Knowledge and Information Management (KIM)
Effective knowledge and information management is a challenging issue for landlords.
Our page offers guidance, spotlight reports, and training options to help you navigate through this key topic.
What is knowledge and information management?
Knowledge and information management is crucial for landlords to collect, store, share, and use data and knowledge. This includes information on residents, properties, finances, policies, and maintenance schedules. Good management of knowledge and information helps social housing providers make informed decisions, improve service delivery, and maintain legal and regulatory compliance.
Good KIM will allow landlords to make more informed and effective decisions, as well as leading to better overall complaint handling culture. On the other hand, bad KIM can cause real human detriment to residents including financial and wellbeing, as well as detriment to the organisation as a whole.
Guidance
Landlord guidance
Landlords can read the guidance to find out how good knowledge and information management (KIM) is crucial to any organisation’s ability to provide effective and robust services for its residents.
Resident guidance
Residents can read the guidance provided to understand what your landlord must do and what the Ombudsman can do in relation to knowledge and information management.
Reports
Spotlight on: Knowledge and information management
This report sheds light on the importance of effective management of knowledge and information in the housing sector. With a focus on best practice it provides valuable insight into best practice methods and procedures and challenges faced by housing providers.
Podcast with the Centre for Learning
Season 3, episode 2: Spotlight on knowledge and information management
In this episode, Sector Learning and Development Lead Victoria King speaks to Zoe Miller, our Compliance and Systemic Investigations Manager.
They discuss details of our recent Spotlight report on knowledge and information management.
Landlord training
The Centre for Learning has a range of courses and microlearning available to landlords via the Learning Hub. Simply log in to access the training.
Knowledge and Information Management
This module shares the results and recommendations of the Spotlight on Knowledge and Information Management Report, which was published in May 2023.
The course will enable participants to:
- identify what knowledge and information management encompasses
- specify the four data topics our finding in this report covers
- identify good practice in knowledge and information from a case study example
Once participants have completed this module, they can sign up for the virtual classroom which gives landlords and other housing professionals the opportunity further embed the key learning objectives and to discuss the recommendations from KIM report published in May 2023.
Virtual workshops
Centre for Learning: Spotlight on Knowledge and Information Management virtual classroom
The Centre for Learning host free online workshops on damp and mould for member landlords.
The free workshops are an opportunity for landlords and other housing professionals to discuss the recommendations from the Housing Ombudsman Knowledge and Information Management report published in May 2023.
Case studies
The case studies are examples from our case work. We will always try to show one example where the landlord did things right and received a finding of no maladministration and an example where a landlord didn’t act in the correct way and received a finding of severe maladministration or maladministration.
No maladministration
This case shows where clear information can be beneficial to residents and landlords. When a resident raised concerns over her rent account, the landlord acted appropriately by explaining the method it uses to calculate rent and investigated how it did so to ensure it was complying with the tenancy agreement.
Due to a technicality with her benefits, the resident was slightly in credit on her account when it was recalculated, and the landlord repaid this money to her. It also stated it would raise the issue internally to identify any changes it could make to its calculations to make them more accurate. This shows how having accurate records can help to solve a complaint effectively and appropriately.
Severe maladministration
This case shows the detrimental human impact that bad KIM can have on residents. The day after the resident had called the landlord to tell them she had left the property due to domestic abuse, the perpetrator called the landlord to ask for the tenancy to be transferred into his name. Unable to establish who had called, the landlord raised a fraud case against the resident for deserting the home. This caused more distress to the resident at an already difficult time.
During correspondence with the landlord, the resident had disclosed mental and physical disabilities she had. However, as these were not recorded the landlord told us she had none.
The landlord was also unable to obtain the three complaints made. Whether this was due to poor systems or poor training, it is unacceptable this could happen. Finally, it also failed to record that a third party had flagged the domestic abuse concerns.
Landlord Learning Hub
Centre for Learning online platform
Explore our NEW learning tool – the Landlord Learning Hub.
Log in and discover the training options available to you.
If you have not logged into the new Hub, you will need to set up an account to gain access to a range of learning materials.
Resident information
When to use the Housing Ombudsman Service
If you are unable to resolve the complaint with your landlord directly via its complaint procedure, this service may be able to provide you with further assistance.
View the residents’ pages to find out how to raise and complaint to your landlord and when to escalate your complaint to the Housing Ombudsman Service.