Agenda item

[To receive an update from Sarah Campbell, Customer Engagement Manager]

The Customer Engagement Manager provided an overview of the Quarter Two Social Care, Public Health and Corporate Complaints report for the following areas:

·       Corporate

·       Children’s and Education

·       Adults and Public Health

·       Ombudsman enquiries

In relation to Corporate Stage One Complaints, there had been 262 informal complaints, Board noted that service request enquiries were logged with the customer feedback team. This was in comparison to 287 received during 1 July 2020 to 30 September 2020. The Council had received 32 stage onecorporate complaints compared to 73 received during 1 July 2020 to 30 September 2020; a decrease of 41 cases. Out of the 32 cases logged and investigated, 15 cases were upheld (at fault) and 17 not upheld (not at fault).

The highest figure of 13 complaints referred to Waste Management, followed jointly by Planning and Revenues and Benefits both receiving four cases.

Learning from complaints was outlined in Appendix 4 and it was confirmed that the Complaints Team worked closely with services to improve complaint handling and to ensure appropriate remedies were put in place to achieve the best outcomes for customers.

If a customer remained dissatisfied, they could escalate to stage two of the complaints procedure. During this period the council had received fivestage two corporate complaints compared to six cases for 1 July 2020 to 30 September 2020, which was a decrease of one case. Out of the five cases received, two cases were upheld (at fault) and three cases not upheld (not at fault).

In relation to Children’s and Education Stage One Complaints, 25 informal complaints had been received during 1 July 2021 to 30 September 2021, which compared to nine informal complaints received during 1 July 2020 to 30 September 2020; an increase of 16 cases. The Council had received 11 stage one Children’s and Education Services complaints compared to eight during 1 July 2020 to 30 September 2020, an increase of three cases. Out of the 11 cases received, Children and Young People in Care received the highest number of four cases, followed jointly by SEND and Fostering Team. In some cases, this had followed extensive but unsuccessful attempts to resolve some of those complaints informally. 

No statutory stage two complaints were received during this period; which was in comparison to no complaint cases received during 1 April 2020 to 30 June 2020. The Council received five children’s and education stage two complaints which were dealt with in accordance with the corporate complaints policy and procedure.  This was in comparison to no cases received during 1 July 2020 to 30 September 2020. Out of the five cases received two cases were upheld and three cases were not upheld. During 1 July 2021 to 30 September 2021 no complaints escalated to a stage three panel during this period; this was in comparison to no stage three cases during 1 July 2020 to 30 September 2020.

No complaints were received for Public Health; which was in comparison to one complaint received during 1 July 2020 to 30 September 2020. The council received 17 informal complaints which were resolved at service level without going through the formal route. This was compared to 12 informal complaints received during 1 July 2020 to 30 September 2020, an increase of five cases. The council received 11 formal complaints compared to six during 1 July 2020 to 30 September 2020, representing an increase of five cases during this period.  The highest figure of two cases referred to both MASH and West Locality Team. Out of the 11 complaint cases received, one case escalated to stage two under the corporate complaints policy and procedure.

The council had received eightLocal Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) assessment enquiries and five Housing Ombudsman (HO) assessment full enquiries. The council received one enquiry from the (LGSCO) for Adult Services and Communities as follows: 

·       Adult Services and Communities received one complaint in relation to the council’s lack of prompt action when concerns were raised about carers; outcome upheld, maladministration and injustice; as outlined in the Ombudsman’s report appropriate recommendations, remedies and learning have been carried out.

The council received one enquiry from the HO for Wolverhampton Homes as follows:

·       One enquiry received in relation to the landlord’s response to a request for redecoration; outcome customer has requested a review of the HO’s decision; therefore the council is awaiting the HO’s final report

Board understood that when a complaint was upheld (council at fault) and the findings of a subsequent investigation was for a financial remedy, change to policy or service delivery, that the Customer Feedback Team produced an action plan report. Recommendations within these reports were agreed with appropriate Heads of Service and shared with the relevant Service Manager to ensure appropriate remedies and changes were implemented. The Customer Feedback Team also attended regular quality assurance meetings for Adults Services, Children’s Services and Waste Liaison Meetings to ensure that the learning from complaints was used to drive service improvements.

Board understood that the management of unreasonable complainant behaviour procedure had been active since February 2015.  During this period, the Customer Feedback Team had managed a total of two cases in line with this procedure. The Customer Feedback Team had compiled mandatory corporate complaint training and children’s complaint handling for council officers, which was available via the council’s learning hub.   The team was currently working with the Council’s organisational development team and would be compiling an online training module for adult’s complaint handling; which would be launched during 2021-2022.

Board noted that the Customer Feedback Team had received a total of 210 compliments (social care and corporate) for this period.

Board expressed some concern in relation to the time spent on resolving some of the complaints in relation to childrens services as some of these might require prompt action. It was confirmed that if a safeguarding issue had been identified that this would be actioned appropriately and that in other cases, weekly reminders were sent out to services to make sure that they were proactively investigating the complaints.

Board also noted that there would always be a number of people who didn't, for whatever reason decide to make a complaint in the first place or couldn't get through on the phones, so the actual number of dissatisfied customers could be higher.

Board considered that it would be useful to have further details in relation to the two stage 2 complaints that were upheld.

Resolved:    That the update be received and noted.