Audit and Corporate Governance Committee’s response to the Statutory and Corporate Complaints Report Slough Borough Council 2024- 25 and Service Improvement Report
On 10 September 2025 at 6.30pm, the Audit and Corporate Governance Committee considered the following reports:
- Statutory and Corporate Complaints Report Slough Borough Council 2024–2025
- Self-assessment against the new Housing Ombudsman Complaint Handling Code 2024
- Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman Annual Review Letter
- Summary of upheld complaints (1 April 2024 – 31 March 2025)
- Housing Ombudsman Service Annual Performance Report for Slough Borough Council 2024–2025
- Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman Self-Assessment 2024–2025
- Housing Ombudsman Self-Assessment 2024–2025
The report was received by the committee members in advance of the meeting.
Governance and Oversight
The Council has a Lead Member for Complaints, who provides additional assurance to the Committee that the self-assessments accurately reflect the landlord’s complaint-handling performance.
A monthly performance pack is provided to the Lead Member for Complaints ahead of regular meetings with the Director of Strategy, Change and Resident Engagement and the Head of Customer Services. These meetings provide strong challenge and oversight.
As part of Slough Borough Council’s Improvement and Recovery Plan, there is a dedicated complaints-handling workstream. The Lead Member for Complaints receives monthly updates on progress.
As part of Slough Borough Councils Improvement and Recovery Plan there is a complaint Handling workstream for which the Lead member for Complaints receives monthly updates.
- This has been published on our Slough Borough Council website under Improvement and Recovery Plan 2025-2026.
The complaints improvement plan has been presented to a Scrutiny Task and Finish Group.
Progress and Improvements
Significant progress has been made throughout the year towards compliance with the Housing Ombudsman Complaint Handling Code.
Key improvements include:
- Improved access to the complaints process for residents. This is evidenced by an increase in the number of complaints received compared with the previous year, all of which have been logged and responded to appropriately.
- A revised Housing Complaints Policy developed following consultation with residents. Feedback was considered and incorporated before the policy was published on the Council’s website.
- Training for all Housing staff on the Housing Ombudsman Complaint Handling Code, which was also attended by the Lead Member for Complaints.
- Customer journey mapping at key stages of the complaints process. Feedback from this work has been shared with services to highlight good practice and identify areas for improvement.
Assurance
Ongoing assurance and oversight are provided through regular reporting to the Corporate Leadership Team and the Lead Member for Complaints.