Issue - meetings

RecommendED:      1)         That the Corporate Complaints Policy be approved.

2)         That delegated authority to make any minor amendments considered necessary to the policy be granted to the Chief Executive in consultation with the Leader of the Council.

Reason for Decision

To ensure the council has a robust, consistent and easily accessible policy for staff, members and customers to manage the complaints process and associated expectations.

Cabinet considered a report which reminded members that the borough council strives to provide excellent services to customers, visitors and businesses, and to deliver those services right first time. Occasionally, customers may be dissatisfied with council services and make a complaint about the service they had received. The current process focussed on the administration of complaints so a thorough review of the process had been conducted to drive greater consistency, reflect best practice, improve customer experience and to ensure all complaints were dealt with appropriately.

Issues identified during the review were:

• The existing process focussed on administration of the policy. The revision had been developed on best practice and according to advice from the Local Government (LGO) and Social Care Ombudsman
• Clear definitions of what constituted a complaint were not explicit
• Clearer timescales in the handling of complaints were needed to bring the policy into line with the Ombudsman’s timescales

The revised policy had been presented to the Corporate Performance Panel and their comments and recommendations have been incorporated into the policy.

The Assistant Director explained that training had been procured from the LGO for staff across the authority to ensure consistency with the LGO approach.

It was agreed that the word “minor” be added to the recommendation regarding any amendments made.

RecommendED:      1)         That the Corporate Complaints Policy be approved.

2)         That delegated authority to make any minor amendments considered necessary to the policy be granted to the Chief Executive in consultation with the Leader of the Council.

Reason for Decision

To ensure the council has a robust, consistent and easily accessible policy for staff, members and customers to manage the complaints process and associated expectations.