Housing Ombudsman Complaint Handling Code: Self-assessment form

On this page:
Annual Reports 2023 – 2024
Section 1 – Definition of a complaint
Section 2 – Exclusions
Section 3 – Accessibility and awareness
Section 4 – Complaint handling staff
Section 5 – Complaint handling process
Section 6 – Complaints stages
Section 7 – Putting things right
Section 8 – Self-assessment, reporting and compliance
Section 9 – Scrutiny and oversight: continuous learning and improvement

This self-assessment form should be completed by the complaints officer and it must be reviewed and approved by the landlord’s governing body at least annually.

Once approved, landlords must publish the self-assessment as part of the annual complaints performance and service improvement report on their website. The governing body’s response to the report must be published alongside this.

Landlords are required to complete the self-assessment in full and support all statements with evidence, with additional commentary as necessary.

We recognise that there may be a small number of circumstances where landlords are unable to meet the requirements, for example, if they do not have a website. In these circumstances, we expect landlords to deliver the intentions of the Code in an alternative way, for example by publishing information in a public area so that it is easily accessible.

Annual reports 2023 – 2024

“The annual submission for the Housing and Communities complaints performance represents a true reflection of where the service is currently. Whilst there has been some improvement in the services performance, it is recognised that further work is needed in performance monitoring and the learning from complaints process by both the Housing and Communities Services and the Corporate Complaints team in delivering the required level of service our customers deserve” – Matt Yeo, Lead Councillor for Housing

Housing repairs complaints report 2023 – 2024

Complaints report 2023 – 2024

Annual reports 2024 – 2025

“The annual Housing and Communities complaints performance submission reflects the position of the service during 24-25. While some efforts have been made, we recognise that performance has not improved as expected. Significant work remains in strengthening performance monitoring and embedding learning from complaints. Both the Housing and Communities Services and the Corporate Complaints team are committed to addressing these challenges and delivering the level of service our customers rightly expect.” – Matt Yeo, Lead Councillor for Housing

Housing repairs complaints report 2024 – 2025

Complaints report 2024 – 2025

Housing complaints procedure

Section 1 -Definition of a complaint

Code provision	Code requirement	Comply: Yes / No	Evidence	Commentary / explanation
1.2	A complaint must be defined as: ‘an expression of dissatisfaction, however made, about the standard of service, actions or lack of action by the landlord, its own staff, or those acting on its behalf, affecting a resident or group of residents.’	Yes	Please see attached Housing Complaints Procedure.   Housing complaints procedure	Please refer to section 1.2 of our procedure
1.3	A resident does not have to use the word ‘complaint’ for it to be treated as such. Whenever a resident expresses dissatisfaction landlords must give them the choice to make complaint. A complaint that is submitted via a third party or representative must be handled in line with the landlord’s complaints policy.	Yes	Please see attached Housing Complaints Procedure	Please refer to section 1.2 of our procedure
1.4	Landlords must recognise the difference between a service request and a complaint. This must be set out in their complaints policy. A service request is a request from a resident to the landlord requiring action to be taken to put something right. Service requests are not complaints, but must be recorded, monitored and reviewed regularly.	Yes	Please see attached Housing Complaints Procedure	Please refer to section 1.3 of our Procedure
1.5	A complaint must be raised when the resident expresses dissatisfaction with the response to their service request, even if the handling of the service request remains ongoing. Landlords must not stop their efforts to address the service request if the resident complains.	Yes	Please see attached Housing Complaints Procedure	Please refer to section 1.3 and 1.4 of our procedure
1.6	An expression of dissatisfaction with services made through a survey is not defined as a complaint, though wherever possible, the person completing the survey should be made aware of how they can pursue a complaint if they wish to. Where landlords ask for wider feedback about their services, they also must provide details of how residents can complain.	Yes	Please see attached Housing Complaints Procedure	Please refer to section 1.3, 1.4, 1.5 and 1.6 of our procedure

Section 2 – Exclusions

Code provision	Code requirement	Comply: Yes / No	Evidence	Commentary / explanation
2.1	Landlords must accept a complaint unless there is a valid reason not to do so. If landlords decide not to accept a complaint they must be able to evidence their reasoning. Each complaint must be considered on its own merits	Yes	Please see attached Housing Complaints Procedure	Please refer to section 2.1.7, 2.1.9 and 2.1.10 of our procedure
2.2	A complaints policy must set out the circumstances in which a matter will not be considered as a complaint or escalated, and these circumstances must be fair and reasonable to residents. Acceptable exclusions include: – The issue giving rise to the complaint occurred over twelve months ago. – Legal proceedings have started. This is defined as details of the claim, such as the Claim Form and Particulars of Claim, having been filed at court. Matters that have previously been considered under the complaints policy.	Yes	Please see attached Housing Complaints Procedure	Please refer to section 2.1.9  of our procedure
2.3	Landlords must accept complaints referred to them within 12 months of the issue occurring or the resident becoming aware of the issue, unless they are excluded on other grounds. Landlords must consider whether to apply discretion to accept complaints made outside this time limit where there are good reasons to do so.	Yes	Please see attached Housing Complaints Procedure	Please refer to section 2.1.8 and 2.1.9  of our procedure
2.4	If a landlord decides not to accept a complaint, an explanation must be provided to the resident setting out the reasons why the matter is not suitable for the complaints process and the right to take that decision to the Ombudsman. If the Ombudsman does not agree that the exclusion has been fairly applied, the Ombudsman may tell the landlord to take on the complaint.	Yes	Please see attached Housing Complaints Procedure	Please refer to section 4 of our procedure
2.5	Landlords must not take a blanket approach to excluding complaints; they must consider the individual circumstances of each complaint.	Yes	Please see attached Housing Complaints Procedure	Please refer to section 2.1.9 of our procedure

Section 3 – Accessibility and awareness

Code provision	Code requirement	Comply: Yes / No	Evidence	Commentary / explanation
3.1	Landlords must make it easy for residents to complain by providing different channels through which they can make a complaint. Landlords must consider their duties under the Equality Act 2010 and anticipate the needs and reasonable adjustments of residents who may need to access the complaints process.	Yes	Please see attached Housing Complaints Procedure	Please refer to section 1.5 of our procedure
3.2	Residents must be able to raise their complaints in any way and with any member of staff. All staff must be aware of the complaints process and be able to pass details of the complaint to the appropriate person within the landlord.	Yes	Please see attached Housing Complaints Procedure	Please refer to section 2.1.1 of our procedure
3.3	High volumes of complaints must not be seen as a negative, as they can be indicative of a well-publicised and accessible complaints process.  Low complaint volumes are potentially a sign that residents are unable to complain.	Yes		The Council promotes an accessible complaints process and views complaints as an important source of learning and service improvement. Complaint performance and learning are regularly reviewed by managers, with quarterly learning reports produced. During 2025/26, tenants also participated in scrutiny of our complaints management performance, with further joint work agreed. Complaint performance is published through our website, to tenants via our annual report tenants and is presented to councillors at the Housing, Neighbourhood & Leisure Committee 3 times per year.
3.4	Landlords must make their complaint policy available in a clear and accessible format for all residents. This will detail the two stage process, what will happen at each stage, and the timeframes for responding. The policy must also be published on the landlord’s website.	Yes	Please see attached Housing Complaints Procedure	Please refer to sections 1.5, 1.6, 1.7 and 1.8
3.5	The policy must explain how the landlord will publicise details of the complaints policy, including information about the Ombudsman and this Code.	Yes	Please see attached Housing Complaints Procedure	Please refer to section 1.7 of our procedure. Section 4 details the Housing Ombudsman and how residents can access the service.
3.6	Landlords must give residents the opportunity to have a representative deal with their complaint on their behalf, and to be represented or accompanied at any meeting with the landlord.	Yes	Please see attached Housing Complaints Procedure	Please refer to section 1.8 of our procedure.
3.7	Landlords must provide residents with information on their right to access the Ombudsman service and how the individual can engage with the Ombudsman about their complaint.	Yes	Please see attached Housing Complaints Procedure	The Council’s Housing Complaints Procedure makes reference throughout to the role of the Housing Ombudsman, including residents’ rights to access the Housing Ombudsman Service and details of how to make contact. Information about the Housing Ombudsman is also provided within both Stage 1 and Stage 2 complaint responses. In addition, the policy sets out the circumstances in which a resident may contact or seek intervention from the Housing Ombudsman during the complaint process, including where a complaint falls outside the Complaint Handling Code timescales, where a complaint is not accepted, or where the resident remains dissatisfied following the completion of the Council’s complaints procedure.

Section 4 – Complaint handling staff

Code provision	Code requirement	Comply: Yes / No	Evidence	Commentary / explanation
4.1	Landlords must have a person or team assigned to take responsibility for complaint handling, including liaison with the Ombudsman and ensuring complaints are reported to the governing body (or equivalent). This Code will refer to that person or team as the ‘complaints officer’. This role may be in addition to other duties.	Yes		We have a dedicated team called the ‘Customer Relations Team (CRT)’ that also includes the link officer to the Ombudsman.
4.2	The complaints officer must have access to staff at all levels to facilitate the prompt resolution of complaints. They must also have the authority and autonomy to act to resolve disputes promptly and fairly.	Yes		The designated Complaints Manager reports to a member of the Corporate Management team. The Customer Relations Manager reports to the Complaints Manager, both attend directorate management meetings and lead member briefings.
4.3	Landlords are expected to prioritise complaint handling and a culture of learning from complaints. All relevant staff must be suitably trained in the importance of complaint handling. It is important that complaints are seen as a core service and must be resourced to handle complaints effectively	Yes		The Council has a dedicated corporate Customer Relations Team responsible for complaint management. Housing complaint performance and learning are reported quarterly to Housing Directorate Management Team and the Housing Lead Member. Daily meetings take place between Housing and CRT lead officers, supported by weekly meetings between CRT and Service Managers to monitor quality and performance against timescales. Complaint-handling training was delivered to relevant Service Managers and Investigating Officers during Q3 2025, and further training has been developed in partnership with the tenant scrutiny group.

Section 5 – Complaint handling process

Code provision	Code requirement	Comply: Yes / No	Evidence	Commentary / explanation
5.1	Landlords must have a single policy in place for dealing with complaints covered by this Code. Residents must not be treated differently if they complain.	Yes		Housing complaints procedure
5.2	The early and local resolution of issues between landlords and residents is key to effective complaint handling. It is not appropriate to have extra named stages (such as ‘stage 0’ or ‘informal complaint’) as this causes unnecessary confusion.	Yes	Please see attached Housing Complaints Procedure	Housing complaints procedure
5.3	A process with more than two stages is not acceptable under any circumstances as this will make the complaint process unduly long and delay access to the Ombudsman.	Yes	Please see attached Housing Complaints Procedure	Please see answer to 5.2.
5.4	Where a landlord’s complaint response is handled by a third party (e.g. a contractor or independent adjudicator) at any stage, it must form part of the two stage complaints process set out in this Code. Residents must not be expected to go through two complaints processes.	Yes		The Council retains responsibility for ensuring complaints involving third-party contractors are handled in accordance with the Complaint Handling Code. Contractors are consulted as part of Council-led investigations where appropriate. For approximately 1,200 properties managed through a PFI arrangement, complaints are handled in accordance with Reading Borough Council’s complaints procedure. The Council monitors PFI performance monthly, including complaints performance and learning.
5.5	Landlords are responsible for ensuring that any third parties handle complaints in line with the Code.	Yes		Please see response for 5.4.
5.6	When a complaint is logged at Stage 1 or escalated to Stage 2, landlords must set out their understanding of the complaint and the outcomes the resident is seeking. The Code will refer to this as “the complaint definition”. If any aspect of the complaint is unclear, the resident must be asked for clarification.	Yes	Please see attached Housing Complaints Procedure	Please see section 2.1.2 of the attached procedure. Investigating Officers are required to speak to the resident to clarify their complaint as part of the stage 1 and stage 2 process. Our letter templates also include a section confirming the complaint.
5.7	When a complaint is acknowledged at either stage, landlords must be clear which aspects of the complaint they are, and are not, responsible for and clarify any areas where this is not clear.	Yes	Please see attached Housing Complaints Procedure	Please see section 2.1.2 of the procedure. Where this is required, the Customer Relations Team ensures the acknowledgment is clear as to what is going to be investigated and what is not, with reasons clearly explained and including the relevant complaint handling timescales.
5.8	At each stage of the complaints process, complaint handlers must:   a. deal with complaints on their merits, act independently, and have an open mind;  b.  give the resident a fair chance to set out their position;   c. take measures to address any actual or perceived conflict of  interest; and   d. consider all relevant information and evidence carefully.	Yes	Please see attached Housing Complaints Procedure	a. The Customer Relations Team is independent of the Housing Service. b. The investigating officer is required to speak to the resident as part of the investigation. c. The Customer Relations Team review each case prior to allocation for investigation to ensure any conflicts of interest are considered to ensure an impartial investigation. d. Same as point b.
5.9	Where a response to a complaint will fall outside the timescales set out in this Code, the landlord must agree with the resident suitable intervals for keeping them informed about their complaint.	Yes	Please see attached Housing Complaints Procedure	Please see section 1.10 and 2.2.5
5.10	Landlords must make reasonable adjustments for residents where appropriate under the Equality Act 2010. Landlords must keep a record of any reasonable adjustments agreed, as well as a record of any disabilities a resident has disclosed. Any agreed reasonable adjustments must be kept under active review.	Yes	Please see Tenant Accessibility Policy	All staff complete Diversity, Equality and inclusion training. All reasonable adjustment requests are highlighted by CRT to the Investigating Officer and are recorded on the tenant’s complaint file. We have a tenant accessibility policy to ensure that staff are clear what reasonable adjustments are available and how to implement them.
5.11	Landlords must not refuse to escalate a complaint through all stages of the complaints procedure unless it has valid reasons to do so. Landlords must clearly set out these reasons, and they must comply with the provisions set out in section 2 of this Code.	Yes		When a complaint is not escalated, the reasons for this are communicated to the resident and Ombudsman details supplied.
5.12	A full record must be kept of the complaint, and the outcomes at each stage. This must include the original complaint and the date received, all correspondence with the resident, correspondence with other parties, and any relevant supporting documentation such as reports or surveys.	Yes		All correspondence at each stage is saved in the resident’s complaint case file/case management system.
5.13	Landlords must have processes in place to ensure a complaint can be remedied at any stage of its complaints process. Landlords must ensure appropriate remedies can be provided at any stage of the complaints process without the need for escalation.	Yes		Complaint investigating Officers consider appropriate remedies throughout the investigation and do not require a tenant to escalate their complaint before action can be taken to put matters right. Where appropriate, remedies are discussed with the tenant as part of the investigation.
5.14	Landlords must have policies and procedures in place for managing unacceptable behaviour from residents and/or their representatives. Landlords must be able to evidence reasons for putting any restrictions in place and must keep restrictions under regular review.	Yes	See Policy on Vexatious Complainants	The Council has a policy in place and all evidence is kept in a separate file. 6 monthly reviews are undertaken as part of the policy.
5.15	Any restrictions placed on contact due to unacceptable behaviour must be proportionate and demonstrate regard for the provisions of the Equality Act 2010.	Yes		This is set out in the policy as per point 5.14

Section 6 – Complaints stages

Stage 1

Code provision	Code requirement	Comply: Yes / No	Evidence	Commentary / explanation
6.1	Landlords must have processes in place to consider which complaints can be responded to as early as possible, and which require further investigation. Landlords must consider factors such as the complexity of the complaint and whether the resident is vulnerable or at risk. Most stage 1 complaints can be resolved promptly, and an explanation, apology or resolution provided to the resident.	Yes	Please see attached Housing Complaints Procedure	The Council has a process in place. Advice will be provided to the investigating officer by the CRT when the complaint is received and reviewed.
6.2	Complaints must be acknowledged, defined and logged at stage 1 of the complaints procedure within five working days of the complaint being received.	Yes	Please see attached Housing Complaints Procedure	Please see first paragraph of procedure under title ‘make a complaint’
6.3	Landlords must issue a full response to stage 1 complaints within 10 working days of the complaint being acknowledged.	Yes	Please see attached Housing Complaints Procedure	Please see second paragraph of procedure under title ‘make a complaint’
6.4	Landlords must decide whether an extension to this timescale is needed when considering the complexity of the complaint and then inform the resident of the expected timescale for response. Any extension must be no more than 10 working days without good reason, and the reason(s) must be clearly explained to the resident.	Yes	Please see attached Housing Complaints Procedure	Where an extension is necessary, the tenant is informed of the reason for the extension and the revised response date. This is recorded on the complaint case file / management system.
6.5	When an organisation informs a resident about an extension to these timescales, they must be provided with the contact details of the Ombudsman.	Yes		Please see section 1.10 and 2.2.5 of the procedure . Details of the Housing Ombudsman are provided when acknowledging,  extending a response due date, and through at all stages of the complaints process.
6.6	A complaint response must be provided to the resident when the answer to the complaint is known, not when the outstanding actions required to address the issue are completed. Outstanding actions must still be tracked and actioned promptly with appropriate updates provided to the resident.	Yes		Please see section 2.1.4 and 2.2.4 of the Procedure. Complaint response is provided when the outcome has been investigated. Any actions outstanding are logged onto a tracker and monitored to ensure they have taken place at the agreed date. The Housing service has staff dedicated to monitoring actions/learning from complaints who work closely with CRT and report to the Housing and Communities Management Team.
6.7	Landlords must address all points raised in the complaint definition and provide clear reasons for any decisions, referencing the relevant policy, law and good practice where appropriate.	Yes		This is part of standard template that each officer must use when responding to a complaint. All responses are quality assured by the CRT prior to dispatch to the complainant.
6.8	Where residents raise additional complaints during the investigation, these must be incorporated into the stage 1 response if they are related and the stage 1 response has not been issued. Where the stage 1 response has been issued, the new issues are unrelated to the issues already being investigated or it would unreasonably delay the response, the new issues must be logged as a new complaint.	Yes	Please see attached Housing Complaints Procedure	Please see section 1.12 of the procedure
6.9	Landlords must confirm the following in writing to the resident at the completion of stage 1 in clear, plain language:   a. the complaint stage;  b. the complaint definition; c. the decision on the complaint; d. the reasons for any decisions made;  e. the details of any remedy offered to put things right;  f. details of any outstanding actions; and  g. details of how to escalate the matter to stage 2 if the individual is not satisfied with the response.	Yes		Each of these points are in our standard templates that each officer uses when responding to a complaint.

Stage 2

Code provision	Code requirement	Comply: Yes / No	Evidence	Commentary / explanation
6.10	If all or part of the complaint is not resolved to the resident’s satisfaction at stage 1, it must be progressed to stage 2 of the landlord’s procedure. Stage 2 is the landlord’s final response.	Yes	Please see attached Housing Complaints Procedure	Please see section 2.2.1 of the procedure
6.11	Requests for stage 2 must be acknowledged, defined and logged at stage 2 of the complaints procedure within five working days of the escalation request being received.	Yes	Please see attached Housing Complaints Procedure	Please see section 2.2.1 of the procedure
6.12	Residents must not be required to explain their reasons for requesting a stage 2 consideration. Landlords are expected to make reasonable efforts to understand why a resident remains unhappy as part of its stage 2 response.	Yes	Please see attached Housing Complaints Procedure
6.13	The person considering the complaint at stage 2 must not be the same person that considered the complaint at stage 1.	Yes	Please see attached Housing Complaints Procedure	Please see section 2.2.2 of the procedure. The second paragraph confirms that a different, more senior officer will be assigned to investigate the Stage 2 complaint, in accordance with our procedure.
6.14	Landlords must issue a final response to the stage 2 within 20 working days of the complaint being acknowledged.	Yes	Please see attached Housing Complaints Procedure	Please see fifth paragraph in the introduction of our stage 2 section of the procedure, and in 2.2.4.
6.15	Landlords must decide whether an extension to this timescale is needed when considering the complexity of the complaint and then inform the resident of the expected timescale for response. Any extension must be no more than 20 working days without good reason, and the reason(s) must be clearly explained to the resident.	Yes	Please see attached Housing Complaints Procedure	Please see section 2.2.5 of the procedure
6.16	When an organisation informs a resident about an extension to these timescales, they must be provided with the contact details of the Ombudsman.	Yes	Please see attached Housing Complaints Procedure	Please see section 2.2.5 of the procedure
6.17	A complaint response must be provided to the resident when the answer to the complaint is known, not when the outstanding actions required to address the issue are completed. Outstanding actions must still be tracked and actioned promptly with appropriate updates provided to the resident.	Yes	Please see attached Housing Complaints Procedure	Please see section 2.2.4 of the procedure
6.18	Landlords must address all points raised in the complaint definition and provide clear reasons for any decisions, referencing the relevant policy, law and good practice where appropriate.	Yes		This is included in our standard stage 2 response template used by officers.
6.19	Landlords must confirm the following in writing to the resident at the completion of stage 2 in clear, plain language: a. the complaint stage;   b. the complaint definition;  c. the decision on the complaint;  d. the reasons for any decisions made;  e. the details of any remedy offered to put things right;  f. details of any outstanding   actions; and  g. details of how to escalate the matter to the Ombudsman Service if the individual remains             dissatisfied.	Yes		This is included in our standard stage 2 response template used by officers.
6.20	Stage 2 is the landlord’s final response and must involve all suitable staff members needed to issue such a response.	Yes	Please see attached Housing Complaints Procedure	Please see section 2.2.1 of the procedure.

Section 7 – Putting things right

Code provision	Code requirement	Comply: Yes / No	Evidence	Commentary / explanation
7.1	Where something has gone wrong a landlord must acknowledge this and set out the actions it has already taken, or intends to take, to put things right. These can include:  Apologising;  Acknowledging where things have gone wrong;  Providing an explanation, assistance or reasons;  Taking action if there has been     delay;  Reconsidering or changing a    decision;  Amending a record or adding a correction or addendum;  Providing a financial remedy;  Changing policies, procedures or  practices.	Yes		This is done as part of the response and is quality checked by CRT for compliance. We have also  steps in the process that all stage 1 complaints are signed off by a service manager and all stage 2 complaints are signed off by a director.
7.2	Any remedy offered must reflect the impact on the resident as a result of any fault identified.	Yes		We use the Housing Ombudsman’s guidance on remedies and compensation when considering the impact on the tenant and determining an appropriate remedy.
7.3	The remedy offer must clearly set out what will happen and by when, in agreement with the resident where appropriate. Any remedy proposed must be followed through to completion.	Yes		This is part of our standard response when offering this to the resident
7.4	Landlords must take account of the guidance issued by the Ombudsman when deciding on appropriate remedies.	Yes		The Council takes account of the Housing Ombudsman’s guidance when considering appropriate remedies, including financial remedies. A dedicated Compensation Policy has also been developed to further strengthen consistency in the Council’s approach to compensation.

Section 8 – Self-assessment, reporting and compliance

Code provision	Code requirement	Comply: Yes / No	Evidence	Commentary / explanation
8.1	Landlords must produce an annual complaints performance and service improvement report for scrutiny and challenge, which must include:  a. the annual self-assessment against this Code to ensure their complaint handling policy remains in line with its requirements.  b. a qualitative and quantitative analysis of the landlord’s complaint handling performance. This must also include a summary of the types of complaints the landlord has refused to accept;  c. any findings of non-compliance with this Code by the Ombudsman;  d. the service improvements made as a result of the learning from complaints;  e. any annual report about the landlord’s performance from the Ombudsman; and  f. any other relevant reports or publications produced by the Ombudsman in relation to the work of the landlord.	Yes	Landlord services performance	Weekly/Quarterly and Annual performance reports are produced. These are presented to Directorate Management meetings, the Housing Neighbourhood & Leisure Committee and are included in our annual report to tenants and via our web pages.  We took the opportunity to carry out a scrutiny exercise with engaged tenants, whereby they reviewed our complaints management performance  and made improvement recommendations and we have agreed to feed back progress of these improvements on a quarterly basis.
8.2	The annual complaints performance and service improvement report must be reported to the landlord’s governing body (or equivalent) and published on the on the section of its website relating to complaints. The governing body’s response to the report must be published alongside this.	Yes	Housing Ombudsman Complaint Handling Code: Self-assessment form	The annual Complaints Performance and Service Improvement Report and self-assessment are presented to the Council’s appropriate governing body for scrutiny and approval and are subsequently published on the Council’s website together with the governing body’s response.
8.3	Landlords must also carry out a self-assessment following a significant restructure, merger and/or change in procedures.	Yes		The Council will undertake a further self-assessment following any significant restructure, merger or material change to its complaints procedures, in accordance with the Code. Responsibility for ensuring this is completed sits with the corporate complaints team in conjunction with Housing.
8.4	Landlords may be asked to review and update the self-assessment following an Ombudsman investigation.	Yes		The Council reviews and updates its self-assessment following relevant Housing Ombudsman investigations where learning or recommendations impact on complaint handling arrangements.
8.5	If a landlord is unable to comply with the Code due to exceptional circumstances, such as a cyber incident, they must inform the Ombudsman, provide information to residents who may be affected, and publish this on their website Landlords must provide a timescale for returning to compliance with the Code.	Yes		The Council has arrangements in place to notify the Housing Ombudsman and affected tenants where exceptional circumstances prevent compliance with the Code. This would include publishing appropriate information and a timescale for returning to compliance on the Council’s website.

Section 9: Scrutiny and oversight: continuous learning and improvement

Code provision	Code requirement	Comply: Yes / No	Evidence	Commentary / explanation
9.1	Landlords must look beyond the circumstances of the individual complaint and consider whether service improvements can be made as a result of any learning from the complaint.	Yes	Reading housing annual report 2024 to 2025	This is carried out each quarter or when a theme has been identified by the Housing Service. Tenant scrutiny is already in place, and occurs on a regular basis throughout the year.
9.2	A positive complaint handling culture is integral to the effectiveness with which landlords resolve disputes. Landlords must use complaints as a source of intelligence to identify issues and introduce positive changes in service delivery.	Yes	Reading housing annual report 2024 to 2025	This is a regular weekly agenda item on the Housing & Communities Management Team meetings.
9.3	Accountability and transparency are also integral to a positive complaint handling culture. Landlords must report back on wider learning and improvements from complaints to stakeholders, such as residents’ panels, staff and relevant committees.	Yes	Reading housing annual report 2024 to 2025	Housing and Communities takes a structured approach to learning from complaints. Complaint themes and trends are analysed to identify service improvements and inform improvement planning. Performance and learning information is provided to service leads monthly to enable prompt action, with quarterly oversight through HCMT. Wider learning and improvements are also reported to tenants through the Housing Annual Report.
9.4	Landlords must appoint a suitably senior lead person as accountable for their complaint handling. This person must assess any themes or trends to identify potential systemic issues, serious risks, or policies and procedures that require revision.	Yes		The council have a designated corporate Complaints Manager and a Corporate Customer Relations Manager who has oversight and provides reports to the lead member for housing.
9.5	In addition to this a member of the governing body (or equivalent) must be appointed to have lead responsibility for complaints to support a positive complaint handling culture. This person is referred to as the Member Responsible for Complaints (‘the MRC’).	Yes		This our Lead Member for Housing.
9.6	The MRC will be responsible for ensuring the governing body receives regular information on complaints that provides insight on the landlord’s complaint handling performance. This person must have access to suitable information and staff to perform this role and report on their findings.	Yes		This information is provided monthly to the Lead Member for housing and complaints, and quarterly to the Housing Neighbourhood & Leisure Committee.
9.7	As a minimum, the MRC and the governing body (or equivalent) must receive: a.  regular updates on the volume, categories and outcomes of complaints, alongside complaint handling performance;  b. regular reviews of issues and trends arising from complaint handling;    c. regular updates on the outcomes of the Ombudsman’s investigations and progress made in complying with orders related to severe maladministration findings; and   d. annual complaints performance and service improvement report.	Yes		This information is provided monthly to the Lead Member for housing and complaints, and quarterly to the Housing Neighbourhood & Leisure Committee.
9.8	Landlords must have a standard objective in relation to complaint handling for all relevant employees or third parties that reflects the need to: a.  have a collaborative and co-operative approach towards resolving complaints, working with colleagues across teams and departments;  b. take collective responsibility for any shortfalls identified through complaints, rather than blaming others; and  c. act within the professional standards for engaging with complaints as set by any relevant professional body.	Yes		Relevant Service Managers and appointed Investigating Officers are responsible for the effective management and resolution of complaints within their service areas. This includes ensuring complaints are responded to in line with Complaint Handling Code timescales, that learning is identified and recorded throughout the investigation process, and that agreed service improvements and remedial actions are implemented and monitored to completion. Staff involved in complaint handling are expected to work collaboratively and co-operatively with colleagues across teams, departments and contractors to achieve effective complaint resolution. Where complaints identify service failures or opportunities for improvement, services are expected to take collective responsibility for addressing those issues and implementing learning, rather than attributing fault to individuals or other teams. Officers are also expected to conduct complaint investigations and engage with residents in accordance with the Housing Ombudsman’s Complaint Handling Code, Council policies and the professional standards applicable to their role. Complaint handling performance is a key management responsibility and forms part of regular performance oversight arrangements. Housing complaints performance, compliance with response timescales, emerging themes and learning outcomes are reviewed weekly through Housing and Communities Management Team (HCMT) meetings, providing senior management oversight, challenge and assurance. This ensures complaint handling remains a core operational objective, with accountability for performance sitting directly with Service Managers and Investigating Officers.     We are committed to our corporate ethics, which are: Selflessness Integrity Objectivity Accountability Openness Honesty Leadership We also work to our ‘Team Reading’ approach.