Corporate Complaints Process Report
Post Scrutiny - Executive Response
In Respect of : The Review of the Corporate Complaints Process
Cabinet Deputy : Councillor Philip Wilkinson
Date : December 2004
| Recommendations | Executive Response | Officer Responsible | Action by (Date) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. That the service should consider how it ensures all users are aware of the most appropriate system to register their issues. | A report is due to go to ET on 17th May regarding the complaints system. If approved, a new action plan will be created and further developments on the system will take place. Included in the improvement action plan is improved marketing and awareness raising for staff as well as the complaints process being included in the corporate induction process. |
T Rainey |
Awaiting approval of ET Report - 17/05/05 |
| 2. That Managers should be reminded that complaints received via Elected Members should be registered on the system as with all other complaints. | A reminder email will be sent to all Managers regarding this comment, and this message will also be included in the proposed marketing and awareness raising that will be developed specifically for managers and members. | M Fish | 18/05/05 |
| 3. The Corporate Complaints Officer needs to be kept informed by Heads of Service of any changes to structure that will affect the allocation system. | Regular emails are sent to all Heads of Services and Service Unit Managers to remind them to keep us up to date of any changes. A meeting is also being set up with HR to see if there are any automatic ways of keeping us up to date on staffing changes. There is also a good working relationship between complaints and the team who looks after the staff portal so changes are also identified this way. |
M Fish |
Ongoing |
| 4. That a recognised "deputy" Corporate Complaints Officer be identified to provide continuity in the absence of the Corporate Complaints Officer. | The Corporate Complaints function now sits in Business Support in Community and IT Services. Here there is a team that can cover the system. Louise Walker is the first deputy. |
M Fish |
Actioned - 01/04/05 |
| 5. That additional fixed timescales be introduced for updating the complainant of progress after an interim response has been issued until the complaint is closed. | A report is due to go to ET on 17th May regarding the complaints system. If approved, a new action plan will be created and further developments on the system will take place. Included in this improvement plan will be additional system enhancements that will include the ability for a complaint to be suspended, then re-activated at a pre-designated date, and additional updates to be flagged if the time between interim response and completion are over 6 months. |
T Rainey |
Awaiting approval of ET Report - 17/05/05. |
| 6. That the Council evaluates the value and purpose of the performance indicators relating to corporate complaints. | A part of the review of the complaints process consideration will be given to the use and relevance of the existing performance indicators. It is already planned to produce and circulate a quarterly digest of complaints performance to groups around the council. |
T Rainey |
Awaiting approval of ET Report - 17/05/05. |
| 7. That the Council considers introducing a performance indicator for monitoring the use of interim responses. | As above. |
T Rainey |
Awaiting approval of ET Report - 17/05/05. |
| 8. The Panel welcomes the recent decision to present monitoring information to the Standards Committee and recommends that this includes monitoring of performance against timescales. | It is already planned to produce and circulate a quarterly digest of complaints performance to groups around the council, the standards committee will be included in this process. |
M Fish |
Awaiting approval of ET Report - 17/05/05 |
| 9. That the Council considers whether it is useful to the service, the Council or customers for the Social Care and Health Service to be included in the corporate monitoring of complaints or consider introducing caveats which acknowledge the different timescales. | A report is due to go to ET on 17th May regarding the complaints system. If approved, a new action plan will be created and further developments on the system will take place. This will be included in the development/action plan. |
T Rainey |
Awaiting approval of ET Report - 17/05/05. |
| 10. That the Council considers whether the Social Services Complaints Officer can play a greater role in allocating complaints within a large and complex service. | A report is due to go to ET on 17th May regarding the complaints system. If approved, a new action plan will be created and further developments on the system will take place. This will be included in the development/action plan. |
T Rainey |
Awaiting approval of ET Report - 17/05/05. |
| 11. That the Council considers how it can ensure Members are aware of complaints received by Social Care and Health which does not jeopardise confidentiality. | We already have in place the option for the customer to declare whether or not they want their ward councillor involved. If the customer chooses yes, the complaint will go through the Members' portal for the relevant Councillor to see. If the customer chooses no, this will not happen and only the service unit manager in charge will see the complaint. |
IT Services |
Complete |
| 12. The Council should clarify whether or not complaints relating to Social Care and Health Service are subject to the Corporate Policy and therefore whether they should be included in the corporate monitoring programme. | A report is due to go to ET on 17th May regarding the complaints system. If approved, a new action plan will be created and further developments on the system will take place. This will be included in the development/action plan. |
T Rainey |
Awaiting approval of ET Report - 17/05/05. |
| 13. A full explanation of the purpose of the Corporate Complaints Procedure and information about the processes involved should be included in the employee induction. | A report is due to go to ET on 17th May regarding the complaints system. If approved, a new action plan will be created and further developments on the system will take place. This will be included in the development/action plan. |
T Rainey |
Awaiting approval of ET Report - 17/05/05. |
| 14. All new Managers should be given specific training on the Corporate Complaints Procedure and be shown how to use the system. | New items in the business plan have been added to give managers the option of further training. One to one training is available and also drop in sessions will be arranged. This will be communicated by email. | M Fish L Walker |
Ongoing |
| 15. That the Council considers adopting the remaining suggestions received by the Panel for improving the system as detailed in paragraph 11.8 above. | A report is due to go to ET on 17th May regarding the complaints system. If approved, a new action plan will be created and further developments on the system will take place. This will be included in the development/action plan. |
T Rainey |
Awaiting approval of ET Report - 17/05/05. |
| 16. That consideration be given to the creation of a simple system to record compliments for the Council. | The current system does cater for compliments but this will be reviewed alongside the new action plan that will be created following ET approval. |
T Rainey |
Awaiting approval of ET Report - 17/05/05. |
Page last updated: 19 June 2008