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Noise complaints

Noise is the most significant driver of complaints in the social housing sector after repairs. Landlords are failing those involved – on all sides – by not dealing with them correctly.

That’s the verdict of the Housing Ombudsman in its Spotlight report, based on insights gained from hundreds of noise-related complaints, The report demonstrates how failure to handle complaints correctly has a human and financial impact, affecting residents’ mental health and costing landlords in  – protracted, multi-agency interventions and impacting staff morale.

Most landlords handle noise complaints under their anti-social behaviour policy. However, the Ombudsman says this is unfair to both the complainant and complained party. And it makes it harder for the landlord to make consistent and reasonable decisions, if it doesn’t have the right framework in place to deal with the all types of noise reports.

Instead, the Ombudsman has called for landlords to adopt a proactive good neighbourhood management policy (distinct to the ASB policy), with clear options for maintaining good neighbour relationships. This should include mediation. Mediation can be effective but residents often don’t have much confidence in it working because it is frequently used too late and under an ASB label.

What will be covered?

• The key findings of the Housing Ombudsman’s Spotlight on noise complaints
• Why is the sector handling noise complaints so poorly?
• The details of the Ombudsman’s key practical recommendations for landlords to act on immediately – from updating their empty homes standard, ensuring that carpets aren’t routinely removed through to increasing landlord presence on estates
• The importance of good quality data and accurate record-keeping
• The role of mediation in noise complaints.

Essential for:

This workshop is essential for everyone involved in complaint-handling, as well as all staff and managers dealing with noise issues.

Delegates will come away with an understanding of the benefits of a learning culture and an understanding of how learning can be systematically captured and used.

Victoria King, Sector Learning and Development Lead, Housing Ombudsman Service

Victoria King is the Sector Learning and Development Lead at the Housing Ombudsman Service. She joined the Service in January 2023 having worked for 6 years at the UK Health Security Agency in Global Health and Emergency Preparedness Resilience and Response. Victoria has experience in various Learning and Development roles, including Financial Services Complaints and as a course tutor in A Level Criminology. Victoria is part of the Quality, Engagement and Development Department, and is part of the team developing the Housing Ombudsman Service’ Centre for Learning, which will share learning from complaints and drive positive complaint handling across the sector. The function also provides insight into service provision from themes and trends in complaints to facilitate sector learning and a positive complaints culture for landlords and governance.

If you are unable to attend an event or public training course, please let us know in writing (email is fine) at least 48 hours before. Please email [email protected]

Otherwise, a cancellation fee of £60 plus VAT will be chargeable.

If you are using a package place to attend and do not inform us within the agreed time frame, then a place will be taken to cover your non-attendance.

Cancellations must be made in writing, and will be acknowledged by HQN Limited.