Published: Tuesday 5 May 2026
Kensington and Chelsea residents have been helping to co-design a new end-to-end complaints process which will improve how we listen, respond and learn from complaints.
Why this review is happening
The review follows our commitment made in response to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 2 report in September 2024.
Residents feel their concerns have not always been heard or handled well. Others have said responses can feel defensive or dismissive. In some cases, people have even felt hesitant to raise complaints at all. This review is trying to address that.
What the review involved
We took a co-design approach – this means residents and staff have worked together to shape the review and its outcomes.
Since November 2025, this co-design group has been working through a five-stage process to look at the complaints journey from start to finish.
- We invited residents who had made complaints in the past year to take part
- One hundred and twenty-two people responded to our survey
- Eighty-six residents requested to join the co-design group and almost fifty participated
- We also held a workshop with over one hundred staff. The session focused on discussing the key topics and requests which had come from the co-design sessions and brainstorming potential responses.
What we have now
We have developed an action plan which focuses on eight key areas:
- Early resolution of complaints
- Clearer processes and better-quality responses
- Easier access to making a complaint
- Stronger accountability and transparency
- Review of compensation policies
- Improving the tone and clarity of responses
- Better staff training and support
- Improvements to the IT complaints system
The action plan was discussed with residents and staff at the co-design session in April. Their feedback is helping to refine the detail.
What happens next
The recommendations from the review will be implemented from July where we will set out clear commitments to residents and a timeline for delivery.
We will also be establishing a Complaints Oversight Panel which will be formed of residents and Council officers. This panel will be involved in the delivery of the implementation plan and the general oversight of complaints performance. We will be recruiting to this panel soon so do watch you for more information on our channels.
During the co-design session we spoke to some residents to see why they wanted to take part in the review, how they’ve found it and what their expectations are. Watch our video.