2. Complaints handling
We are working to respond to complaints more quickly, communicate more clearly and tackle the issues that cause complaints in the first place.
In 2025/26, we received 61.9 stage 1 complaints per 1,000 tenant homes and 64.6 stage 1 complaints per 1,000 shared ownership homes, in line with Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSM) reporting.
Responding more quickly
Residents have told us that waiting too long for a response to an enquiry is a major source of frustration.
We are changing how we manage enquiries through our Contact Centre and local teams to help residents get answers more quickly. This includes giving residents more direct access to the right teams and having more colleagues in our communities to help resolve issues.
We are also putting a greater focus on keeping residents informed. Better, more timely communication can help us resolve issues earlier and improve residents’ experience of our services.
Tackling the cause of complaints
We also know that service charge queries and properties with a managing agent are a large source of complaints. We are creating a new managing agent service to improve residents’ experience, particularly when dealing with service charge queries.
We are also improving communication about repairs appointments, including where work cannot be completed at the first visit, to make the process easier for residents.
What we are doing
2026/27 Q1 performance
The period April-June 2026 has been a time of change as we introduce a new complaint handling process and system. While it is still early in the transition, we are pleased to see some initial improvements. A key focus remains improving the timeliness of complaint handling and keeping residents better informed throughout the process. The new approach will help us to:
- Communicate more regularly with residents to ensure we fully understand their complaint and keep them informed until it is resolved.
- One end-to-end complaint case reference for each stage, ensuring complaints are fully tracked from start to finish.
- Easier management of complaints that cover multiple issues, ensuring we respond fully to every aspect of the complaint.
- Automated triggers will flag deadlines and service-level performance, helping us respond within the required timescales.
How are we performing?
Making changes can have an impact on performance while teams are trained and coached in new ways of working. To minimise disruption, we are phasing changes through the process and continuing to focus on responding to residents as quickly as possible.
By the end of June 2026:
- Stage 1 acknowledgements within 5 days improved from 87% in March to 95% in June.
- Stage 2 acknowledgements within 5 days reduced from 88% in March to 77% in June.
- Stage 1 resolutions within 10 days (or within 20 days if extended) have improved from 49% in March to 58% in June.
- Stage 2 resolutions within 20 days (or within 40 days if extended) have fallen back slightly from 77% in March to 72% in June.
We are encouraged by the improvements in stage 1 performance, particularly the progress in acknowledging complaints more quickly. We recognise that further improvement is needed, particularly in stage 2 performance, which remains a key area of focus.
