Housing Ombudsman publishes evaluation of Spotlight report on Knowledge and Information Management

The Housing Ombudsman ('HO') shares steps to improve knowledge and information management ('KIM') by publishing an evaluation of its Spotlight report on KIM.

Follow up report: Spotlight on knowledge and information management – on the record

The evaluation shows how some of the recommendations have been implemented by landlords, shares practical examples of how improvements can be made and, also includes main areas where there are challenges. The Spotlight report was released in May 2023 and made 21 recommendations. 

In August 2024, the HO contacted 137 landlords to understand what changes they have made, or intend to make, as a result of the Spotlight report and its recommendations.  The following are the key findings from their analysis following the review of information from more than 50 landlords;

• 26% of respondents said they were having issues accessing information compared with 56% in 2022 
• of these respondents, 81% said issues relating to accessing the information impacted on their ability to meet complaint handling timescales
• most respondents cited poor quality or vague information and databases not synchronising (19%) 
• 89% of those who had undergone system changes following the report had experienced positive improvements 
• 80% of respondents reported that KIM was either very or quite important to the organisation

The report shows positive examples and practical examples of landlords improving KIM and engaging with residents. It also shows positive practise on the issue of repairs. 

The report says;

The Ombudsman recognises that landlords face many challenges navigating knowledge and information management with low budgets. We are encouraged to see the various examples where landlords have taken positive action to make real improvements in approach. In particular, there was noticeable improvement in landlords’ approach to using effective knowledge and information management in respect to repairs, especially in their approach to missed appointments. 

Richard Blakeway commented; 

‘..records made by operatives every minute will impact the experiences of residents both positive and negative... since the publication of a report in 2023 the need for good KIM has only increased with it being central to the new consumer regulation... challenges around data need to be considered... ultimately understanding residents and homes better will allow landlords to better target interventions and improved experience and fewer complaints..’

If you would like any further information, please contact Victoria Smith or Kerri Harrison.