Agenda item

The purpose of this report is to give the Audit & Governance Committee an overview of the council’s complaint performance in 2013/14 and how feedback from customers has been used to improve services.

Declarations of Interest:

None.

Witnesses:

Dilip Agarwal, Customer Relations Manager, Adult Social Care

Jo Diggens, Customer Relations Manager, Customers and Communities

Mark Irons, Head of Customer Services and Head of Customer and Communities Directorate Support

Key points raised during the discussion:

1.    The Head of Customer Services and Head of Customer and Communities Directorate Support introduced the report and explained how complaints were dealt with corporately and also within Children’s Services and Adult Social Care due to different statutory complaints procedures.  He explained that there was a trend of increasing numbers of complaints, while complaints handling performance had stayed fairly consistent.  The committee was also informed that the Children’s Service Statutory Complaints Report 2013-14 had been annexed to the committee’s report for completeness but that the report would be taken to the Children and Education Select Committee.  Any comments or recommendations from the Audit & Governance Committee would be taken forward with the Select Committee.

2.    Members queried whether there was a procedure for closing a complaint once it has been taken as far as is possible, even if the complainant does not agree.  The Customer Relations Manager from Adult Social Care informed the committee that any effective complaints procedure has a beginning, middle and end.  It should be accessible but there should be a mechanism for dealing with those people who do not accept the outcome.  There was a policy for dealing with unreasonably persistent complainants.

3.    Officers were asked why Children’s Service received high levels of complaints.  They explained that in Children’s Service, staff were often making decisions that were not welcomed by service users.  The highest level of complaints was about court proceedings.  The nature of this service meant that one party was likely to be unhappy about the outcome.  The Chairman pointed out that Adult Social Care had more service users than Children’s Service but Children’s Service had twice the number of complaints.  Officers agreed that Adult Social Care was a more positive service than Children’s Service and its input was generally more welcome.

4.    Members asked what the different categories of complaints cost the council to address.  The Head of Customer Services and Head of Customer and Communities Directorate Support stated that this was difficult to answer but that corporate complaints at Stage 2 had been calculated as costing £300 per complaint.  However, this did not take into account officer time within the service.

5.    The Head of Customer Services and Head of Customer and Communities Directorate Support informed the committee that Environment and Transport Select Committee receives a regular report on Highways complaints.  He also highlighted a performance report that the Local Highways Services Group Manager circulates to Members each month.  Members of the Audit & Governance Committee were unsure that they had seen this report.  Officers agreed to check on this (Recommendations tracker ref: A29/14).

6.    Officers confirmed that there was a process for identifying if an issue is a complaint or a service request.

Actions/Further information to be provided:

      i.        The Head of Customer Services and Head of Customer and Communities Directorate Support to find out if the monthly performance report on Highways complaints was circulated to all Members.

RESOLVED:

That the committee notes the council’s performance in 2013/14 and how feedback from customers has been used to improve services.

Committee Next Steps:

None.