Make a complaint or give a compliment

How to make a complaint or give a compliment

You can contact us in whichever way is easiest for you:

Online: Complete our Housing Complaints Form : Add in link button here ( same one that is on the current web page)

Once on the form, please select housing from the drop down menu

Telephone - 0118 974 6000 and press option 4 for Housing

In Person - Speak to any member of housing staff at the council offices, resident engagement events, community events, or during home visits.

By Post - Housing Customer Care Officer, Housing Service, Wokingham Borough Council, Civic Offices, Shute End, Wokingham, RG40 1BN

Through Someone Else - a family member, advocate, support worker, councillor, MP, or another representative can complain on your behalf, with your permission. We will need to require written or verbal consent from the resident before a response or information can be provided to the representative.

What is the Housing Complaints and Compliments Policy?

Find out more about our Housing Complaints and Compliments Policy.

What happens after you complain

Stage 1

We will acknowledge your complaint within 5 working days.
A manager will investigate your complaint.
We will normally provide a full response within 10 working days of acknowledgement.
In complex cases we may advise a further 10 working days are needed.
If you are dissatisfied with the stage 1 response, you can request escalation to Stage 2 within 20 working days of the receipt of a Stage 1 response.

Stage 2

If you remain unhappy, you can ask for your complaint to be reviewed.

We will acknowledge your Stage 2 complaint within 5 working days.
An independent senior manager who has not been involved previously will review the complaint.
We will normally provide a response within 20 working days of acknowledgement.
In complex cases we may advise a further 20 working days are needed.

More details about the complaints process can be found within the Housing Complaints and Compliments Policy.

If you're still unhappy with the outcome of your complaint, you can contact the relevant Ombudsman. The Ombudsman is a free, independent service that can review your case and investigate whether you have been treated fairly and whether we have handled your complaint appropriately. See the Ombudsman section for more information.

Remedies and resolutions

A remedy is the action we take to resolve a complaint where a service failure has occurred. The aim is to put things right and recognise the impact the issue may have had on you.

Depending on the circumstances, remedies may include:

An apology
Completing outstanding work
Taking action to address delays
Changing a decision
Reviewing procedures or processes
Additional staff training
Financial compensation where appropriate

We are in the process of drafting a Housing Complaints Remedies Guidance. It will explain how we will put things right when something has gone wrong. If we find that we have made a mistake or not provided the service you should expect, we will consider what action is needed to resolve the issue fairly. This could include an apology, completing outstanding work, improving a service, changing a decision, or, where appropriate, offering compensation. The policy will help ensure residents are treated consistently, fairly and with a focus on achieving the right outcome.

Support and reasonable adjustments

We are committed to making our complaints process accessible to everyone.

If you need additional support, we can:

Provide documents in large print, Braille, Easy Read or audio formats
Arrange translation or interpretation services
Communicate with you in your preferred way
Accept complaints made verbally, in writing, or digitally
Work with advocates, carers, family members, or representatives
Allow additional time where a disability, illness, or other condition makes participation more difficult
Discuss any other reasonable adjustments that may help you engage with the process

You can request reasonable adjustments at any stage of the complaints process.

Independent support from the Ombudsman

You have the right to contact the Ombudsman at any stage of your complaint.

Housing Ombudsman Service

Address: Housing Ombudsman Service, PO Box 1484, Unit D, Preston, PR2 0ET

Website: www.housing-ombudsman.org.uk
Telephone: 0300 111 3000

Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman

Address: The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, PO Box 4771, Coventry, CV4 0EH

Website: www.lgo.org.uk
Telephone: 0300 061 0614

The Ombudsman is independent, free to use, and can investigate whether we have acted fairly and provided an appropriate service.

The Housing Ombudsman also has useful videos which can be watched online and give further details about their role and responsibilities.