Agenda item

To present the report of the Director of Function (Council Business)/ Monitoring Officer.

The report of the Director of Function (Council Business)/Monitoring Officer setting out issues arising under the Council’s Concerns and Complaints Policy along with the number of whistleblowing disclosures made under the Council’s Whistleblowing Policy for the period 1 April, 2022 to 31 March, 2023 was presented for the Committee’s consideration. The report included Social Services complaints but only those where the complainant was not a service user. Social Services user complaints are dealt with separately under the Social Services Policy – Representations and Complaints Procedure for Children and Adults which are reported annually to the Corporate Scrutiny Committee.

The Director of Function (Council Business)/Monitoring Officer presented the report which provided an overview of the way complaints and concerns were dealt with by the Council’s services under its formal Concerns and Complaints Policy during 2022/23. The report covered the number of concerns and complaints received during the year  compared to the previous year, an analysis of concerns and complaints by service including the services with the highest number of concerns and complaints and how those were accounted for, the timeliness of the response to complaints by services, complaints to the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales and their outcome and the lessons learnt from the concerns and complaints received and how those are contributing to improved practice and customer satisfaction.

The Director of Function (Council Business)/Monitoring Officer guided the Committee through the main sections of the report and highlighted the standout messages from the data collected. Overall it can be concluded that complaints regarding Elected Members, the Welsh Language (within the Concerns and Complaints Policy) and Whistleblowing are not a cause for concern and require no further specific action. The number of concerns received during the period has increased from 189 in 2021/222 to 321 in 2022/23 partly attributable to overzealous reporting by the Housing Service during the first six months of 2022/23 which included day to day requests as well as concerns as defined by the PSOW. Had the data been reported correctly it is estimated that a more accurate figure would be an increase from 189 to 236. The number of complaints has decreased from 54 in 2021/22 to 40 in 2022/23 with the highest number of complaints being in Resources (11) and Housing (10). No complaints were investigated by the PSOW during the reporting period. The time for responding to complaints continues to be an issue with performance having dropped by 5.2% compared with that in 2021/22. The information gathered for both complaints and concerns also shows a pattern of customer care / customer service deficiencies especially with regard to ongoing communications over timescales and delays.

The Committee considered the report and the following points were noted –

·      That only 74.4% of complaints were answered within the required period in 2022/23 and that many of the concerns/complaints received indicate that communication has been an issue and that better communication may have prevented a concern being raised. The Committee sought assurance that lessons are being learnt and that the learning is being shared to avoid similar concerns being raised in future.

The Director of Function (Council Business)/Monitoring Officer advised that recommendation three of the report addresses in part the issues in relation to improving customer service. The information collected is now much more detailed and services are challenged on the reasons for complaints and the actions being taken to resolve the issues arising. Analysis has shown that customer service is a dominant theme in the complaints and concerns raised and it is therefore intended that customer service training be undertaken across the organisation focusing initially on those services with the most complaints/concerns/late responses and then extending the training to all public facing staff.

·      An increase in the number of concerns raised against the Housing Service and the Leisure Service.

The Head of Housing Service advised that following the implementation of a new feedback function, there was over reporting in the initial phase of implementation with staff inputting day to day service requests as well as concerns as defined by the PSOW leading to a significant increase in the number of concerns recorded.  Having taken those mis recorded concerns out, it is estimated that the number of concerns would have been 95, an increase of 42 on the previous year. A common concern was the lack of communication especially in relation to keeping tenants informed about delays to work on properties or work not started. The Service is working on improving communication with tenants and service users. In terms of concerns expressed about the time taken to undertake repairs and maintenance works to properties, the Service has been experiencing issues with a shortage of materials and the unavailability of skilled tradespeople which have resulted in delays in commencing work.

The Head of Regulation and Economic Development commenting on the increase in the number of concerns recorded against the Leisure Service in 2022/23 advised that it was important to set the 48 concerns received in the context of 7,000 members of the service. Many of the concerns expressed relate to customer service which may be a reflection of the inexperience of new staff who are currently undergoing training and their unfamiliarity with the standards of customer service expected. The Leisure Service Manager referred to remedial actions being taken with regard to the use of the Welsh language as part of the learning relating to customer service particularly in Amlwch and Holyhead leisure centres and also in response to specific concerns regarding the quality of swimming lessons and levels of cleanliness.

·      That the increase in the number of concerns and the number of repeat concerns of a similar nature may indicate that lessons are not being sufficiently embedded within services and that the issues that prompted those concerns have not been fully addressed.

The Head of Housing Services responded as the service with the highest number of repeat concerns by saying that although the number of concerns recorded for the service has increased, it must be considered in the context of the number of tenants served by Housing Services. The focus is on improving communication with tenants as the main issue including by direct communication rather than indirectly through the customer care team.

·      The channels used for communication with service users including digital and social media.

The Head of Housing Service confirmed that a range of channels is used to keep tenants informed including through a tenant newsletter and dedicated portal as well as the Tai Môn Housing Facebook page and more conventionally by e-mail and telephone for one-to-one communications.

The Director of Function (Resources)/Section 151 Officer advised the Committee of the importance of taking into consideration the increased volume of requests, enquiries and demands dealt with by services in the wake of the pandemic and with the onset of the cost-of-living crisis especially so those customer facing services and teams leading inevitably to more complaints being received.

It was resolved –

·      To note the information in the report in relation to the Council’s complaints process regarding the Welsh Language (under the Concerns and Complaints Policy), complaints in relation to elected Members and the Whistleblowing Policy/Guidance.

·      To confirm that the Governance and Audit Committee is satisfied that the report provides reasonable assurance that the Council has appropriate processes in place under its Concerns and Complaints Policy and that Council services are largely compliant with the expectations set out in the said policy.

·      To request the Council’s Leadership Team to review the Customer Service training provided to public facing staff, especially in those services with the highest number of concerns/complaints/late responses and ensures that any recommendations arising from that review are implemented. This review to take place in the context of the revised Customer Service Charter and the revised Concerns and Complaints Policy.