Ombudsman probes council’s high failure rate in England.

The Housing Ombudsman has launched a special investigation into Lewisham Council following a high maladministration rate, including a significant number of severe maladministration findings, and some compliance issues. This move comes as a response to the powers vested in the Ombudsman under paragraph 49 of the Housing Ombudsman Scheme.

Over the past 12 months, the landlord’s maladministration rate has alarmingly soared to 85%, with the issuance of 16 severe maladministration findings. Notably, the maladministration rate for leaks, damp, and mould has peaked at a concerning 90%.

Furthermore, in November 2023, the Ombudsman took broader action by issuing an order to the landlord under paragraph 54(f) of the Scheme specifically targeting issues related to leaks, damp, and mould. However, evidence of full compliance with all aspects of the order is still pending.

In light of these disturbing findings, the Ombudsman has decided to proceed with a further investigation to determine if these complaints are emblematic of a systemic failure within the landlord’s operations.

Richard Blakeway, the Housing Ombudsman, expressed, “Complaints serve as a crucial tool for landlords to learn, improve and navigate through challenging periods. For several months, we have been observing repeated failings in the landlord’s complaints, particularly regarding property conditions. Having afforded the landlord an opportunity to rectify some of these issues through our orders, we will now advance to a deeper investigation. This process will entail engaging with the landlord and its residents to address the issues at hand.”

Blakeway further emphasised the significance of decent, safe, and secure social housing, highlighting that the insights gained from this investigation will aid the landlord in enhancing the residents’ living experiences.

The Housing Ombudsman possesses an array of powers to tackle recurring service failures, enhance resident experiences, and minimise the need for complaints. These powers are utilised to address issues within individual landlord complaints as well as within the broader sector. The Ombudsman’s approach, along with its powers, is outlined in its systemic framework. This framework includes the issuance of wider orders following an individual inquiry, aimed at enhancing landlord policies or practices, and further investigations to pinpoint the root causes of service failures.

As part of its regulatory duties, the Ombudsman will share its findings with the Regulator of Social Housing, aligning with the requirements of the statutory Memorandum of Understanding.

In response to the investigation, Lewisham Council spokesperson stated, “We appreciate this investigation as we endeavour to enhance our services for residents. Acknowledging the need for improvement in our Housing Service, we voluntarily notified the Regulator of Social Housing of a potential breach of its consumer standards in December 2023. Our commitment to open dialogue and transparency with both the Regulator and Ombudsman remains steadfast as we work towards meeting their expectations.”

The council detailed key focal areas of their improvement plans aimed at addressing issues raised in the investigation:

• Repairs: Significant progress has been made in reducing the backlog of repairs from over 18,000 to under 9,000. The completion rates for routine and emergency repairs have also shown improvements, with an increase from 57% and 33% in April to 67% and 58% in June. Efforts will persist in reducing the backlog further to streamline planning and enhance turn-around times.
• Damp and Mould: A comprehensive condition survey of all properties has been initiated, covering over 7,500 homes, or more than 50% of the total. This survey is proving instrumental in pinpointing properties susceptible to damp and mould, facilitating refurbishment planning. Additional specialist surveyors have been recruited to expedite mould washes within 24 hours of reporting.
• Customer Service: Measures to enhance customer service include a substantial reduction in call waiting times from 27 minutes in April to 6 minutes in June at the repairs booking contact centre. Response times for repair complaints have also seen improvements, with 83% and 72% meeting the ten-day and 20-day targets respectively in June. A robust training program has been initiated for staff dealing with complaints to ensure residents receive fair, clear, and polite responses.
• System Upgrades: Upgrading the central computer program and database used by staff to manage the Housing Service is underway. This upgrade aims to streamline request tracking and proactively address issues before they escalate, while providing residents with convenient online access to services.