Board Statement on Complaints Performance
Board Statement on Complaints Performance
On 30 April 2025 the Board received:
- The 2024/25 annual complaints performance and service improvement report for One Manchester customers
- A self-assessment for the year 2024/25 against the Housing Ombudsman Complaint Handling Code 2024
Both documents have since been reviewed and approved by our Customer Scrutiny Panel.
We are satisfied as a Board that One Manchester’s complaint handling process and policy is compliant with the Housing Ombudsman complaints handling code (2024) after reviewing the documents provided above, and the data we have received throughout the year. In addition, our Board Member Responsible for Complaints (MRC) Sue Lock FCIH and Chair of the Committee for Customer and Communities has thoroughly interrogated the evidence provided to ensure it meets the handling code.
Throughout the year the Board has received quarterly updates on complaints performance and service improvement including complaint volumes, themes, demographics, and learning. In addition an internal audit was undertaken in January 2025 which gave substantial assurance and the Housing Ombudsman’s landlord performance report for 2024/25 confirms One Manchester’s maladministration rate as 27% compared to 74% the previous year. This gives the Board assurance that One Manchester are recording and reporting complaints accurately and are using the learning from complaints to implement tactical improvements to services.
This year the Board is also pleased to report that a number of improvements have been made as a result of complaints, as detailed in the annual report. The Board has also received regular updates on One Manchester Homes Intervention which aims to improve the repairs service offered to customers as we recognise repairs remain the service area with the highest volume of complaints.
To ensure compliance with the code our housing management system was updated to allow for real-time monitoring and reporting. This gives Board assurance on the accuracy of data on complaint handling. We were also pleased to support the introduction of a new complaints triage stage from April 2024 to ensure complaints are fully understood, customers are supported and early resolution is implemented where possible. We understand that in this financial year the complaints team have also implemented transactional surveys to obtain feedback on complaints handling, and ensure any commitments at stage one have been fulfilled.
Further improvements are also planned following the independent scrutiny by customer scrutiny panel of One Manchester’s approach to complaints handling which concluded in May 2025. The panel made 37 recommendations of which 34 were accepted and are in the process of being implemented. These recommendations were categorised by theme: Improving Accessibility & Awareness; Enhancing Responsiveness & Transparency; Resolution & Prevention; Repairs Management; Leveraging Technology; Support for Vulnerable Tenants; Building a Culture of Learning & Accountability; Equality & Inclusion; Compensation & Fairness; Increase Transparency & Trust; Embedding Customer Voice; Governance & Continuous Improvement.