Complaints Overall Performance

Our overall performance on complaints handling has been strong for 2022/23.

Overall customer expressions of dissatisfaction have increased by 27% in the last year (from 861 to 1092). The increase in complaints for Wythenshawe Community Housing Group is similar to across the social housing sector and this was confirmed by the Housing Ombudsman Service.

There has been an increase in formal complaints received compared to the previous year (216 vs 167). However, of the 91 customers who provided feedback on the experience of complaining 72 (79%) were satisfied, with the complaint handling process and 67 (73%) satisfied with the outcome of the complaint.

During 2022-2023 we logged 468 informal complaints, this is a 31% increase on the previous year 358 and we expect to see this increase further as we plan to capture more dissatisfaction from customers through our Make Things Right campaign. Informal complaints happen when a customer doesn’t want to make a formal complaint but just wants an issue resolving quickly. Informal complaints are usually resolved within two days and informal complaints remain the most common way of resolving dissatisfaction.

We continue to learn from complaints and during 2022-2023 there were more than 173 learning points from complaints and 77% 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 2022-2023 the Ombudsman formally reviewed two of Wythenshawe Community Housing Group’s complaints. One was from a tenant regarding differing rent levels between properties and one was from a leaseholder regarding cleaning services and associated charges. In both cases it was determined we had offered reasonable redress, no maladministration was identified and they agreed with the resolutions we had offered.

In April 2023, a review of customer complaint data was conducted to understand whether gender, ethnicity, sexuality or disability impacted on a customer's ability to access the complaints process or the outcome of the complaint.

Our complaint showed:

• 20% of complaints are from people with a disability
• 14% of complaints are from people from a non-white British background
• 71% of complaints are from women, reflective of our tenant base

Overall, when we compare data we hold regarding our customers to the complaints data, we are receiving fewer complaints than we would expect from people from a non-white British background. During our Make Things Right campaign, we will focus on improving accessibility to our complaints process for hard to reach groups.

Complaints Training

We will continue to roll out a training programme for managers 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, value and hears resident feedback to make sure that we are learning from complaints and improving our services. Every year the Complaint Code Self-Assessment Form is completed by the complaints officer and discussed at the landlord’s governing body annually.