/refurbishment.
- Proactive Resolution: Having accessed the Social Housing Decarbonisation fund in 2024, we now have an up to date stock condition survey which means we are better able to anticipate and budget for repair/refurbishments, which may reduce complaints regarding repairs/refurbishment.
- Ongoing Training: Continued staff and management committee development, sharing of complaint themes and learning.
9. Conclusion
LSH are committed to continuous improvement in line with Housing Ombudsman guidelines.
Key plan for the coming year is to improve the response and resolution time, to ensure complaints are resolved in a timely manner. We will do this via improvements listed above (Section 1. and Section 8.)