The Housing Ombudsman Service published a new Complaint Handling Code which came into force on 1 April 2024. The Code provides a set of standards for complaint procedures that housing providers must comply with.
The statutory code was issued following new powers given to the Ombudsman under the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023. The Act also places a duty on the Ombudsman to monitor compliance with the code.
The code aims to achieve best practice in complaint handling and to provide a better service to residents.
The purpose of the code is to promote a positive complaints culture across the social housing sector, ensuring housing providers resolve complaints promptly and to use the learning from complaints to drive service improvements.
The Housing Ombudsman requires social landlords to submit an annual report and self-assessment against the Code annually to ensure complaint handling is compliant with the code.
We are currently working on our 2024 annual report and self-assessment against the Housing Ombudsman’s Complaints Handling Code. These will be published on our website in June 2024.
Information on how to make a complaint to Hightown is available on the compliments, complaints and feedback page on our website.
