This report outlines the annual complaint performance for financial year 2023/24 and the key learnings and service improvements made following resolution of complaints.
The report is a requirement of the Housing Ombudsman Complaint Handling Code (section 8.1).
MTVH Board's response to the report
Helen Cope, Board Member Responsible for Complaints
As the Member Responsible for Complaints at MTVH, I am pleased to be able to share this comprehensive Annual Complaints Performance and Service Improvement Report for the financial year 2023/24 with our residents, colleagues and key partners on behalf of the MTVH Board.
Ensuring that we are listening to our residents and that we are working together to provide the services and support that matters most is at the heart of our five-year strategy at MTVH. While it is disappointing to see complaints about our services increasing, this report sets out some reasons behind this. I am confident that our complaint process is accessible to those who need it and am assured that our operational teams are focused on putting things right for our residents and improving customer experience right across the organisation.
This report demonstrates our commitment to continuous improvement and our commitment to working with our residents. A copy of the report has been shared with our Customer Services Committee for review and discussion. Our resident committee members have shared their views on the report and through regular quarterly complaint reporting continue to support the MTVH leadership team to identify areas for focus and improvement.
As a Board we are particularly encouraged by the following:
Focus on learnings
The new approaches to learning from complaints, including risk meetings and the Insight and Learning Action Group, demonstrate a proactive approach to improvement.
Service improvements
The introduction of the CRM system to improve the complaint experience for residents and the keeping of relevant records to improve our understanding of resident experience.
Compliance
The annual self-assessment against the Housing Ombudsman Complaint Handling Code confirms MTVH’s compliance with the recently updated Code, demonstrating our commitment to best practice and engagement with the Service.
The Board recognise the need to provide a responsive and effective complaint handling service to residents and fully support the new complaints team structure for the coming financial year. The focus on resolving complaints as early as possible to improve the experience of our residents and to put things right promptly is welcomed and the progress of this new approach will be monitored through the Customer Service Committee.
As the Member Responsible for Complaints, I am confident that MTVH will continue to work together with our residents to improve our services, learning from each complaint and improving services to meet the expectations of the Housing Ombudsman, and most importantly, our residents.