565 complaints about Oxford council housing in 2023/24

The Complaint Performance and Service Improvement Report, released by Oxford City Council, revealed 565 initial complaints, referred to as Stage 1, were made in 2023/24.

The report sheds light on key performance data, trends, and service improvements concerning related to council housing complaints.

It found 334 complaints, equating to 59 per cent, were upheld, and the other 231 were not.

These included 82 complaints about the council and 252 about Oxford Direct Services (ODS).

Of the 565 Stage 1 complaints, 431, or 76 per cent, were handled by ODS, and 134, or 24 per cent, by the council.

If a tenant is dissatisfied with the outcome of a Stage 1 complaint, they can escalate the issue to a Stage 2 complaint, which sees a senior officer conduct a more detailed review.

A total of 30 complaints were escalated to Stage 2, with 19 handled by the council and 11 by ODS.

Many of these had been upheld at Stage 1 and needed more work, like agreeing compensation or completing repairs.

As a result, 25 were upheld on review, including 16 complaints about the council and nine about ODS.

The main issues raised in complaints included delays in repairs, poor communication, and the handling of damp and mould.

Councillor Linda Smith, cabinet member for housing and communities, said: "We welcome the publication of this report, as it’s vital for us to be open about our complaints performance and show where we need to do better.

City councillor Linda Smith (Image: Oxford Mail)

"We take complaints very seriously and we’re determined to learn from past mistakes to keep improving our services for our tenants and leaseholders."

The council said it "recognises the need for better communication and improved complaint management to reduce dissatisfaction".

Nearly all complaints were resolved within the Housing Ombudsman’s timescales, including 95 per cent of Stage 1 complaints and all Stage 2 complaints.

The report also outlines how the council is adapting to meet the new regulatory standards set by the Housing Ombudsman’s Complaints Handling Code and the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023.

It includes a breakdown of complaints handled directly by the council and ODS.

In response to feedback and in preparation for the new Housing Ombudsman’s code, the council made changes to its complaints handling processes in 2023/24.

These included establishing a dedicated customer care and complaints team within Landlord Services and the introduction of ODS’ texting service to make managing repair appointments and providing immediate feedback easier for tenants.