Agenda item

(Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Blamire)

Report of the Head of Environmental Services

(Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Blamire)

Cabinet received a report from the Head of Environmental Services which sought the approval of Cabinet to the recommendations of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee with regard to the revised Customer Comments, Compliments and Complaints policy.

The options, options analysis, including risk assessment and officer preferred option, were set out in the report as follows:

OPTION 1- The first of these was direct involvement in the investigation/review process via a member panel at Stage 2. Should members wish to pursue this option considerable staff resource would be required to service the panel. This included advice from the Service Head concerned to advise the panel, the Stage 1 investigating officer to answer any technical issues and Democratic Services to arrange meetings, call any witnesses and advise the complainant on the process and their rights to attend. If such a panel were to be set up a Constitutional update might be required and the approval of Full Council needed. Clearly this option complicated the process and would likely add to the time spent handling complaints. This in turn increased the risk of failing to meet the LGO’s expectation that the complaints process (all stages) be completed within 12 weeks. As outlined it would also require considerable additional resource. At this stage no indication of additional cost was available.

OPTION 2- was for Elected Members to review complaints data on a regular basis, (eg through Performance Review Team meetings) which could give an indication of overall performance – i.e. complaints trends could indicate service areas in need of improvement. Reports could be provided to the relevant committee at agreed intervals. This would provide an overview of the types of issues that were being complained about and then allow for Elected Members the opportunity to explore these areas further if required.

The Council’s Overview and Scrutiny committee recommended approval of the revised Policy and Guidance relating to Customer Comments, Compliment and Complaints.  With regard to the options for more Elected Member involvement Overview and Scrutiny recommended the following-

 (1) That Cabinet be recommended to approve option 2 as set out in the report.

(2) That Budget and Performance Panel be requested to undertake performance    monitoring of the complaints procedure.

(3) That sample complaints be reviewed on a regular basis.

If the number and type of formal complaints received from each service area was added to the reporting that takes place through the Performance Review Team process the recommendation made could be managed within existing resources. This would provide Elected Members with much more information than was currently provided. Based on these reports if members of Budget and Performance Panel or relevant Portfolio holders wanted further information based on trends or particular areas of concern then that could be requested.

Therefore, it was proposed that Cabinet –

·               Approve the revised Customer Comments, Compliments and Complaints Guidance.

·               Approve the recommendations of Overview and Scrutiny with regard to Elected Member involvement.

Councillor Hanson proposed, seconded by Councillor Sands:-

“(1)      That the recommendations, as set out in the report, be approved.”

Councillors then voted:-

Resolved unanimously:

(1)        That the revised Customer Comments, Compliments and Complaints Policy be approved.

(2)        That the recommendations of Overview and Scrutiny Committee with regard to direct Elected Member involvement be approved:

(a)        That Cabinet approve Option 2 as set out in the report

(b)        That the Budget and Performance Panel be requested to undertake performance monitoring of the complaints procedure.

(c)        That sample complaints be reviewed on a regular basis.

Officers responsible for effecting the decision:

Head of Environmental Services

Reasons for making the decision:

The new Customer Comments, Compliments and Complaints Policy and Guidance has been developed based on best practice as defined by the LGO and as such will ensure that the policy operates effectively.  Regular reporting of complaints will enable efficient and effective member involvement in the process.