The Housing Ombudsman – which currently presides over the social housing sector – has named and shamed 12 councils and housing associations.
Some of the cases involved Knowledge and Information Management – typically poor communications which have impaired Housing association responses to repairs, domestic abuse and damp/mould.
In one case a resident was exposed to damp and mould for a prolonged period because the landlord did not have adequate processes in place for information to be passed to new staff members. And in another case no action was taken or vulnerabilities recorded despite four complaints from a domestic abuse survivor.
Other cases demonstrate how landlords are unable to evidence to the Ombudsman action taken in response to repairs and anti-social behaviour because of inadequate or missing records, and how this can also hamper investigations by the Ombudsman.
There was also a complaint where the Ombudsman recommended the landlord consider a referral to the Information Commissioners Office following a data breach.
The landlords highlighted in this latest severe maladministration report were A2Dominion; Anchor Hanover; Clarion; Gateshead Council; Harlow Council; Leeds City Council; Lewisham Council; L&Q; Metropolitan Thames Valley; Notting Hill Genesis; PA Housing; and Sanctuary.
Richard Blakeway, Housing Ombudsman, says: “From domestic abuse to repairs to ASB, failings in this area can have a significant impact on residents, their health and wellbeing, as well as eroding trust in their landlord. Inadequate or inaccurate records can also present significant organisational risk, both handling individual cases or more widely.
“This creates a lottery where landlord actions can be inconsistent or non-existent.
“There is also a strong coloration between poor records, protracted complaints and severe detriment which is hard to ignore and can involve landlords of all sizes and types.
“In a challenging and changing operating environment, knowledge and information management should be the foundation of a solid service delivery and complaint handling.”
