To receive the annual Customer Feedback Report and to consider the nature of the complaints, compliments and comments.

Contact: Tom Dodds, Information, Intelligence and Insight Manager, tel 01743 258518

The Information, Intelligence and Insight Manager introduced this report and referred Members to the full report considered by Cabinet on17th September 2018, not distributed with the agenda [copy attached to signed minutes].  Members noted that there had been increased customer feedback across all areas, with a 20% increase in complaints.  It was observed that this indicated that the public felt able to comment and knew how to do so.  The pattern of upheld complaints had remained consistent with previous reports, falling from 52% to 32% which was counter to the National trend.  The Information, Intelligence and Insight Manager commented that this would suggest the appropriate application of policy by the Council.

Members noted that Highways, Street Scene, Waste and Recycling, Adult Social Care and Children’s Services received the majority of the feedback, but as these were the areas of highest budget spend this was expected.

The Information, Intelligence and Insight Manager observed that when viewed against the number of interactions the Council had with members of the public, a very small proportion generated feedback.

In response to a Member’s query the Information, Intelligence and Insight Manager advised that the Council had a strong procedure for identifying vexatious and persistent complainants and this procedure was followed in interactions with them. He confirmed that the identification of a vexatious complainant was confirmed at Director level.  Although being classified as a vexatious complainant did not affect the individual’s ability to make new complaints and these were subject to the same complaints procedure as all others.

The Information, Intelligence and Insight Manager responded to a Member’s query on the nature and volume of seasonal complaints, commenting that this information was difficult to ascertain from the report but the increase in the number of complaints appeared to be gradual and not seasonal. 

Referring to a Member’s question on complaints which took longer than 50 days to resolve, the Information, Intelligence and Insight Manager explained that these tended to be more complex issues and agreed to provide further information on the nature of these complaints.  He confirmed that Adult Social Care and Children’s Services complaints followed a National process and by their nature tended to be complex and so took longer to resolve. 

The Information, Intelligence and Insight Manager confirmed that the Peer Challenge had identified an opportunity to make more proactive use of Member enquiries alongside complaints information and that this was being looked at through the development of the digital transformation programme.  He continued that overall communication had been identified as an issue and culture change would improve this.

Referring to the recommendations within the report a Member observed that the identification of the Officer responsible for handling complaints was too vague.  It was agreed that Service Managers with this responsibility would be identified and this would be referred to the Portfolio Holder for Corporate and Commercial Support for comment.

RESOLVED:

i)        that the recommendation that the Annual Customer Feedback report 2017/18 be approved for publication on the Council’s website.

ii)      that subject to the term ‘service area’ be replaced with ‘service area managers’ in the final sentence of recommendation 2, the recommendations included within the Annual Report be endorsed.