Council orders over £5,000 in repairs, years of disregard for housing maintenance issues
Milton Keynes Council Faces Ombudsman's Criticism over Financial Handling of Repair Issues
The Housing Ombudsman has found severe maladministration against Milton Keynes Council, following a complaint about multiple outstanding financial issues in a disabled resident's household over four years.
The council's poor communication and repeated failures in addressing these financial issues led the resident to accuse the landlord of discrimination based on her disability. The Ombudsman's findings indicate that the council's handling of financial matters and record keeping needs improvement.
The complaint, which was about at least 120 financial issues raised for this household alone, highlighted several issues. The council did not recognize the amount of time and the number of appointments it took to resolve some of the issues. Moreover, the council did not respond within the timescales of the Complaint Handling Code and its policies.
The Ombudsman found maladministration in the council's handling of financial matters at the property and its record keeping. The council did not keep adequate financial records or obtain any records from its contractors. This oversight was a significant factor in the delays and failings in addressing the resident's complaints.
The Ombudsman's statement emphasizes the importance of landlords maintaining adequate financial records and obtaining records from contractors. Furthermore, the Ombudsman's findings suggest the importance of landlords using data as intelligence to identify where services may be going wrong.
The council landlord failed to provide a thorough investigation of its financial handling and address the outstanding issues raised by the resident. The Ombudsman found issues in the complaint handling, including the failure to raise the formal complaint initially.
The council did not express empathy towards the resident or recognize the impact on her child given their vulnerabilities. This lack of understanding may have contributed to the resident's accusation of discrimination based on her disability.
Milton Keynes Council has acknowledged the Ombudsman's decision, apologized to the resident, and put actions in place to prevent similar delays from happening in the future. The council was ordered to pay £5,500 in compensation.
The council was also ordered to carry out repairs, a damp and mould inspection, and subsequent works arising from that report. The Ombudsman's report underscores the need for Milton Keynes Council to improve its financial services and communication with residents, particularly those with vulnerabilities.
Despite the council's acknowledgement and apology, the Ombudsman's findings suggest that the council continues to show few signs of learning from these errors. The council failed to address the key failings within the case, indicating a need for more comprehensive reforms in its financial and complaint handling processes.
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