Complaints Corner
Welcome to Complaints Corner – a new section that will delve into everything when it comes to complaints. Complaints are our chance to learn about what we need to do better. Each quarter, we’ll review the previous quarters trends and themes from the complaints we’ve received, and share what we’ve learned or changes we’ve made to improve our services and processes.
Remember – if you feel like something hasn’t gone the way you would have expected, or you’re unhappy with how a service has been delivered, then please do not be afraid to raise a complaint.
A complaint can be made via any of the communication routes to LHP:
- Via telephone
- Via email to customerfirst@lincolnshirehp.com
- Via form through the dedicated complaints page on the LHP website
- Via direct message on LHP’s Facebook page
- Written letter to either of LHP’s office addresses
- Via MyLHP app
Complaints Corner – Q3 2024/25 Update
We returned for our first complaints panel of 2025 discussing complaints performance for third quarter of this year (covering October, November, and December) with the customer experience manager. The Executive Director for Governance and Regulation also joined us to learn more about the work that we’re doing and share some of the projects happening at LHP that will benefit customers.
Trends and Themes
Responses to complaints regarding repairs were delayed in quarter 3 due to changes within the repairs team that led to a backlog of complaint investigation and responses. Most of these complaints were about appointment availability, and repairs taking longer than expected to be completed. A new role was introduced into the repairs team in late October 2024, and their priority was to investigate and respond to these overdue complaints. By the end of December 2024, the number of overdue complaints had dropped by 50%. Work will continue to ensure complaints are responded to within the complaints policy timescales and that customer receive quality investigation responses and outcomes.
Complaints Communication
Following from our last quarters discussion on how customers can make a complaint, we discussed how complaints are communicated and whether there are improvements that can be made to ensure that communications are accessible for all customers. LHP have offered training to their staff on letter writing to make sure that they are easy to read and understand, using plain English, or translated where the customer does not have English as their first language. LHP have also used a British Sign Language interpreter to allow deaf customers to receive information and update on complaints and recorded a voice update for blind customers.
The team are exploring using videos as a way of letting customers know how they can complain, what will happen during their complaint, and what their next outcomes and options are. We want to make sure that complaints are accessible for all, so that LHP can resolve issues and identify any learning to improve services.
LHP are currently reviewing the way they use customer insight and feedback to make improvements to the services that impact us most. We’ll be keeping a track on how this is progressing over the coming months and look forward to letting other customers know about the changes that are being made.
Learning for continuous improvement
Below are learning outcomes implemented over the past three months:
Complaints Corner – Q2 2024/25 Update
Our Customer Complaint Panel sat down to review our Q2 complaints. This Q2 update covers July, August, and September.
Trends and Themes
Complaints regarding repairs increased over Q2. Our Digital Choices project is underway to review and improve our repairs service. We acknowledge the frustration that customers feel when repairs are not completed within reasonable timescales, and encourage customers to get involved and share feedback on our Digital Choices project.
Complaints vs Service Requests
Our complaints panel regularly look at our processes and procedures. A member of the panel challenged where a customer may wish to make a complaint, but where it had not been logged. The LHP policy that is guided by the Complaint Handling Code issued by the Housing Ombudsman Service, is for LHP to attempt to resolve issues where it can at the first point of contact.
These types of issues that can be resolved swiftly are classed as ‘service requests’, especially where they concern appointments, updates, or the raising of a repair. This is to reduce the need for customers to go through a long complaints process. However, if a customer still wishes to have their service request investigated as a complaint, LHP will still raise this as such.
More information on this can be found in the LHP Complaints Policy and the Complaint Handling Code, both available on the complaints page of the LHP website.
Learning for continuous improvement
Below are learning outcomes implemented over the past three months.
