Lambeth Self Help Housing Association 31/12/2025
Response to the Lambeth Self Help Housing Association Annual Complaints Performance and Service Improvement Report (December 2024-December 2025)
As Chair of Lambeth Self Help Housing Association, I am pleased to share my reflections on this year’s Complaints Performance and Service Improvement Report. This document is a testament to our commitment to transparency, accountability, and the continuous improvement of our services for the benefit of all tenants and members.
Strengths
1. Effective Complaint Resolution
I am proud to see that 63% of complaints were resolved informally at Stage 1, reflecting our team’s dedication to addressing issues promptly and fairly, and the positive relationships between staff and tenants.
Our tenant-led approach ensures that complaints are handled with care and understanding, aligning with the Housing Ombudsman Code.
2. Service Improvements Implemented
The introduction of an updated Complaints Log has helped us keep detailed information regarding all complaints, which makes monitoring them and categorising them much more efficient. It makes it easier for Management Committee, Complaints Subcommittee and staff to have a shared understanding of the source, status and next steps of all complaints received.
The addition of a Complaints standing item on the Management Committee monthly meeting has meant that we are regularly sharing updates, issues and themes as and when they arise. This is reflected in our minutes, which are available to all members. This increased transparency I feel is a positive move so that members can see that all complaints, whether big or small, are taken seriously. (Of course any identifiable information is redacted as appropriate to protect privacy)
We have been proactive in terms of keeping tenants up to date if there are any delays related to repairs or planned works, e.g. when there are issues with supplies or when recently one of our main contractors had personal issues and was unable to start works. This shows we are actively working to reduce tenant frustrations and build stronger relationships.
3. Learning and Future Preparedness
Our improved system for logging all complaints, even those resolved on the same day, is positive, but this means that our number of complaints has risen. There is still work to be done in ensuring equity and timeliness of response and continuing to be proactive in terms of reflection and learning. Our new staff member should give us a bit more capacity to help with this.
We are still undergoing our works enabled by the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, and this has taken much longer than originally planned due to the loss of the main contractor. In order to pre-empt dissatisfaction, we have kept tenants updated regularly with new timelines. We also will use the extensive stock condition surveys from the SHDF to better enable us to plan refurbishments in the future.
We still need to ensure there is ongoing training for staff and committee members so that we learn from each complaint and continue to improve our approach.
Areas for Development
1. Timeliness of Resolutions
Whilst I am proud that 63% of complaints were resolved informally, I would like to see that percentage increase. While we acknowledge that some complaints take longer to resolve due to their complexity, we must focus on reducing the average resolution time which can be hampered by the fact that decisions are made at monthly committee meetings. By delegating some of the decision-making where appropriate, to staff, or the Complaints Subcommittee, we may be able to reach resolutions more quickly.
2. Communication Improvements
We still need to ensure that communications with complainants are streamlined and we are looking to embed standard letters in our processes. Some of our members prefer postal responses, so this should speed things up.
3. Expanding Capacity
As a voluntary organisation, we are mindful of the pressures on our Management Committee and staff. We have very recently increased capacity by recruiting additional staff (a General Manager) and this should support us in the year ahead in terms of a more efficient response to tenants’ needs.
4. Member/tenant engagement
We want to work hard in the coming year in getting our members more involved in the running of the organisation, so that we can be more responsive to the needs and wants of the whole membership. For example, we are mindful that not all tenants realise that they can speak to staff and/or the management committee and/or complaints subcommittee every month at the open committee meetings online or in person. Fostering a more inclusive organisation may mean that more issues are resolved before becoming a complaint in the first place.
Moving Forward
Our goal as a small member-led organisation is to continue to improve and better serve our whole members. In the year ahead, our focus will remain on improving response times, enhancing communication, and ensuring all tenants feel supported and heard.
I would like to thank our staff, committee members, and tenants for their ongoing engagement and dedication to making LSH a tenant-led organisation we can all be proud of.
Janet Dymka
Chair, Lambeth Self Help Housing Association