Independent Reviewer

The Independent Reviewer is an external, impartial person who looks at complaints about the service provided by The Property Ombudsman (TPO). They check whether TPO handled your service complaint fairly, properly, and in line with our procedures.

They do not reinvestigate your original dispute or change the Ombudsman’s decision. Their role is about service quality, not case outcomes.

The Independent Reviewer reports to TPO’s Board and is completely separate from TPO’s staff and management.

Two Independent Reviewers were appointed in July 2025.

Roseann Ayton has significant complaints and policy experience in a range of public interest organisations and those in the housing sector. She has recently spoken, by invitation, alongside the Housing Ombudsman at the Housing 2025 summit. Roseann designed the complaints process for train-operating companies and is currently a Board Member of a Housing Association. Her career also has a strong training and mentoring element; she has a number of qualifications and accreditations in personal development.

John Withington has a strong track record as a leader in quasi-public bodies. He led significant organisational change in the legal regulatory sector and helped set up the Independent Funeral Standards Organisation. John is the Waterways Ombudsman and is an associate Ombudsman with the Financial Ombudsman Service, so has substantial knowledge of Ombudsmanry and examining complaints.

You can contact the Independent Reviewer if you have completed TPO’s internal service complaints procedure and you believe that:

• TPO did not handle your service complaint properly
• There were issues with our communication, conduct, or process
• You are unhappy with how TPO managed your case (not the Ombudsman’s decision)

The Independent Reviewer is the final stage of TPO’s service complaints process. If your concerns fall outside their remit, your correspondence will be referred back to TPO staff.

The Independent Reviewer may consider whether TPO:

• Followed its published policies and procedures
• Acted fairly, reasonably and without bias
• Handled your service complaint in an appropriate timeframe
• Communicated clearly

The Independent Reviewer cannot:

• Reconsider or change the Ombudsman’s decision
• Act as an appeal service
• Review new evidence about your original dispute
• Award compensation for the original dispute
• Review decisions made under the Unreasonable Behaviour Policy
• Review decisions not to accept a service complaint

They also cannot direct TPO to make operational changes to your case, such as:

• Allocating a different caseworker
• Suspending your case
• Gathering further evidence
• Extending deadlines
• Taking compliance action against a member agent

1. Submit a service complaint to TPO
2. Complete TPO’s internal service complaints procedure
3. If you still have concerns, email the Independent Reviewer at:
   independent.reviewer@tpos.co.uk
   (You cannot choose which reviewer looks at your case).
4. The Independent Reviewer will:
   • Review relevant documents
   • Contact you if they need more information
   • Assess whether the service you received was fair and reasonable
   • Provide written findings
   • Direct TPO to pay compensation for service failings, where appropriate
5. The Independent Reviewers may also make recommendations to improve TPO’s processes or policies, but they cannot direct how your case is managed.

Most people receive a response within one month of submitting their concerns.

As this is the final stage of the service complaints process, the findings conclude the matter. There is no further recourse. We will only consider further correspondence if it raises new issues within the Independent Reviewer’s remit.

• Independent Reviewers are appointed by TPO’s Board.
• They are not part of TPO’s staff or management.
• Their work helps ensure fairness, transparency and public confidence in TPO’s service.

If you believe TPO has not handled your case properly, please follow our Complaints About Our Service procedure first.

Full details of the Independent Reviewer’s role are available in the Terms of Reference.