Decision details

To seek Cabinet approval of the ‘Annual Complaints Performance and Service Improvement’ Report for 2023/24. From April 2024, as part of new legislation, Kirklees Council, as a social housing landlord, must submit an annual complaints and performance report to the Housing Ombudsman.

Note: submission deadline is 30^th June 2024 for all landlords, however, the Ombudsman accepts that the timing of local elections my cause issues for some landlords. On 5^th June, the Ombudsman agreed the following in respect of Kirklees Council,

·       The landlord to ensure the self- assessment and annual complaints performance and improvement report (as it is) is submitted to the Ombudsman by 30th June 2024. 

·       The landlord’s governing body to review the self-assessment and report at their meeting in July so there is sufficient internal scrutiny of this information; and to provide their response which the landlord will then need to submit to the Ombudsman.

·       If the governing body wants changes to be made to the documents following review, this should be set out in the response and the revised documents submitted alongside the governing body’s response.

Engagement Process

The Homes & Neighbourhoods’ Improvement Board (HNIB) will be briefed on the first Annual Complaints Performance and Service Improvement Report on 17^th June 2024.

The Council’s Tenant-Led Panel (TLP) will be briefed at the Panel’s meeting on 26^th June 2024. In addition, the TLP receive quarterly performance reports on complaints handling throughout the year.

Consultation

Under the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023, the Housing Ombudsman’s Complaint Handling Code (‘Code’) became statutory from 1^st April and places a legal duty on the council, as a social landlord, to comply with the Code and a duty on the Ombudsman to monitor compliance. Under the new legislation, the council is required to produce an annual complaint performance and service improvement report including a self-assessment.

Landlords must ensure that this has been reported to the council’s governing body and published on the section of the website relating to complaints.  When publishing the self-assessment as part of the annual report, the council must include the governing body’s response to the report to provide assurance that the self-assessment is a true reflection of the council’s complaint handling. ?The response should set out how the Member Responsible for Complaints (MRC), Portfolio Holder, Corporate and Housing, has scrutinised and challenged the self-assessment and how any risks identified as part of the review have been addressed.

RESOLVED –

1)    That it be noted the draft Annual Complaints Performance and Service Improvement Report 2023/24, and self-assessment was submitted by 30th June 2024.

2)    That the draft Annual Complaints Performance and Service Improvement Report 2023/24, which includes the self-assessment against the Code, be noted.

3)    That the self-assessment against the Code was an accurate reflection of the Council’s position and that the areas in which the Council had fallen short, namely ‘reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act 2010’ was noted and, that plans to rectify this were in place and being progressed.

4)    That approval be given to publish the final report including Cabinet’s response and the self-assessment, on the Council’s website, post submission.