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Housing Ombudsman to set up new resident panel
The Housing Ombudsman is recruiting for a new resident panel to advise the complaints arbitration service on how it approaches its work.
Around 100 residents will be invited to join the panel, initially on a virtual basis.
Panel members will be selected to reflect the different types, sizes and locations of the 2,500 landlords in the ombudsman’s scheme.
It is hoped that the exercise will provide the ombudsman with greater input from tenants as it develops future plans for the service.
A new, tougher Housing Ombudsman scheme came into effect in September with changes including the advent of complaint-handling failure orders.
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The panel is intended to form part of the ombudsman’s drive to be more transparent and accessible to residents and landlords, with a focus on sharing learning.
It will meet online twice a year to discuss the ombudsman’s key areas of work, such as the development of its annual business plan and its three-year corporate plan.
Smaller group activities will be organised to give panel members a chance to discuss residents’ experience of using the ombudsman’s service or its reports on thematic issues arising from investigations.
Housing ombudsman Richard Blakeway said: “This is an exciting new initiative to draw on the vast experience of residents and provide valuable input to inform our plans.
“We want to promote excellence as well as provide more insight and learning from the complaints we see.
“Alongside our engagement with landlords, the panel will be important in helping us further develop these areas of our work.”
The closing date for applications to join the resident panel is 25 February.
