Making a complaint

1. Depending on the complaint, sometimes they do need investigating more thoroughly, and in this case it will be passed onto our Customer Resolution team who will then make contact with you and discuss your complaint and support you through the first stage of our process.
2. They will carry out an investigation with the information you have provided and keep you informed during the process. We will do this as quickly as we can and aim to make sure you have a decision and response within ten working days.*
   *sometimes due to unforeseen circumstances a complaint may take longer to investigate and in these circumstances we will let you know and keep you updated.
3. Once a decision has been made, we will contact you to discuss the outcome, which will also give you the opportunity to ask questions and understand the decision made. If you are not satisfied with the decision made, you are able to ask for the complaint to be looked at again in Stage 2 of our complaints process.

Click here to see our Complaints Policy.

Complaint Performance and Service Improvement Report 

• Appendix 1 – Complaint performance 
• Appendix 2 – Our self-assessment against the Complaints Handling Code
• Appendix 3 – Housing Ombudsman case summary 
• Appendix 4 – Complaint Learning Summary 

Response from our Board

Rachel Cook, Member Responsible for Complaints and Senior Independent Director:
“Following the Annual Complaint Performance and Service Improvement Report being presented to the Ongo Homes Board on 15 May 2024, the Board has been updated on the performance in relation to complaint handling over the last 12 months.

“It was highlighted that Ongo is compliant with the Housing Ombudsman’s complaint handling code, whilst also acknowledging there is work to do and areas to focus on to improve complaints performance further over the coming months.

“The report was an honest and transparent update which explained that we’re not where we want to be with the timeliness of delivering repairs, but that there are now much stronger processes in place which will drive the required improvements. This in turn, we are confident, will improve tenant satisfaction and the overall service we provide – something that is a key priority for us.

“There is a working group made up of key colleagues from across the organisation to drive forward these processes and changes to the service and positive results are being seen already. Through our learning, we have recognised that we require greater focus on our more complex repair requests, and as a result, we have reorganised the team to be able to monitor this more effectively.

“With all complaints we receive, we assess for any trends and patterns that need addressing. Key themes to note are around communication during the complaints process and meeting timescales – both of which are being addressed with our new processes and improved service delivery.

“We will continue to monitor progress and performance throughout the year to ensure satisfaction and levels of service are moving in the direction we expect and want for our customers. All of our performance information can be found in the performance section of our website, here.”

Quarterly performance 

• January – March 2024
• October – December 2023 
• July – September 2023
• April – June 2023

The Housing Ombudsman service is there throughout the lifetime of your complaint and if you feel you need further help and guidance on your complaint,

The Housing Ombudsman will support complaint resolutions between you and us and will formally investigate a complaint once you have completed our complaints process fully. We will co-operate fully with all requests from the Housing Ombudsman to support them in their findings and comply with the Housing Ombudsman Complaint Handling Code.

To contact them, see below

Address:
Housing Ombudsman Service
PO Box 1484
Unit D
Preston
PR2 0ET

Telephone:
0300 1113000

Email:
info@housing-ombudsman.org.uk

Online:
Online complaint form

In April 2024 the Complaint Handling Code, which sets out good practice to allow landlords to respond to complaints effectively and fairly, became a regulatory requirement. We are committed to ensuring we follow and comply with this code.

Our annual self-assessment against the code has been completed and reviewed by members of our Complaints Panel, and a copy of this can be found here. This will be submitted to the Housing Ombudsman.

The panel is made up of volunteers who focus on how Ongo handles complaints.

Their purpose is to drive change across the business and raise standards for tenants and customers who use the complaints service. The panel achieve this by quality-checking all aspects of complaint handling and performance, analysing and understanding themes for complaints, and spotlighting areas for further scrutiny.

Using example case studies, they identify themes and trends to assess whether procedures have been followed or require changing. In addition to this the panel provides their comments on the Housing Ombudsman Complaint Handling Code and monitors the self-assessment to ensure we are compliant when dealing with complaints.

The panel meetings take place for two/three hours every three months.

Click here to find out more and sign up.