This year, we have seen a significant increase in the number of complaints received. This reflects increased customer awareness of their rights and a broader shift across the sector - following the introduction of the Housing Ombudsman’s new Complaint Handling Code in April 2024.
Throughout 2024/25, we received 683 complaints, an increase of 242 from the previous year.
While this rise is notable, it has provided valuable insight into where we can improve and how we can better meet customer expectations.
Most complaints (416) were addressed as service requests (previously known as “quick fix” enquiries) and did not progress to formal investigation. Service managers handled 221 Investigation Stage complaints, and 46 complaints were escalated to Review Stage for a response from a senior manager.
Only 1 complaint was refused under the ‘exclusions’ list in our policy – it was instead being managed as a disrepair claim.
The percentage of upheld complaints was 55%, which is a 10% decrease compared to the previous year. While this reflects some improved clarity in how we apply our policy and manage expectations, we continue to encourage an open and honest approach — acknowledging when we’ve fallen short and learning from those instances.
As in previous years, the repairs service continues to be the most frequent subject of complaints due to the high volume of customer interactions and the nature of the work. However, it is also the team that receives the highest number of compliments, reflecting the positive experiences that many customers have.
We remain committed to using every complaint as a chance to improve, strengthen our services, and build trust with our customers.
Over the course of the year, we have surveyed 1,081 customers as part of our TSMs. Out of that number, 231* told us that they had raised a complaint in the last 12 months – and 39% were satisfied.
*This figure includes all 231 customers whose perception was that they had made a complaint with the Trust in the last 12 months.
