Ms T complained about how the Council responded to her regarding issues with noise transference and repairs required in her flat, as well as her requests for reasonable adjustments in communication.
Overall, the Council responded sensitively and proportionately to Ms T’s complaints about noise transference within the limitations of what it was able to do. This element of Ms T’s complaint was not upheld.
Whilst there were a number of factors impacting on the repairs processes but an absence of proactive follow-up and poor communication on the part of the Council contributed to long delays in getting repairs inspected and addressed. We upheld Ms T’s complaints that her repairs were not addressed within a reasonable timeframe.
The Council agreed to communicate with Ms T by email “in the main” and, largely, it adhered to this agreement. However, it failed to consider Ms T’s communication needs in the context of its operational capabilities and although an informal agreement was made for Ms T’s allocated housing officer to act as a communication link, this practice was not always successful and there was no contingency in place for times when the housing officer was unavailable. It also did not help to manage Ms T’s expectations about what was possible, in terms of arranging convenient appointments, or to establish a consistent level of service. Therefore, this element of the complaint was also upheld.
The Council was already in the process of reviewing and developing its Repairs Policy, exploring options for a new IT system that could meet all the requirements for the system. The Council also agreed to apologise to Ms T and offer her £500 in recognition of the failings identified. It agreed to contact Ms T to discuss her communication needs, to confirm any adjustments to support her, and to ensure that any agreed adjustments are clearly recorded and shared with Ms T and relevant staff. It also agreed to remind relevant staff of the importance of keeping tenants informed promptly if repair works are suspended or postponed for any reason.