The Housing Ombudsman has published another severe maladministration finding for Clarion, which managed over 136,000 homes as at 31 March 2001. The Ombudsman found that Clarion did not sufficiently acknowledge all the issues raised by the resident in her complaint about water issues, leaks and repairs or the reasons for delays she experienced over 15 months. Clarion also failed to engage with the resident and the Ombudsman and by not acknowledging its failures for some time caused additional distress and frustration for the resident.
The Ombudsman’s investigation found:
- severe maladministration in Clarion’s complaints handling, communication, and consideration of the resident’s vulnerabilities
- service failure for Clarion’s response to the residents reports about rodent infestation
- that Clarion had made reasonable redress in its response to the resident’s reports about delays resolving water issues and resolving leaks and repairs
- had Clarion not made reasonable offers of redress, its actions would have amounted to multiple findings of severe maladministration and
- no maladministration in Clarion’s response to the resident’s reports about communal doors and lights or to her reports about tenancy change and succession.
Clarion was ordered to apologise to the resident and to pay the resident compensation of £600 in recognition of the distress and inconvenience caused by its complaint handling, communication and consideration of her vulnerabilities.
The Ombudsman also published a severe maladministration finding for Clarion last month. Clarion had repeatedly failed to respond to a resident’s regular complaints about a leaking roof, damp and mould and cracks to the interior of her property and her requests to escalate the complaints.