Complaint handling code self-assessment

Accountability and transparency are integral to a positive complaint handling culture. Landlords must report back on wider learning and improvements from complaints in their annual report and more frequently to their residents, staff and scrutiny panels.

A member of the governing body should be appointed to have lead responsibility for complaints to support a positive complaint handling culture. This role will be responsible for ensuring the governing body receives regular information on complaints that provides insight to the governing body on the landlord's complaint handling performance.

As a minimum, governing bodies should receive:

• regular updates on the volume, categories and outcome of complaints, alongside complaint handling performance including compliance with the Ombudsman's orders
• regular reviews of issues and trends arising from complaint handling, the annual performance report produced by the Ombudsman, where applicable Individual complaint outcomes where necessary, including where the Ombudsman made findings of severe maladministration or referrals to regulatory bodies. The implementation of management responses should be tracked to ensure they are delivered to agreed timescales.The annual self-assessment against the Complaint Handling Code for scrutiny and challenge.

Landlords should have a standard objective in relation to complaint handling for all employees that reflects the need to:

• have a collaborative and co-operative approach towards resolving complaints, working with colleagues across teams and departments
• take collective responsibility for any shortfalls identified through complaints rather than blaming others act within the Professional Standards for engaging with complaints as set by the Chartered Institute of Housing