This report tells you how we dealt with complaints between April 2025 and March 2026. It covers what you told us, where we got things wrong, and what we are changing. We made some progress this year. We answered complaints faster, and fewer went to the second stage. But we are still slower than most other landlords, and too many of you are unhappy with how we handle complaints. We know we have more to do.
Need this in another format? We can give you this report in large print, audio, Easy Read or another language. Call us on 01508 532000 or email [email protected].
Words we use
• Stage 1: the first time we look at your complaint.
• Stage 2: if you are still unhappy, a senior manager looks at it again.
• Housing Ombudsman: an independent service that checks how landlords handle complaints. It is free to use.
• Upheld: we agreed that something went wrong.
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At a glance
The number
What it means
502
complaints made to us. That is 60 fewer than last year.
70
complaints went to Stage 2. That is about 1 in 7.
7 in 10
complaints we looked into were upheld. We agreed something had gone wrong.
86.9%
of Stage 1 complaints were answered on time. Other landlords answered 94.1% on time.
37.1%
of tenants were satisfied with how we handle complaints. This is lower than last year.
10
complaints were looked at by the Housing Ombudsman.
£188
was the average compensation payment when we paid compensation.
How many complaints we had, and how quickly we answered
We had fewer complaints this year, and we answered more of them on time. But we still get more complaints than most landlords our size, and we are slower to answer them.
How many complaints we had:
To compare fairly with other landlords, we count complaints for every 1,000 homes.
|
For every 1,000 homes |
Saffron |
Other landlords |
|
Stage 1 complaints |
79.1 |
54.2 |
|
Stage 2 complaints |
11.2 |
10.5 |
More complaints is not always bad news. It can mean tenants know how to complain and feel able to. But we want fewer things to go wrong in the first place.
How quickly we answered:
The Housing Ombudsman sets time limits that all social landlords must meet. We must answer Stage 1 complaints within 10 working days and Stage 2 complaints within 20 working days. If we need longer, we must tell you why and agree it with you.
|
Answered on time |
Saffron 2025/26 |
Saffron 2024/25 |
Other landlords |
|
Stage 1 |
86.9% |
80.0% |
94.1% |
|
Stage 2 |
88.7% |
68.0% |
96.0% |
Our managers now have better tools to track deadlines, so they can step in before a complaint runs late. Since April 2026 we have answered more than 95% of complaints on time.
Figures for other landlords come from Housemark’s Tenant Satisfaction Measures report for 2025/26. These are Tenant Satisfaction Measures that all social landlords must publish.
What your complaints were about
Most complaints were about repairs and the condition of your home. Repairs alone came up in almost half of all complaints.
|
Service |
Share of complaints |
|
Repairs |
45% |
|
Damp and mould |
14% |
|
Planned work, such as new kitchens, windows and doors |
13% |
|
Heating and hot water |
12% |
|
Neighbourhoods and grounds maintenance |
12% |
|
Contacting us and complaint handling |
8% |
Some complaints were about more than one service. We also had complaints about rent and service charges, lettings, tenancies and anti-social behaviour.
What you told us: 5 things we need to fix
We read every complaint from the year to find out what really went wrong. The same problems came up again and again, whatever the service.
1. We did not always finish the job. Someone visited, or an inspection happened, but the problem was still there. This was behind almost half of all complaints. For example, an inspection found work that needed doing, but no one booked it.
2. You had to chase us. Too often you had to keep calling to get things moving. Some of you took time off work or lost money because of this. For example, a rent enquiry was passed on, but no one got back to you until you chased.
3. We did not explain things clearly. About 1 in 5 complaints were about unclear or conflicting information. You did not always know what was happening, who was dealing with it, or when you would hear next.
4. We did not understand the problem at the start. Sometimes we got it wrong from the first call. For example, we booked the wrong tradesperson for a repair.
5. We did not use what we knew about you. Sometimes we knew about your needs but did not act on them. For example, we did not follow your contact preferences, or we did not tell a tradesperson to call before visiting.
Putting things right
We upheld 71% of the complaints we looked into. That means most people who complained were right that something had gone wrong.
The most common reasons were:
• Repairs or agreed work not done when they should have been
• Tenants having to contact us many times about the same thing
• Missed updates or callbacks
• Our teams or contractors not working well together.
When we got something wrong, we tried to put it right. We finished outstanding repairs, changed how we work, offered extra support and apologised.
In 56% of all complaints we also paid compensation. The average payment was £188. This included paying back costs, crediting rent or service charge accounts, and cancelling charges.
Compensation matters, but it does not fix the service. What matters most is getting things right first time.
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You said, we’re doing
These are the changes we have made because of your complaints, and what we are doing next.
You told us
What we have done
What we are doing next
We take too long to answer complaints
Gave managers better tools to track deadlines. We now answer more than 95% of complaints on time.
Keep checking every complaint deadline and cut down on extensions.
Our answers to complaints were not clear
Worked with tenants to improve our Stage 1 answers, with clearer explanations and agreed actions.
Check a sample of complaint answers every month with our tenant Complaints Champion.
Compensation was not fair
Worked with tenants to update our Compensation and Remedies Policy. Some payments have gone up, and staff can offer fairer outcomes.
Check the new policy is working.
We do not finish the job, and you have to chase us
Started redesigning our main services, including repairs, damp and mould, and anti-social behaviour, so the focus is on fixing your problem, not just booking a job.
Track every action we agree, and check your problem is fixed before we close it.
We do not explain things clearly
Started setting clear standards for keeping you updated.
Make sure you always know who is dealing with your issue and when you will next hear from us.
We get it wrong at the first call
Started improving the questions we ask when you first contact us.
Send the right person or team first time.
We do not act on what we know about you
Started improving how we record your needs, preferences and any adjustments you need.
Make sure the people doing the work can see this information and act on it.
Complaints we did not take forward
We did not accept 8 complaints this year. In each of these situations, we did not accept the complaint because we had already addressed the issue through the complaints process.
If we do not accept your complaint, we will write to tell you why. You can ask the Housing Ombudsman to look at our decision.
When tenants went to the Housing Ombudsman
The Ombudsman looked at 10 complaints about us this year. It found we got something wrong in 14 out of 22 findings.
One complaint can have more than one finding, so there are more findings than complaints.
|
What the Ombudsman found |
Number |
|
Severe maladministration (a very serious failure) |
0 |
|
Maladministration (a serious failure) |
7 |
|
Service failure (we did not provide the service we should have) |
7 |
|
Redress (we had already put things right) |
2 |
|
No maladministration (we did nothing wrong) |
6 |
The Ombudsman found the same problems we found ourselves: delays, poor communication and not finishing what we started. In some cases, we were slow to spot that someone was making a complaint.
Some findings said we did not communicate with vulnerable tenants in a caring or suitable way. We take this very seriously.
We did everything the Ombudsman told us to do, on time. We are also checking whether the lessons from each case apply to other tenants.
The Ombudsman publish their review of our performance each year. You can find this by clicking here and searching for ‘Saffron.’ Other than this, the Ombudsman did not publish any reports about Saffron this year. The Ombudsman also did not find any situations where we did not follow the Complaint Handling Code.
Checking ourselves against the rules
The Housing Ombudsman’s Complaint Handling Code sets out how all social landlords must deal with complaints. Each year we check ourselves against it. We meet every part of the Code except one.
Where we fall short: the Code says every member of staff whose work affects complaints should have a goal about handling complaints well. Our complaints and customer services teams have this goal. Other teams do not have it yet.
What we are doing: we will agree which roles need the goal, set it, and check it through staff reviews. We aim to have this in place by April 2027.
You can read our full check against the Code, here
Who checks our work?
One of our Board members has a special role to check how we handle complaints. They challenge us and make sure the Board takes complaints seriously. This year they pushed us to get better at spotting when a tenant needs extra support.
We also have a Complaints Champion, who is a tenant. They have helped us review our complaint answers. We now check a sample of answers every month to make sure they are clear, fair and kind.
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How satisfied you were
Only 37.1% of tenants were satisfied with how we handle complaints. This is lower than last year (39.1%). It is not good enough.
This figure comes from our yearly Tenant Satisfaction Measures survey, which asks a wide range of tenants, not only those who complained. These reults can be found here
We also asked tenants who made a complaint what they thought. 145 people replied. Most results got better, but two things are still poor: how long we take, and whether we do what we promised.
Tenants who were happy with…
2024/25
2025/26
How easy it was to complain
52.7%
58.5%
Being treated with dignity and respect
66.3%
70.2%
How long it took to reach a decision
30.1%
36.1%
The outcome of their complaint
37.7%
36.0%
Agreed with the outcome
56.3%
67.0%
How clearly we explained our decision
34.2%
45.2%
Whether we did what we said we would
28.8%
39.5%
Satisfaction with the outcome went down slightly. We think this is because you judge us on whether your problem gets fixed, not just on how we handle the complaint. That is why our changes focus on fixing the problem first time.
What our Board says
“The Board has read this report carefully. We are pleased that complaints are being answered faster and that fewer are going to Stage 2. But we are not satisfied. Too many complaints are upheld, too few tenants are happy with how we handle complaints, and we are still behind other landlords. We will check progress every [quarter] and hold the leadership team to account for the changes set out in this report.”
[Name], Board member responsible for complaints
Agreed by the Board on [date].
How to make a complaint
If something has gone wrong, please tell us. You can complain in whatever way suits you:
• Phone: 01508 532000
• Email: [email protected]
• Online: [link to complaints form]
• In writing: Saffron Housing Trust, Saffron Barn, Swan Lane, Long Stratton, Norfolk NR15 2XP
• In person: Speak to your Neighbourhood Officer, or to a member of our team at a local Saffron event.
Someone else, such as a friend, family member or support worker, can complain for you. If you need help to make a complaint, or need us to make any changes so you can take part, just tell us.
What happens next:
1. We will confirm we have your complaint within 5 working days.
2. We will give you our answer within 10 working days of that. This is Stage 1.
3. If you are still unhappy, you can ask for Stage 2. We will give you our answer within 20 working days.
4. If you are still unhappy after Stage 2, you can go to the Housing Ombudsman.
The Housing Ombudsman
The Housing Ombudsman is free and independent. You can ask them for advice at any time, even while we are still dealing with your complaint.
• Online: complaint form at housing-ombudsman.org.uk
• Phone: 0300 111 3000
• Post: Housing Ombudsman Service, PO Box 1484, Unit D, Preston PR2 0ET
The Ombudsman no longer accepts new complaints by email. Please use the online form or phone.
Help us improve
We want tenants to help shape the changes in this report. You can join our tenant groups, test new ideas with us, or become a complaints reviewer. Contact [email protected] to find out more.