The Housing Ombudsman has initiated a special investigation into the Wandle Housing Association due to concerns about its high maladministration rate. At 89%, this rate is considered exceptionally high for a landlord of Wandle’s size, prompting a thorough review of the organisation’s practices.
During the investigation, the Ombudsman will engage with both landlord staff and residents to gain a deeper understanding of the issues affecting the organisation. The main objective is to identify areas for improvement and recommend strategies to prevent future failures.
The investigation will focus on several key areas:
- Determining whether the high number of complaints indicates broader systemic issues within the landlord’s operations.
- Assessing Wandle’s compliance with the Complaint Handling Code in practice.
- Exploring ways to enhance policies and processes to enable staff to better serve residents.
Richard Blakeway, the Housing Ombudsman, stated, “We are seeing a high maladministration rate with this landlord, which is cause for concern.” He stressed the collaborative nature of the investigation, noting that the findings and recommendations will be published in a report and discussed with the landlord to ensure positive implementation.
Anne Waterhouse, Chief Executive of Wandle, acknowledged the organisation’s shortcomings in complaint handling and expressed a commitment to improvement. We identify that our complaint handling hasn’t been what our residents deserve, and we are committed to putting this right,” she said. Waterhouse added that Wandle has already established a project group to address some of the root causes of their poor performance in complaint handling.
The Ombudsman’s investigation aims to foster better relationships between residents and landlords, focusing on solutions and trust-building. By improving services at a local level, the initiative seeks to enhance the overall quality of life for residents.
