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Tenant Annual Report 2026

Complaints

In 2025/26, we received 135 complaints.

  • A total of 100 complaint learning reflections were logged in the year
  • No complaints were refused at Stage 1 or Stage 2
  • The Housing Ombudsman did not find any failings in the way we handled the cases it investigated

Have a complaint?

We’re here to listen. Visit our contact page or call us on 01392 273462.

Download the full report (PDF)

What you told us

The most complaints we received were about contractor communication. This included things like:

Repairs

This was the largest service area, making up 50% of Stage 1 complaints.

Communication problems, including:

  • Residents not being kept updated
  • Unclear explanations
  • Late or missed responses
  • Inconsistent information from staff or contractors

Contractor-related issues, especially:

  • Poor contractor communication
  • Poor service from the out-of-hours repairs service
  • Contractor performance concerns

Standards of service, including:

  • Poor service quality
  • Repairs not completed properly or followed through
  • Appointment issues, including missed appointments, repeated appointments, or poor communication around appointments
  • Standard of home, including concerns about repairs, damp and mould, and the condition of homes
  • Advice or information given, where residents felt the information was wrong or unclear, or expectations were raised incorrectly
  • Poor follow-up and record keeping, including actions not being monitored, incomplete notes, or staff not checking case history

What we did

  • Staff training on complaints, empathy, neurodiversity and communication
  • Improved ASB case management by launching a new customer relations module
  • Better contractor management and reviewing our procurement process
  • Changed our lettings and mutual exchange procedures
  • Improved systems training and use of resident data
  • New procedures for inspections, emergency moves and communal door access

We will continue to learn from complaints received and already have plans to improve the information that we hold to help us respond.

In the next year we will be:

  • Improving repairs scheduling
  • Bringing in a new out-of-hours repairs contractor
  • Improving first-time fix rates
  • Better written communication across all our complaints
  • More resident communication about complaints
  • Support for residents experiencing vulnerability or needing adjustments, feeding in from our resident census

Customer Experience Training

In March 2026, all staff took part in Customer Experience training. The training used realistic role-play scenarios to help staff see situations from a resident’s point of view and better understand how different circumstances can affect the way people communicate, raise concerns or make complaints. The session covered topics including diversity, damp and mould, domestic abuse, unconscious bias and culture.

By focusing on situations staff may encounter in their day-to-day roles, the training encouraged a more informed, compassionate and consistent approach to supporting residents, particularly where the reasons behind a complaint or difficult conversation may not be immediately clear.

Complaint statistics

  • 118

    118

    Stage one complaints

  • 79.3

    79.3

    stage one complaints received per 1,000 homes

  • 89.2%

    89.2%

    of stage one complaints responded to within the Housing Ombudsman’s Complaint Handling Code timescales

  • 17

    17

    Stage two complaints

  • 11.4

    11.4

    stage two complaints received per 1,000 homes

  • 87.5%

    87.5%

    of stage two complaints responded to within the Housing Ombudsman’s Complaint Handling Code timescales

Key themes

  • 72

    72

    Repairs

  • 25

    25

    Housing, letting, rent and parking

  • 17

    17

    Building improvements and customer safety

  • 12

    12

    Anti-social behaviour

  • 4

    4

    Developing new homes

  • 2

    2

    Communal and grounds maintenance

  • 1

    1

    Customer services, communications and complaints

Complaints upheld by theme

Key theme Number upheld Total complaints in category % of complaints upheld
Standard of service 20 31 64.5%
Standard of repair work completed 5 5 100%
Standard of home (new home) 0 0 0%
Standard of home 11 14 78.6%
Standard of advice given 3 5 60%
Rent charges 0 0 0%
Process error 0 0 0%
Contractor performance 7 9 77.8%
Contractor communication 18 18 100%
Communication 25 34 73.5%
Appointment times 11 13 84.6%
Other 6 6 100%