Complaints policy
This policy explains how we handle complaints.
About our complaints policy
This policy sets out how to make a complaint, how we will handle your complaint, and how you can escalate your complaint.
The policy is published on our website, and we advertise the policy in:
- every Housing Matters newsletter
- the Housing Allocation Scheme
- the Housing Repairs Guide
- the Tenancy handbook (2026 version)
- our privacy notices
We also include a link to the policy in our complaint responses.
The principles, process and timescales in this policy are guided by Ombudsman’s Joint Complaint Handling Code issued by the Housing Ombudsman and Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.
The policies for children’s social care and adult social care complaints are guided by the Children Act 1989 Representations Procedure Regulations (2006) and the Local Authority Social Services and National Health Service Complaints (England) Regulations 2009 respectively.
As an organisation that falls under the jurisdiction of both ombudsmen, we provide a co-ordinated complaint handling process across all services, covered by both codes. We are also required to complete an annual self-assessment. The latest self-assessments are available in useful documents.
Each year we will publish on our website:
- our complaints performance and service improvement report
- our self‑assessment against the Complaint Handling Code
- the response of our Member Responsible for Complaints to that report
We will also submit links to these items to the Housing Ombudsman as part of its duty to monitor compliance.
