Complaints Overall Performance
Our overall performance on complaints handling has been strong for 2023/24.
Customer expressions of dissatisfaction have increased by 73% in the last year (from 1092 to 1885). The increase in complaints for Wythenshawe Community Housing Group is similar to that across the social housing sector and this has been confirmed by the Housing Ombudsman Service.
During 2023-2024, we were able to capture more dissatisfaction from customers through our Making Things Right campaign when we proactively encouraged customer feedback regarding our services to be recorded and processed centrally through our Customer Feedback Team.
We continue to learn from complaints and during 2023-2024, 70% of complaints were upheld or partially upheld by managers. These complaints resulted in a range of service improvements which you can view in Complaint Learning.
In 2023-2024, the Ombudsman formally reviewed two of Wythenshawe Community Housing Group's complaints. One complaint was from an applicant about WCHG's management of their housing application. Another complaint from a customer related to how WCHG had managed a rent account. In both cases, the Ombudsman determined that WCHG had offered reasonable redress and found no maladministration.
We have seen an increase in communication from the Ombudsman Service usually when customers have approached them directly, prior to complaining directly to us.
The Housing Ombudsman Service published a Spotlight report on Knowledge & Information Management and Attitudes Respect & Rights which we have reviewed and are working through recommendations.
For more information regarding WCHG's annual complaints performance for 2023-2024, including a qualitative and quantitative analysis of our complaint handling and identified service improvements, please see our Annual Complaints Report. Please also see WCHG Board's comments in relation to this report.
The availability of this information for customers is a requirement of the Housing Ombudsman Service Complaint Handling Code. Please also see WCHG Self-Assessment in accordance with this code.
Complaints Training
We will continue to roll out a training programme for all complaint handlers to ensure compliance with the Housing Ombudsman Complaints Handling Code that was updated in April 2024. This helps encourage a positive complaint handling culture that welcomes, values and hears resident feedback to make sure that we are learning from complaints and improving our services.