Issue - meetings

To consider the Self Assessment Independent Housing Ombudsman Scheme Complaints Code report.

RESOLVED toapprove the Self Assessment of the Independent Housing Ombudsman’s Scheme Complaints Handling Code.

Councillor Coote, the Portfolio Holder for Housing, presented the Independent Housing Ombudsman`s Scheme Complaints Handling Code Self Assessment report.

He recommended that Members approve the Self Assessment of the Independent Housing Ombudsman’s Scheme Complaints Handling Code and commended the Chief Executive for his handling of the situation.

Councillor Hargreaves seconded the proposal.

The Leader moved to a vote. The proposal was approved unanimously.

RESOLVED: to approve the Self Assessment of the Independent Housing Ombudsman`s Scheme Complaints Handling Code.

To consider the Self Assessment Independent Housing Ombudsman Scheme Complaints Code report.

The Interim Deputy Director of Housing, Health and Communities presented the report. He said that the Independent Housing Ombudsman (IHOS) wanted to see complaints   embedded positively in organisations cultures. He said that the Council’s Corporate Complaints Policy will need to be reviewed in the light of the IHOS Complaints Handling Code in order to achieve compliance.   There was also a need to evidence learning from complaints  and that the Council needed both a lead Member and a lead officer for complaints, both persons with senior levels of responsibility. He said that the self-assessment showed that the Council was currently not quite compliant and that this should go to Cabinet. The aim would be to be fully compliant by the end of the calendar year

In response to various questions, the Housing Strategy and Operations Manager said that partial compliance meant that we could not fully evidence that we complied with  requirements. There were two stages to the council’s complaints process not three. She said that the shaded items indicated “best practice should  do” and the unshaded represented “compulsory must do”.

RESOLVED to recommend to Cabinet the approval of the Self-Assessment of the Independent Housing Ombudsman’s Scheme Complaints Handling Code and to appoint Councillor Coote as the lead Member.