Ombudsman case prompts changes to improve our service

Ombudsman case prompts changes to improve our service

The Housing Ombudsman has published a report about a case involving Citizen, which found severe maladministration in the way we dealt with repairs to a window in a customer’s home.

The case, which dates back to 2022, involved a bathroom window designed to be sealed with trickle air vents and a toilet window that was stuck open.

The Ombudsman found that our handling of these issues took too long and that we did not communicate effectively with the customer during the process.

We sincerely apologise to the resident for the failings in this case. It fell below the standards we expect of ourselves and the service we aim to deliver to all our customers.

Since this case, we have made a number of improvements to prevent similar failings in the future, including:

• Better tracking and follow-up of repairs – so that customers are kept informed of progress and accurate records are maintained so that there is greater visibility.
• Regular communication – ensuring we update customers regularly and clearly explain the next steps in their repair.
• Specialist training – all of our surveyors have received external training on ventilation to improve how we identify and resolve these issues.

We want to reassure all our customers that we take the Ombudsman’s findings seriously and that lessons from this case have been acted upon.

These changes are part of our ongoing commitment to deliver repairs more quickly, communicate more clearly, and ensure homes are safe, warm, and well-maintained. The Ombudsman’s full report is available here.

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