Making a complaint | Complaint process explained | Putting things right
We always aim to resolve a complaint ourselves within our internal process. We recognise sometimes this is not possible. At the end of our internal process, a customer may choose to ask the Housing Ombudsman Service to investigate their complaint if they remain dissatisfied.
The Housing Ombudsman Service is set up by law to look at complaints about the housing organisations that are registered with it. The service is free, independent and impartial. It can advise customers at any stage of the complaint process, even if you are unsure about whether to make a complaint.
You can read more about the service on the Housing Ombudsman website.
The Housing Ombudsman published a refreshed Complaint Handling Code in April 2024. It sets out good practice expectations that will allow landlords to respond to complaints effectively and fairly.
Landlords are required to complete a new self-assessment against the Code and publish the results for our customers.
You can read our self-assessment form below. This reflects the picture as at June 2024. We have taken steps to improve our complaints performance and will continue to do so:
- We've increased the number of colleagues handling customer complaints
- We've removed delays so complaints reach a complaint handler more quickly
- We're improving our systems and reporting
Complaint Handling Code - Hyde Board Response
The Hyde Group Board and Leadership Team fully support the Housing Ombudsman’s 2024 Complaint Handling Code. We are committed to providing homes and communities of which people can be proud along with great services for all of our customers. That includes fair and equitable outcomes where we have failed to meet expected standards of service.
We are investing more in our homes and communities than at any point since Hyde was founded. Today, about two thirds of our colleagues are in roles serving our customers, and we’re doubling the amount of time colleagues spend in our communities.
Not only are customers now at the heart of a coherent and consistent service, but we’ve also transformed how we work, with simpler, more efficient processes and new digital platforms that give customers more ways to get in touch, when and how they want.
All of which comes against the backdrop of a very challenging operational environment.
We’re a different, kinder and more community-focused organisation today, than we were five years ago, and the recent acceleration of our plans is making a difference to people’s lives. We want to help customers understand they must tell us when things are going wrong, so we can fix them as quickly as we can.
Andy Hulme
Chief Executive Officer
Complaint Handling Code self assessment (PDF, 292KB)