Issue - meetings

This report includes the number of complaints made about social care services between April 05 – March 06 and April 06 – March 07. This is because the legislation governing the management of social care complaints changed on the 1^st September 2006 and the previous year’s report was delayed to enable the provision of information on this new legislation.

Advice of the Advisory Panel

That the Executive Member for Adult Social Services be advised to note the information in the report and the annual social care complaints and representations report 2006/07.

Decision of the Executive Member for Adult Social Services

RESOLVED:             That the advice of the Advisory Panel as set out above be accepted and endorsed.

REASON:                  To inform the Executive Member on complaints made about social care services.

Members considered a report, which detailed the number of complaints made about social care services between April 2005 and March 2007.  It was reported that the legislation governing the management of social care complaints had changed on 1 September 2006 and the previous year’s report had been delayed to enable the provision of information on this new legislation.

Prior to 1 September 2006 the legislation governing the management of social care complaints had been the NHS and Community Care Act 1990 and the Children’s Act 1989. Local Authorities, which provided local social care services, were required to have a procedure to ensure the effective review and investigation of complaints and these had been in place since 1998. This had consisted of two separate procedures one for adult social care complaints and one for children and young people’s social care complaints. Details of the changes were listed in the report at Annexes A and B.

Officers confirmed that lessons were being learnt following resolution of these complaints and that this would be acted on in the future.

Members questioned whether complaints to individual contractors were included in these figures. Officers confirmed that these details were received quarterly but only included in the figures if it had been unable to resolve the complaint. If a contractor had received a high level of complaints a review of that contractor would be undertaken.

Advice of the Advisory Panel

That the Executive Member for Adult Social Services be advised to note the information in the report and the annual social care complaints and representations report 2006/07.

Decision of the Executive Member for Adult Social Services

RESOLVED:             That the advice of the Advisory Panel as set out above be accepted and endorsed.

REASON:                  To inform the Executive Member on complaints made about social care services.