Complaints performance for 2024-25

Our complaints performance and Service improvement report 2024-25 was taken to our Advisory Board on 25^th September 2025. The report covers key themes plus learning and service improvements, in compliance with the Housing Ombudsman’s complaint handling code.

The report addresses the following areas:

1. A self-assessment of our complaint handling under the complaint handling code
2. Our performance on complaints
3. Repairs delivery
4. Tenant Satisfaction Measures
5. Stakeholder and Customer Engagement
6. Budgetary, financial and VFM implications
7. Risk Management
8. Health & Safety
9. Equality and Diversity

Key findings

• We are substantially compliant with the new complaint handling code
• We received 134 stage 1 complaints with 30 of these progressing onto stage 2, although only 5 were upheld
• Of the 134 stage 1 complaints, 126 were responded to within the timescales which represents 94% in total. We still have work to do in addressing all complaints within the timescales
• The key themes coming through from complaints is predominately about the level of communication throughout the customer journey as well as appointments for repairs and maintenance works
• We have a centralised complaints inbox so that there is one email address receiving all complaints for BCP Homes. We also have a BCP Homes webpage which has a link to the BCP Homes complaints policy and details of how to make a complaint

Key themes around complaints

For 24/25 we only split complaints between Repairs and Neighbourhood Management. The majority of complaints were for Neighbourhood Management, with 38 complaints relating to Repairs and 96 for Neighbourhood Management issues. We are working to break these categories down for better analysis as part of the new Housing Management computer system.

When we analysed both complaints and determinations from the Ombudsman, we have identified some recurring themes and systemic issues, giving important insight into areas needing attention:

• Delays in repair completion: a general issue identified is the time taken to finalise repairs, often leaving residents inconvenienced and disheartened by the prolonged wait times
• Delayed follow-up works: compounding the issue of delayed repairs is the slow progress in subsequent works required following initial appointments, exacerbating the frustration and inconvenience experienced by our residents
• Communication breakdowns: instances of poor communication with our customers have been a recurring complaint, characterised by lapses in timely updates in rectifying service deficiencies
• Repairs appointments being arranges, re-arranged or cancelled without informing the tenant
• Delays in responding to complaints and not addressing all areas of a complaint

We try to resolve many issues when we first receive them to put something right before becoming a formal complaint. These may be due to a service failure e.g. missed appointment or lack of communication from us which can be easily rectified.

Changes are put in place to take account of lessons learned from complaint outcomes to ensure the same issues doesn’t happen again.

Advisory Board Response to the Report

Statement from the Cllr Dower, MRC for Complaints:

I am the Member Responsible for Complaints (MRC) at BCP Homes. As such, I take the governance lead for complaints performance and am pleased to confirm the following:

1. The attached improvement plan has been reviewed with me directly and subsequently discussed by both the BCP Homes Advisory Board and BCP Council’s Cabinet.
2. The contents of the assessment have been formally agreed and approved by both the Cabinet and the Advisory Board.