0:01 AM, 25th April 2025, About 4 weeks ago
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The Housing Ombudsman says it is crucial for social landlords to refine their communication strategies to prevent the unintentional stigmatisation of residents and foster trust.
The guidance is part of a series for meeting the upcoming Awaab’s Law, which is set to take effect in the social housing sector in October.
The report highlights four ways for social landlords to improve such as timeliness, transparency, tailoring to individual needs and appropriate tone.
The Ombudsman says these elements were missing in several cases that were examined, particularly those involving damp and mould grievances.
The report reveals how inadequate communication exacerbated already serious issues in addressing resident concerns.
Richard Blakeway, the Housing Ombudsman, said: “Poor communication is the most common concern I have heard expressed by residents at public events.
“What can appear to be technical failings make residents feel unheard, dismissed and stigmatised.
“Communication reflects the landlord’s culture and values.”
He added: “We know some landlords communicate well and most people working in social housing are committed and compassionate, but we also know communication failings can create a perception of the landlord being uncaring.
“Getting communication right will avoid inadvertently stigmatising residents and rebuild trust.”
In one instance, a social landlord ignored more than 10 attempts by a resident to raise concerns, subsequently dragging the complaints procedure out for 19 months.
Another case highlighted a resident, for whom English is not the primary language, enduring damp and mould for four years due to linguistic barriers.
The landlord also failed to consider her health requirements.
A third scenario exposed a landlord’s dismissive attitude, with internal references to ‘this person’ and complaints about the frequency of action requests, demonstrating a lack of empathy.
These communication shortcomings permeated both service delivery and complaint resolution processes, including ineffective internal coordination and liaison with contractors and managing agents.
The Ombudsman underscores that the ‘four Ts’ of communication, while drawn from damp and mould cases due to Awaab’s Law, are universally applicable to all complaint types.
The report arrives in the wake of a G15 group study, which found that 43% of residents identified landlord interactions as the primary source of stigma.
The landlords cited in the Ombudsman’s report include Estuary Housing, Islington Council, Lambeth Council, L&Q, Notting Hill Genesis, Redbridge Council and West Northamptonshire Council.
