Agenda item

This report presents information gathered to date in support of the Customer Complaints scrutiny review and an updated version of the Corporate Complaints Policy.  Members are asked to comment on the revised policy and agree any further recommendations they wish to make as a result of their work on this review.

Members considered a report that presented information gathered to date in support of the Customer Complaints scrutiny review and an updated version of the Corporate Complaints Policy.  Members were asked to comment on the revised policy and agree any further recommendations they wished to make as a result of their work on this review.

Consideration was given to the revised Corporate Customer Feedback Policy that had been updated to reflect the suggestions put forward by the Task Group at their previous meetings.  No further amendments were put forward.

A paper was tabled that detailed draft recommendations arising from the review.   The following amendments to the draft recommendations were agreed:

• Delete the suggestion that prepaid envelopes not be provided with questionnaires.
• Include a recommendation that a specific telephone number be retained for social care clients.
• Include a recommendation that there be a dedicated email address for all complaints.
• Include a recommendation that, following the introduction of the new policy, six-monthly monitoring reports be presented to the Effective Organisation Committee.
• Ensure that the recommendation in respect of training covers the following:

-         the need to ensure that the training provided for Members is delivered in a variety of formats, including drop-in sessions, pre-council seminar and via handouts.

-         staff within the Corporate Complaints Team to undertake the training offered by the Local Government Ombudsman and to cascade the training to other officers

RESOLVED:That the agreed recommendations be incorporated into the final report and the report be presented to the Effective Organisation Committee for consideration.

REASON:      To achieve the objectives of this review, including reducing the number of complaints and contributing to any further efficiency savings beyond those identified by the More for York review.