Annual Complaints Performance and Service Improvement Report

• 1.1    We aim to provide excellent services for our customers. Our purpose is to provide housing that our customers are proud to call home and we look to promote our values of Respect, One Estuary, Accountable and Responsible through the services we provide. 
• 1.2    We recognise that sometimes things go wrong and customers may be dissatisfied with the service they receive. We take time to listen and understand our customers’ experiences and influence continuous improvement through a learning culture. We manage complaints in a positive, confidential and transparent way, keeping customers fully informed throughout the process. 
• 1.3    This year we have focused on improving our handling of complaints and made the process as easy as possible for our customers. Our complaint process is clear, accessible and continuously publicised in a range of ways to our customers. Information is available in a number of formats and all our investigating officers have been trained to manage complaints effectively, seeking resolution where possible.
  
  We are committed to being fair and transparent in our investigations and findings and offer support throughout the complaint process. We acknowledge and apologise for our mistakes and provide redress to customers to compensate for any unnecessarily impact caused.  
  
  Learning is at the heart of our complaint management culture, with a commitment to improve our service delivery. We will expand our learning with customers in the coming year and provide further opportunities to seek feedback on our handling of complaints. 
   
• 1.4    We follow the statutory code, set out by the Housing Ombudsman Service (HOS). 
  This report sets out:
  1. The annual self-assessment against this Code to ensure our complaint handling policy remains in line with its requirements.
  2. A qualitative and quantitative analysis of the our complaint handling performance - this must also include a summary of the types of complaints we have refused to accept.
  3. Any findings of non-compliance with this Code by the Ombudsman.
  4. The service improvements made as a result of the learning from complaints.
  5. Any annual report about our performance from the Ombudsman.
  6. Any other relevant reports or publications produced by the Ombudsman in relation to the work of the landlord.

• 2.1    We review our performance against the Housing Ombudsman Complaint Handling Code annually. 

You can locate the code and evidence of our compliance at https://estuary.co.uk/housing-ombudsman-self-assessment

The Stage 1 and 2 complaints we received between 1st April 2023 and 31st March 2024 are presented in the table below. As a high-volume contact area, the responsive repairs area received the highest number of complaints across the business.

Complaint Volumes

Directorate	Service Area	Stage 1	Stage 2
Built Environment	Development	12	7
	Gas	45	7
	Health and Safety	9	2
	Mechanical and Electrical	61	21
	Planned	11	3
	Responsive Repairs	364	92
	Sales and Marketing	1	0
	Voids (Empty Properties)	3	0
Customer and Housing Services	Customer Engagement	2	0
	Customer Services	2	0
	Estate Services (GEMS)	13	0
	Income	10	1
	Tenancies	39	6
Care and Support	Community Support	2	0
Total 2023-24		582	141
Total 2022-23		633	129

• 3.2    Complaint have decreased by 5%, compared to the last reporting year. There has been an 8% decrease in Stage 1 complaints and a 9% increase in escalated Stage 2 complaints. This increase has highlighted that we need to improve our handling at Stage 1.
• 3.3    We will continue to monitor this area of the business closely to ensure we learn from complaints and improve our complaint handling performance. 

• 3.4    Time to Log and Respond to Complaints
  We have logged 99% of complaints within the 5 working day timescale (2022/23: 87%).

• 3.5    Our complaint response timeframes have also improved from the previous year: 

Complaint Response Times

Complaint Stage	2023/24  In target	2023/24  Over target	2022/23  In target	2022/23  Over target
Stage 1  (within 10 working days)	84%	16%	65%	35%
Stage 1 (within extension outlined by the HOS code) - 20 days.	68%	32%	N/A	N/A
Stage 2 (within 20 working days)	81%	20%	66%	34%
Stage 2 (within extension outlined within the HOS code) - 30 days.	76%	24%	N/A	N/A

 

• 3.6    We have made significant improvement during the reporting year as demonstrated below. This data includes complaints responded within timeframe for both extended and non-extended cases.  

Percentage of Complaints Responded to Within Timescales

Month	Stage 1	Stage 2
April 2023	72%	75%
May 2023	55%	46%
June 2023	64%	35%
July 2023	48%	75%
August 2023	50%	48%
September 2023	92%	87%
October 2023	96%	100%
November 2023	92%	100%
December 2023	100%	100%
January 2024	94%	100%
February 2024	91%	100%
March 2024	97%	100%

• 3.7    We aim to improve these statistics further this coming year. 

• 3.8    Our average response timeframes to complaints received during 2023/24 are:
  • 9 working days for non-extended stage 1 complaints (target: 10 days)
  • 18 working days for extended stage 1 complaints (target: 20 days)
  • 19 working days for non-extended stage 2 complaints (target: 20 days)
  • 24 working days for extended stage 2 complaints (target: 30 days)
  • On average, our actual performance exceeded target.
     

• 3.9 Complaint outcomes are categorised as upheld, partially upheld, or not upheld. Here are the outcomes for 2023/24 and in comparison, to 2022/23:

Complaint Outcome Comparison 2023-24 vs 2022-23

Outcome	2023-24	2022-23
Upheld	54%	61%
Partially Upheld	22%	9%
Not Upheld	24%	30%

 

Complaint Type 2023-24

Appointment issue	95
Time taken to carry out repair	94
Heating/hot water	54
Quality of works	46
Multiple failures	45
Outstanding works	40
Communication	39
Lack of action	32
Professionalism/conduct	29
Communal repairs	22
Damp and mould	18
Handling of case	18
Incorrect guidance/info	16
Gardening	8
Service charge	6
Cleaning	5
Allocations	4
Wrong tradesman	4
Contact centre	3
Items damaged	3
Condition of facilities	2
GDPR	2

• 3.11    The area to receive most complaints has been related to our responsive repairs. We have developed a recovery service plan in partnership with Axis, our responsive repairs strategic partnering contractor, to overcome the key reoccurring areas highlighted above. 

• 3.12   Axis have already increased staff resource to manage appointments. Geographical mapping of appointments has also been introduced. This should help reduce the risk of appointments being missed due to location (as Estuary has properties located in a large geographic area). 
  
  Axis will also focus on improving communication with customers when handling appointments. A chatbot system via our online customer portal has also been introduced. This allows customers to manage their own repair appointments. Further work is planned for this area of dissatisfaction. 

• 3.13    The construction industry, nationally, has been impacted by staff shortages. 
  Axis are recruiting for vacant trade positions and sub-contractors to help provide additional support for specialised works and “peak” repair demand periods. This will also help to increase capacity and resilience and improve consistency of service delivery. 
  Finally, to assist with overdue repairs, there will be separate additional staffing for a dedicated period of time to address the repair backlog. 

• 3.14   50% of complaints in this area were upheld due to the time taken to address the issue. We noted a high number of the reported issues related to cases where parts were required. We will review how stock is being managed and maintained by our repairs contractor. 

• 3.15    There is a common trend amongst all our complaints around communication. We have already implemented several changes to help improve this area:
  • Development of our website, including access to complaints information and a dedicated learning points webpage to share how we learn from complaints.
  • Complaints information shared in various formats, including video, social media and leaflet to ensure accessibility. This also includes details of the HOS.
  • All colleagues have received training on Housing Ombudsman Complaint Handling Code. 
  • Internal complaints processes have been strengthened to ensure quality responses are issued to our customers.
  • Implementation of a new compensation policy, to provide a more consistent approach when awarding compensation.
  • Dedicated complaints handling subgroup which is held with some engaged customers. 
  • All investigating officers have recieved training on how to investigate and respond to complaints effectively. 
     
• 3.16    During the reporting year, we did not refuse to accept any complaints received. 

• 5.1   Following determinations received from the Housing Ombudsman service, as well as complaints received at Stage 1 and 2, we have made several changes to improve our services. 

You Said, We Did

You needed more information about the installation of new storage heaters and how to use them.	We have a dedicated page on our website. This provides a user guide for our most recent installation of storage heaters.  Although the guide is for a specific type of storage heater, we also offer to do our best to find user guides for alternative storage heaters if required. https://estuary.co.uk/storage-heaters
There was no information about what missed appointments meant for repairs reported.	A dedicated web page was created providing this information: https://estuary.co.uk/missed-appointments
There was increased waiting time on both our main contact line and our repairs partners contact line.	We have introduced a call back service for our customers to offer an alternative to waiting on the line. Further capacity is being provided by Axis to the Call Centre to increase resilience.
There was a lack of communication around the suspension of cleaning/maintenance services over the Christmas period.	As a business, we have improved our process of communicating with our customers over holiday periods.
There was a lack of feedback following a recruitment campaign for the Resident Voice and Influence Panel.	We have now created a Resident Voice and Influence Panel recruitment procedure for our residents. https://estuary.co.uk/residentvip
We had inaccurate property records for fire door replacement works.	We now cross reference all future records with completion certificates. These are vetted by the contract’s supervisor against the address of the property to ensure that information record is correct and up to date.
We missed appointments relating to electrical testing for our properties.	We have updated our asset management software to reflect the dates when electrical testing is due and the data is reconciled every three months to ensure that the data and stock list are correct.
Some of our staff did not deliver great customer service.	We invested in customer service training. This included customer experience, customer journey mapping, communication skills, behaviour, language and tone, as well as how to manage challenging situations.  Resources have been shared with staff and are available to all as an area to continuously develop.  We have also launched our new Customer Service Standard - estuary.co.uk/customer-service-standards
There was poor performance by our lift service contractor.	We ended the existing contract and in September 2023 awarded the contract to a new lift service provider.
Calls made to our repairs line which were on hold automatically transferred to the out of hours line at 5pm, who would only accept emergency repairs.	The service was changed, so that any calls in the queue before 5pm, would be answered by the day to day team, so all repairs could be raised.
Handling of planned maintenance works	We have new dedicated suppliers in place for planned maintenance works.

 

• 5.2    During 2023/24, we also introduced our resident lessons learnt project group. There were four meetings held in the year and meetings have included discussions around, missed appointments, repair follow on actions, a review of our communication and how we can improve our communication to help reduce the risk of customer dissatisfaction and complaint handling. This project group will continue throughout 2024/25. 

    

• 6.1    The HOS published individual reports for those landlords with five or more findings on cases determined between 1st April 2022 and 31st March 2023. 
  During this period, we received three determinations, which resulted in six findings: 
  • Four findings of service failure.
  • One finding of no maladministration.
  • One finding of redress. 
  • The findings in these cases were based around our handling of an ASB case, handling of repairs and our complaint handling when awarding compensation.

• 6.2    Details of this report can be found at https://www.housing-ombudsman.org.uk/landlords/

• 7.1    We received 11 completed investigation responses from the Housing Ombudsman during 2023/24, (2022/23: we received 3). Below is the breakdown of findings from these cases:
  • 7 Service Failure.
  • 11 Maladministration.
  • 5 No Maladministration.
  • 1 Severe Maladministration.
• Compensation awarded by the Housing Ombudsman Service (on top of compensation already awarded by Estuary) £9,003.43

• 7.2     We received one Severe Maladministration case related to damp and mould works. Since this case, there have been changes made and plans for future improvements in this area:
  • Stabilised and increased staff resources within our internal responsive repairs team to help improve this area of the service.
  • We are actively visiting properties with past damp and mould issues to inspect and engage with customers, aiming to resolve problems as early as possible.
  • A page dedicated to ventilation/damp and mould has been created on our website - https://visit.estuary.co.uk/damp-and-ventilation
  • We are investing in new ventilation systems which operate continuously in bathrooms, kitchens and utility rooms forming a natural air flow and ventilation within the home.
  • Internal staff training to increase awareness and knowledge of handling damp and mould cases.
  • Completed self-assessments against the Housing Ombudsman’s report “Spotlight on Damp and Mould – It’s not a lifestyle.”
  • Development of a Damp and Mould Policy with our Resident Voice and Influence Panel (RVIP).

• 7.3    Maladministration outcomes relating to:
  • Handling of repairs.
  • Handling of major works.
  • Complaint handling.
  • Handling of planned maintenance.
  • Handling of reports of contractor conduct.
  • Handling of damp and mould.

• 7.4     Service failure outcomes related to:
  • Complaint handling.
  • Handling of repairs.
  • Handling of gas safety check.
  • Handling of accusations of unacceptable behaviour.
  • Handling of pest control issues in a communal area.

• 7.5     No Maladministration outcomes related to:
  • Handling of reports of repairs to the property.
  • Handling or works to fire door in a property.
  • Reports of staff conduct issues.
  • Handling of ASB reports.
  • Handling of concerns of CCTV.

• 7.6    We have made vast improvements to our complaints handling process and policy. Staff training has been delivered to the whole business to ensure everyone understands their role in complaint handling. With the Axis recovery service plan now also in motion, we are working towards improving our repairs handling. 
   

Board Response to the Annual Complaints Performance and Service Improvement Report and Housing Ombudsman Self-Assessment.

We, the Governing Body of Estuary Housing Association Ltd, have reviewed the Annual Complaints Performance and Service Improvement Report and the Housing Ombudsman Self-Assessment. We are assured by the actions we are taking to improve services for customers. Feedback is used to improve service delivery and learning is shared with customers in a transparent way by various communication channels. We are satisfied that the Self-Assessment accurately reflects our understanding and scrutiny of our approach to complaint handling and compliance with it.

Estuary recognise the improvements which need to be made and through their journey have introduced and delivered a number of improvements over the past 12 months. The Complaints and Customer Feedback Policy and procedures and internal controls have been strengthened and complaint handling improved.

Estuary have invested in staff training to raise awareness of the Housing Ombudsman Complaint Handling Code and improved complaint handling across the business. The Board has also ensured that compliance with the Complaint Handling Code is included in our staff appraisal process to further raise awareness. We recognise the work of the Residents’ Complaints Forum and the opportunity to focus on key areas of the business, which are causing dissatisfaction from a customer perspective.

Complaints performance information is reviewed and challenged by the Board, Customer Experience Committee and the Audit and Risk Committee. The information provided allows us to scrutinise the numbers, the types of complaints, the trends and the outcomes, alongside what is being improved and changed as a result. We also review and scrutinise Estuary’s Housing Ombudsman determinations. The Board note that recent cases are reflective of the complaints and the services provided historically, prior to the work that has been carried out in the past year.

In the coming year we will continue to scrutinise and seek assurance on how, in particular, our Responsive Repairs service is improving and complaints data will be crucial in the contract review process. A key area of focus will be on the timescales to deal with repairs and achieving right first time on agreed appointments. We will develop our understanding as a Board on the types of complaints from various cohorts of customers. We will also benchmark our performance against other landlords of similar size to see how Estuary compare.

Estuary have embraced the opportunity to completely review the way in which complaints are managed. It is clear that historical cases and increasing case volumes have put pressure on our services. The Board is aware that we will not always get things right but is confident that where issues are identified we put them right and learn from our mistakes. As a result, we have seen significant improvements in complaint handling at Estuary. We are therefore confident that, on the whole, complaints are managed well and in line with the Housing Ombudsman Code.