Greater joint working between Ombudsman services for social housing tenants
Two Ombudsman services – the Local Government Ombudsman and the Housing Ombudsman – have agreed to promote closer working between them for the benefit of tenants, landlords and other interested parties.
Two Ombudsman services – the Local Government Ombudsman and the Housing Ombudsman – have agreed to promote closer working between them for the benefit of tenants, landlords and other interested parties. It will make it easier for social housing tenants to access their services.
The two services have signed a ‘protocol’ setting out arrangements for greater joint working and sharing of information between them. It will help direct social housing tenants to the appropriate Ombudsman scheme. It also paves the way for more collaborative working between the two schemes, for example in relation to feedback to landlords, staff development and the issue of good practice guidance.
Tony Redmond, Chairman and Local Government Ombudsman, said: “Where complaints are not resolved by their landlord, social housing tenants should have easy access to the appropriate Ombudsman. This protocol seeks to ensure that complaints made by, or on behalf of, tenants are directed to the appropriate Ombudsman scheme.”
Mike Biles, Housing Ombudsman, said: “I am very pleased that we have agreed this protocol with the Local Government Ombudsmen. I am confident that it will be a significant factor in the provision of seamless dispute resolution for citizen consumers in the ‘social housing’ sector.”
The two Ombudsman schemes can help social housing tenants who feel that their complaints have not been dealt with satisfactorily by their landlords. Tenants whose landlord is a local authority, or whose landlord manages the tenancy on behalf of a local authority, may complain to a Local Government Ombudsman. Tenants of registered providers may complain to the Housing Ombudsman Service.
The new protocol is consistent with the Government’s aim of providing effective systems of redress for tenants across the social housing sector. It follows the creation of the new social housing regulator, the Tenant Services Authority, that regulates registered social landlords and that is also planned to regulate local authority housing from April 2010.
Further information
Local Government Ombudsman
t: 020 7217 4686/4734
Housing Ombudsman
w: www.housing-ombudsman.org.uk
e: rrunco@housing-ombudsman.org.uk
t: 020 7421 3800
Article date: 19 April 2010