Together Housing Group – Independent case review following a determination from the Housing Ombudsman

Together Housing Group (THG) owns and manages more than 38,000 homes across the North of England.

Objective

To undertake an independent, objective review of the case history and events leading to the Housing Ombudsman Service’s (HOS) severe maladministration determination for THG.

What we did

After receiving a HOS determination by THG, we were asked to carry out a full review of the case history and events that led to the determination. This included a review of all documentation related to the case, such as policies, internal and external communications, technical reports and engagement history.

As part of the review, detailed interviews took place with staff who had been part of the complaint response.  These interviews involved discussing their  roles, responsibilities in order to gain a deeper understanding of the case.

As the case was of an historic nature, our review went back to 2021. We used our extensive sector knowledge to conduct the review, alongside consideration of the Regulator of Social Housing’s Consumer Standards and the HOS Complaints Handling Code 2024.

Our summary report outlined our findings regarding potential operational and strategic failings and highlighted areas of learning.  This report was provided to the HOS and was sighted as good practice by Ombudsman staff in terms of learning from complaints. 

Following the conclusion of the report, DTP provided a summary presentation to THG’s Operations Committee, offering an external overview of our findings and recommendations.  The case is now closed. 

What we achieved

We provided THG with a detailed, independent case analysis that stood up to scrutiny and was praised by the HOS for its comprehensive nature. This helped ensure that THG met the requirements of the HOS orders following the determination and provided an independent view for the HOS.  THG was able to effectively fulfil it’s obligations to both tenants and the HOS.   The review also helpfully made several recommendations to prevent future cases reaching the Ombudsman.