Miss X complained that the Association had not carried out the required repairs to her property and had not responded to her complaint in a timely manner.
The Ombudsman was concerned about the significant delays Miss X had experienced in having repairs carried out, the delays receiving a response and that she had been inconvenienced by the organisation’s actions.
The Association advised that it was not sustainable for it to carry out the necessary repairs and it had now offered Miss X an alternative property, with the removal costs being met by the Association. The Ombudsman decided to settle the complaint without an investigation and also sought and gained the Association’s agreement to carry out the following within 2 weeks:
· Provide Miss X with a formal apology for the delay in responding to her complaints
· Provide Miss X with an explanation for the delays
· Provide Miss X with a formal complaint response
· Offer Miss X redress of £250 in recognition of the time and trouble caused to her in having to complain to the Ombudsman about the failures identified
· Commit to review Miss X’s complaint history to ensure that lessons are learnt, and staff are trained to prevent any recurrence in the future