Back to All Events

Effectively Handling Complaints in Housing

Date & Time

Tuesday 26th November, 2024 | 9:45 AM - 15:00pm

Venue

Online Event

Availability

Limited Availability


Overview

The introduction of the new Complaint Handling Code and the focus on complaint management in social housing highlight a critical need for landlords and housing providers to adhere to best practices. The joint code, along with increased oversight from the Regulator, puts pressure on ensuring that tenants' issues are promptly addressed, while also encouraging landlords to learn from complaints to improve their services.

Given the heightened scrutiny—especially following the Grenfell tragedy and the poor handling of damp and mould—it's clear that complaint handling has evolved from a simple regulatory requirement into a broader measure of service quality and tenant safety. The implementation of effective systems to manage, resolve, and learn from complaints is now a key part of organisational accountability in social housing.

By attending our Effectively Handling Complaints in Housing event,  gain essential insights into the expectations laid out by the Ombudsman and Regulator. It's a valuable opportunity to acquire practical tools and learn from peers who are grappling with similar challenges, potentially finding shared solutions that improve tenant relations and service delivery.

Learning Outcomes

  • Learn from experts, formerly with the Housing Ombudsman Service, about the latest requirements for good complaint handling in line with the  Complaint Handling Code

  • Hear how to avoid common mistakes and resolve complaints through effective investigations and robust written complaint responses

  • Learn what to consider when proposing an appropriate and proportionate remedy to resolve a complaint

  • Hear how best to use customer feedback to learn from complaints and improve services for residents

  • Increase your awareness of the importance of keeping up to date and accurate records and avoid common pitfalls in record keeping

  • Hear about the latest and coming developments in complaint-handling, and discuss these with the trainers and other delegates


Lead Trainers

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Dave Simmons

Company Director of the Housing Mediators

Dave Simmons is the company Director of the Housing Mediators which provides a mediation service focusing on housing and workplace disputes, as well as a training and support service for landlords specialising in effective complaint management. 

He spent 15 years at the Housing Ombudsman Service where he worked as an Adjudicator and Sector Engagement Lead. His achievements included leading on the project to write and publish the first Complaint Handling Code. After leaving the Ombudsman he spent two years as Peabody’s Compliance Operations Manager, where his duties included overseeing compliance with the Ombudsman Service. 

Dave is a long-term associate of HQN and Tpas (Tenant Engagement Experts) and in his various roles he has delivered hundreds of training workshops, forums and webinars to the housing sector covering a breadth of subjects. He has also written dozens of briefings and best practice documents which he currently continues to do in his capacity as HQN’s Complaints Hub Lead.

He is an experienced accredited mediator and has mediated on a wide range of disputes including family, community and workplace. As a Board Trustee of Croydon Community Mediation, he co-produces newsletters which promote learning and knowledge sharing for its small team of community mediators

John Goodwin

Housing Consultant, Trainer and Mediator

Former Compliance & Systemic Lead at the Housing Ombudsman Service


Agenda

9:45 am

Logging on and Accessing the Online Platform


10:00 am

Expert’s Welcome and Overview of Learning Objectives


10:10 am

Understanding the Role of the Housing Ombudsman Service and Requirements of the Complaint Handling Code

 
  • The role and powers of the Housing Ombudsman Service

  • Understanding what the Housing Ombudsman expects of social housing landlords

  • The requirements of the Ombudsman’s ‘Complaint Handling Code, including current significant changes to the Code


10:40 am

Group Work: What’s Working Well and Areas For Improvement

 
  • Group discussions about what is working well in complaint handling in your organisation, and what you struggle with

  • Feedback from groups and discussion of key themes with trainers

  • The trainers will address the feedback from groups and pick up on any questions or areas of uncertainty during the remaining sessions


11:10 am

Resolving Complaints Effectively

 
  • Key requirements and things to get right when looking to resolve complaints effectively, including taking account of vulnerabilities and managing unreasonable behaviour

  • Tips for avoiding common pitfalls

  • Hear real life examples from the trainers’ experience and from the Housing Ombudsman Service’s complaint investigations


11:40 am

Morning Break


11:55 am

 

Insurance claims and the Pre-Action Protocol for Housing Conditions

  • How should landlords deal with complaints that involve insurance claims, or potential legal action e.g. for disrepair?

  • Landlords are often unclear about how to handle these tricky cases. Our trainers will set out the Ombudsman’s guidance and expectations


12:05 pm

Record Keeping

The trainers will highlight areas of good and poor practice, and how to tackle common problem areas, such as records of verbal agreements and missed appointments 


12:15 pm

Remedies to Disputes

  • Consider what to include in an effective remedy, including compensation payments

  • Hear about some creative solutions and innovative approaches that landlords have used to resolve disputes


12:45 pm

Lunch Break


13:15 pm

Effective Written Responses to Complaints

 
  • Learn how to improve responses and receive guidance on the latest requirements and good practice

  • Discuss an example of a complaint response letter


13:45 pm

Learning from Complaints

  • Find out how to capture learning through complaints to improve services by analysing the root causes of complaints and prioritising areas for improvement

  • Discuss how to use customer feedback to inform future complaint handling and ensure that tenants feel listened to

  • Hear examples of how landlords have used learning from complaints to make practical improvements


14:15 pm

Recent and Future Changes

This session will consider the current and future changes that will shape the housing complaint-handling landscape.


14:30 pm

Discussion, Questions and Answers

In this closing session delegates will have the opportunity to come together with our expert trainers to discuss areas of concern and ask any final questions.


15:00 pm

Feedback, Evaluation and Close

 

* Programme subject to change


Pricing

Health & Voluntary Sector
£245 + VAT

Public Sector
£345 + VAT

Private Sector
£445 + VAT

Previous
Previous
November 12

Developing an Improved Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy

Next
Next
November 27

Ensuring Public Sector Website Accessibility and Compliance