Agenda item

To approve amendments to SHDC Housing Comments, Compliments, Complaints and Compensation policy following an annual refresh with tenants (report of the Assistant Director – Housing enclosed)

Consideration was given to the report of the Assistant Director – Housing which asked the members to consider amendments to SHDC Housing Comments, Compliments, Complaints and Compensation Policy following an annual refresh with tenants.

The Tenant Engagement and Influence Lead introduced the report and advised Members that, on the day of the meeting, the Housing Ombudsman had released new guidance on compensation. The Tenant Engagement and Influence Lead had not yet been able to review the document and noted that further changes to the compensation section of the policy might be required. If so, the policy would be returned to the Panel for further consideration.

The summarised key updates to the policy were:

• Greater accessibility and transparency, including clearer information on how to make a complaint;
• Requirements to consider the Reasonable Adjustments Policy, ensuring equitable access for all tenants;
• Strengthened expectations for Stage 1 complaints to be investigated by senior officers or team leaders who have operational oversight;
• Stage 2 complaints to be investigated by Service Managers or the Assistant Director, reflecting good practice and tenant preferences;
• Clearer statutory timeframes, with added transparency around when extensions may be permitted and under what circumstances, and
• Improved tenant voice and accountability through the Complaints Focus Group, enhanced reporting routes and year?on?year trend analysis.

Members considered the report and made the following comments;

• Members asked whether new guidance published by the Housing Ombudsman on compensation would require amendments to the policy.
  • The Tenant Engagement and Influence Lead advised that the guidance had only been released that day and required a full review; any necessary changes would be assessed, and if significant, the updated policy would be brought back to the Panel, with amendments clearly highlighted.

• Members queried whether complainants were contacted following the resolution of their case to provide feedback.
  • The Tenant Engagement and Influence Lead confirmed that all complainants were sent a written response with a survey link and, where appropriate, a posted satisfaction survey. Response rates, however, were low; therefore, the service intended to introduce follow?up spot telephone calls to improve insight into tenant experience.

• Members raised concerns about the positioning of policy updates in the agenda pack and suggested that appendix updates be placed before the policy itself.
  • The Tenant Engagement and Influence Lead acknowledged the suggestion and agreed that this ordering could be improved for future reports.

• Members asked how long complaint records were retained.
  • The Tenant Engagement and Influence Lead confirmed that records were kept for six years in accordance with data protection requirements and Housing Ombudsman guidance.

• Members queried whether only senior officers should handle Stage 1 complaints, expressing concern that this may limit learning opportunities for other staff.
  • The Tenant Engagement and Influence Lead responded that Stage 1 complaints would be investigated by senior officers or team leaders, while Stage 2 complaints would be undertaken by service managers. This structure aligned with tenant feedback and good practice, ensuring Stage 1 resolution was achieved effectively.

• Members referred to wording in the policy suggesting investigations would be completed ‘as soon as possible’ and asked for clarification in relation to formal timescales.
  • The Tenant Engagement and Influence Lead confirmed that all complaints must be acknowledged within five working days; Stage 1 complaints responded to within ten working days; and Stage 2 within twenty working days unless an extension was agreed with the tenant. It was agreed to review and amend any ambiguous wording.

• Members asked how long tenants had to escalate a Stage 1 complaint to Stage 2 and how often this occurred.
  • The Tenant Engagement and Influence Lead confirmed tenants had twelve months from the Stage 1 response to request escalation. Although exact figures were not available, early trends suggested fewer Stage 2 escalations this year, potentially due to stronger Stage 1 resolutions.

• Members sought clarification on whether compensation calculations were broken down for all awards and what categories were used.
  • The Tenant Engagement and Influence Lead explained that the Housing Ombudsman recommended three categories: mandatory payments (such as home loss), quantifiable loss (evidenced financial loss), and discretionary payments. Discretionary levels were grouped into low, moderate and high bands, with new Ombudsman guidance expected to improve consistency. Annual reports included full compensation data and would continue to be provided to Members.

• Members asked whether full compensation data across all categories was available to the Panel.
  • The Tenant Engagement and Influence Lead confirmed that the Complaints and Performance Focus Group received quarterly data, and the annual report to all Members contained the complete data set reviewed by officers. A request to include key data in future policy reports was noted for implementation.

AGREED:

a)    That the Policy Development Panel feedback on the Housing Comments, Compliments, Complaints and Compensation Policy be noted, and

b)    That the Policy Development Panel recommended adoption of the Housing Comments, Compliments, Complaints and Compensation Policy to Cabinet.