See answers to previous information requests

We would like to request the following information regarding internal complaints procedures in repair requests in the Council’s housing stock:

1. Year by year (financial years 2023/4, 2024/25, 2025/26) How many stage one complaints were made regarding repairs?
2023/24: 73
2024/25: 105
2025/26: 151

2. Year by year (financial years 2023/4, 2024/25, 2025/26) How many stage two complaints were made regarding repairs?
2023/24: 24
2024/25: 20
2025/26: 29

3. Have complaints increased since the Complaints Handling Code? Does the council believe these new ICPs help tenants get better outcomes? Has the increased use of AI by tenants changed this system? (These are voluntary questions under FOIA).

Have complaints increased since the Complaints Handling Code?
The Housing Ombudsman's Complaint Handling Code has strengthened requirements around accessibility, complaint recognition, recording and reporting. As a result, many landlords across the social housing sector including Wokingham Borough Council have reported increases in the number of complaints being logged following the introduction of the Code. At Wokingham Borough Council, we are committed to providing high-quality services and like to learn from the complaints we receive. Therefore, we welcome the increase in complaint volumes. We believe that improved complaint recognition, regular publicity and improved accessibility may contribute to our higher reported complaint volumes.

Whilst we cannot comment on whether the Code has directly caused any change in complaint volumes looking at our data, we can confirm that volumes have increased year on year, over the timetable examined in this FOI.

Does the council believe these new ICPs help tenants get better outcomes?
Wokingham Borough Council considers that the requirements introduced through the Complaint Handling Code help support better outcomes for residents. The Code promotes:
• Greater accessibility to the complaints process.
• Clear timescales for responses.
• A stronger focus on early resolution.
• Consideration of remedies where service failures have occurred.
• Organisational learning and service improvement arising from complaints.
• Increased transparency and accountability.

The Council's housing complaints policy is designed around these principles, with a focus on learning from complaints and using resident feedback to improve services.

Has the increased use of AI by tenants changed this system?
Wokingham Borough Council does not hold any recorded information that measures or evidences the impact of tenants' use of artificial intelligence on the housing complaints process. However, residents may choose to use AI tools when drafting correspondence or complaints. Complaints are assessed on the issues raised and the evidence provided, regardless of how the correspondence was prepared.