Complaints reports

Annual Complaints Performance and Service Improvement Report 2025/26

The Board has reviewed Fairhive’s Annual Complaints Performance and Service Improvement Report 2025/26 and the accompanying Self-Assessment against the Housing Ombudsman Complaint Handling Code.

The Board notes the progress made during 2025/26, including improved complaint response timeliness, strengthened complaint-handling governance and completion of all Housing Ombudsman orders. The Board also recognises that further improvement is required, particularly in relation to complaint response timeliness, communication, record-keeping and reducing repeat service failures.

The Board supports the service improvement priorities for 2026/27 and will continue to scrutinise complaint-handling performance, Housing Ombudsman outcomes, resident feedback and organisational learning through regular reporting and oversight by the Member Responsible for Complaints.

Peter Hughes, Chair of the Board

Take a look at our annual complaints report below and our Self-Assessment - 2026.pdf [pdf] 475KB

1. Introduction

1.1. This report provides Fairhive’s Annual Complaints Performance and Service Improvement Report for the year ending 31 March 2026. It supports scrutiny and challenge by the Board, residents and other stakeholders, and demonstrates how Fairhive has handled complaints, learned from them and used that learning to improve services.

1.2. This report should be read alongside Fairhive’s 2026 Self-Assessment against the Housing Ombudsman Complaint Handling Code and the Board’s response to this report, which is included in section 16 of this report.

1.3. Fairhive recognises that complaints are an important source of resident feedback and service improvement. Complaints help us understand where services have not met expectations and where we need to improve communication, ownership, responsiveness and outcomes for residents.

2. Complaint handling framework and Code compliance

2.1. Fairhive has a single Complaints, Compliments & Compensation Policy, supported by a Complaints Procedure and Compensation Procedure. These documents set out how residents can raise complaints, what they can expect at each stage of the process, what remedies may be considered where something has gone wrong, and how complaint learning is used to improve services.

2.2. The 2026 policy and procedure have been revised to strengthen alignment with the Housing Ombudsman Complaint Handling Code and to respond to the Housing Ombudsman’s April 2026 policy review.

2.3. The updated policy now makes clear that:

Residents do not need to use the word “complaint” for a matter to be treated as a complaint.
Fairhive distinguishes between a service request and a complaint.
A complaint can be logged where a resident is dissatisfied with the response to a service request, even if the service request is still ongoing.
Service actions, such as repairs, will continue while the complaint is investigated.
Complaints about how ASB reports are handled will be accepted under the complaints policy.
Service charge complaints about administration or service delivery can be considered.
Complaints can be made within 12 months of the issue occurring or within 12 months of the resident becoming aware of the issue.
The process has two stages only.
Residents do not need to explain their reasons for requesting Stage 2; and
Outstanding actions will be tracked to completion after responses are issued.

3. Housing Ombudsman policy review and compliance report

3.1. On 7 April 2026, the Housing Ombudsman issued a policy review letter following its review of Fairhive’s complaint policy. The review identified 24 recommendations and 1 observation.

3.2. The Ombudsman explained that its review focused on ensuring landlords have met the requirements of the Complaint Handling Code based on what residents can reasonably expect to be included in a policy document.

3.3. The review identified areas where Fairhive’s policy needed to be clearer, including:

Residents do not need to use the word “complaint”.
Residents should be given the choice to complain when dissatisfaction is expressed.
The difference between a service request and complaint.
Complaints about service requests can be logged while the service request continues.
ASB handling and service charge administration complaints should not be blanket-excluded.
Complaints should be accepted within 12 months of the issue occurring or the resident becoming aware.
Written reasons and Ombudsman signposting should be provided where a complaint is not accepted.
The policy should explain how it is publicised.
There should be no informal or additional complaint stage.
Acknowledgement should confirm the complaint definition, outcome sought and responsibility boundaries.
Update intervals should be agreed where responses fall outside Code timescales.
Stage 1 and Stage 2 acknowledgement and response times should be clear.
Residents should not be required to give reasons for Stage 2 escalation.
Responses should be issued when the answer is known, with outstanding actions tracked; and
Additional issues raised during investigation should be handled clearly.

3.4. The Ombudsman also made an observation about an unclear asterisk in the previous Stage 1 timescale wording. This has been addressed through revised and clearer timescale wording.

3.5. The Ombudsman confirmed that Fairhive’s next annual submission should be provided within six months of the financial year end and no later than 30 September 2026

4. Complaint volumes

4.1. Fairhive received 676 complaints during 2025/26, compared with 614 complaints in 2024/25. This represents a 10% year-on-year increase.

4.2. Complaint volumes have continued to rise over recent years:

2022/23 – 331
2023/24 – 533
2024/25 – 614
2025/26 – 676

4.3. Fairhive does not view increasing complaint numbers as negative in themselves. Higher volumes can indicate that residents are aware of the complaints process and feel able to raise concerns. Complaints are a valuable source of resident insight and are used to improve services.

5. Timeliness

5.1. Fairhive responded to 78.99% of complaints within published timescales during 2025/26. This compares with 58.79% in 2024/25 and represents a significant improvement.

5.2. However, performance remained below the 90% target. Timeliness remains the key area requiring improvement, particularly in relation to Stage 2 complaints and complex cases involving Property, ASB or multiple service areas.

5.3. The main reasons response times were challenging included record complaint volumes, increased complexity, Stage 2 complaints requiring deeper investigation, and operational pressures such as fire safety works. The introduction of a centralised Complaints Co-ordinator, clearer ownership and oversight, and clearance of the complaints backlog helped improve performance during the year.

6. Stage 2 complaints

6.1. Fairhive received 87 Stage 2 complaints during 2025/26, compared with 39 in 2024/25 and 16 in 2023/24.

6.2. The increase in Stage 2 complaints reflects increasing complexity and increased resident escalation. It also highlights the importance of clear and complete Stage 1 responses, effective remedies and timely action tracking to avoid unnecessary escalation wherever possible.

7. Satisfaction with complaint handling

7.1. Satisfaction with complaint handling was 56.3% in 2025/26, which was above target in the year-end performance reporting, and benchmarking in our peer group.

7.2. While this is positive, Fairhive recognises that further improvement is needed, particularly in relation to communication, resident updates, expectation setting response timeliness.

8. Compliments

8.1. Fairhive received 533 compliments during 2025/26, compared with 449 in 2024/25.

8.2. Compliments most commonly related to Repairs and Planned Works, Customer Services, Lettings and Tenancy Support. Residents praised staff professionalism and courtesy, quality of workmanship, responsiveness and care.

8.3. Compliments are monitored alongside complaints to provide a balanced view of resident experience and service delivery.

9. Complaint themes and root causes

9.1. The main complaint drivers in 2025/26 were:

expectations not met or mis-managed – 22%
conflicting or incorrect information – 16%
not kept up to date – 11%
internal communication breakdowns – 10%
multiple visits or incomplete repairs – 9%; and
staff behaviour concerns – 5%.

9.2. These themes show that many complaints are about communication, expectation setting, process and follow-through, rather than solely the original service failure. This learning has informed the 2026/27 priorities and the focus on improving updates, record-keeping, ownership and repeat repairs.

10. Service area analysis

10.1. The largest proportion of complaints during 2025/26 related to Property/Repairs, followed by Housing. The year-end performance reporting identified Property/Repairs as accounting for 57% of complaints and Housing for 39%, with other areas accounting for 4%.

10.2. Key issues included repairs, damp and mould, contractor performance, communication, follow-on works, tenancy management and ASB-related concerns.

11. Refused complaints / exclusions

11.1. Fairhive assesses each complaint on its own merits and does not take a blanket approach to exclusions. Where a matter is not accepted as a complaint, Fairhive provides written reasons, explains any alternative route where relevant, and advises residents of their right to ask the Housing Ombudsman to review that decision.

11.2. The revised policy also clarifies that complaints about how ASB reports have been handled will be accepted, and that some service charge complaints relating to administration or service delivery may be considered under the complaints policy.

12. Housing Ombudsman activity and outcomes

12.1. At the end of 2025/26, Fairhive had 24 live Housing Ombudsman cases.

12.2. During the year, the Ombudsman issued 8 determinations and 19 findings in total, including:

5 maladministration findings;
8 service failure findings; and
3 no maladministration findings.
3 outside jurisdiction

12.3. Fairhive paid £2,295 in compensation arising from Ombudsman outcomes and completed all Ombudsman orders issued during the year.

12.4. Recurring learning themes from Ombudsman cases included complaint handling delays, record-keeping, communication and updates, ASB risk management, and rehousing / Alternative Payment Arrangement (APA) processes.

13. Service improvements made during 2025/26

13.1. During 2025/26, Fairhive implemented several changes in response to complaint learning, Ombudsman outcomes and internal analysis. These included:

Introduction of a centralised Complaints Co-ordinator;
Clearer complaints governance and ownership;
Customer service training focused on Accountability, Consistency and Empathy;
Introduction of the Lead Operative role for repairs;
Launch of the contractor portal;
Doubling of post-work inspections; and
Proactive resident follow-up after works.

13.2. The Complaints, Compliments & Compensation Policy and Complaints Procedure were also revised following the Housing Ombudsman’s April 2026 policy review.

14. Priorities for 2026/27

14.1. Fairhive’s key priorities for 2026/27 are:

Improving Stage 1 and 2 timeliness;
Strengthening communication and expectation setting;
Reducing repeat repairs;
Improving ASB case coordination;
Strengthening record-keeping; and
Using learning to prevent repeat complaints.

14.2. These priorities will be monitored through complaints dashboards, quality assurance checks, the complaints action tracker, Ombudsman learning reviews and reporting to the Member Responsible for Complaints and Board. In addition, an internal Complaints Review Group has been established to drive learning opportunities.

15. Self-assessment and resident scrutiny

15.1. Fairhive’s 2026 Self-Assessment against the Complaint Handling Code has been refreshed following the Housing Ombudsman’s April 2026 policy review. It confirms how Fairhive complies with each provision of the Code and identifies how compliance will be evidenced in practice.

15.2. The revised policy, procedure and self-assessment have been shared with the Resident Complaints Group and Resident Policy Group for feedback before final approval and publication.

15.3. Complaint performance information, emerging trends and learning outcomes are reported to the Resident Complaints Group, a sub-group of the Residents’ Forum. The group meets quarterly and provides scrutiny, challenge and feedback to support continuous improvement in complaint handling.

16. Board response statement