The Housing Ombudsman has published severe maladministration findings in two cases for Clarion HA.
In the first case, the resident had reported the ceiling in the bathroom hanging off the wall and the flat smelling of mould. The Ombudsman’s investigation found severe maladministration for the complaint handling and maladministration for its repairs, compensation offer and record keeping.
In the second case, the resident had reported mould on wood panels in the loft. The Ombudsman’s investigation found severe maladministration for the complaint handling and maladministration for its handling of damp and mould and record keeping.
The cases formed part of the Ombudsman’s October 2022 special investigation report into Clarion. Housing Ombudsman Richard Blakeway said: “Our report found key weaknesses in its approach to damp and mould and complaint handling. We set out a series of recommendations to improve these aspects of the landlord’s service. The landlord has accepted our recommendations and taken steps to address the issues identified. I would encourage the landlord to double down on its efforts to achieve a positive complaint handling culture, embedding change across what is a large organisation”.