Agenda item

*RESOLVED –

1.    That the revised two stage complaints procedure, as set out in Appendix 1 of the officer’s report be approved for implementation.

2.    That the co-ordination and oversight of corporate complaints be integrated into the Customer Services function and that Customer Services Advisers take on responsibility for the ‘complaint officer’ role as set out in the revised complaints procedure.

REASONS FOR DECISION

The changes in process will enable the Council to modernise and improve its complaints management system, streamline the data that is generated relating to complaints and comply with the legislative obligations placed on the Council by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman and the Housing Ombudsman.

The Business Transformation Manager presented a report seeking approval to the revised Corporate Complaints policy and procedure which aimed to modernise the Council’s approach to complaints handling and embed a “learning from customers” culture which would underpin the delivery of excellent customer services across the Council.

The number of stages in the complaint procedure had reduced from three to two.  This would ensure that complaints were dealt with in a timely manner whilst also providing an opportunity for customers to escalate the complaint to an alternative, more senior person if they felt that the initial investigation was not completed fully.

Target response times when dealing with a complaint at Stage 1 had been reduced from fifteen to ten working days.  Target response times when dealing with a complaint at Stage 2 had been extended to twenty working days, in recognition that further investigation may be necessary to resolve the complaint.

It was recommended that the complaints procedure was managed within the customer services function instead of the support services team, with customer services officers taking on the role and responsibility of complaints officer for the Council.

The new complaints policy and procedure would place focus on continuous improvement and learning from customer feedback, using data to improve service delivery.  The customer services team would be responsible for identifying trends and compiling reports and dashboards which would be regularly shared with service managers and the corporate leadership team, who would, in turn, be responsible for ensuring that actions were allocated within their own teams to ensure lessons were learnt and continuous improvement achieved.

*RESOLVED –

1.   That the revised two stage complaints procedure, as set out in Appendix 1 of the officer’s report be approved for implementation.

2.   That the co-ordination and oversight of corporate complaints be integrated into the Customer Services function and that Customer Services Advisers take on responsibility for the ‘complaint officer’ role as set out in the revised complaints procedure.

REASONS FOR DECISIONS

The changes in process will enable the Council to modernise and improve its complaints management system, streamline the data that is generated relating to complaints and comply with the legislative obligations placed on the Council by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman and the Housing Ombudsman.