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The Assistant Director for All Age Independence presented the report of the Director of Care and Health. Members were informed that it was a statutory requirement for the Council to produce an Annual Report about complaints made by, or on behalf of people who receive support or services from Adult Social Care.

The Annual Report also provided a mechanism by which the Council can monitor the quality and effectiveness of our services. The report provided an overview and analysis of all complaints received during the reporting period 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022 including:

· Numbers of complaints received.

· Key themes identified.

· Responding to complaints (including performance data against statutory requirements).

· Overview of complaints escalated to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.

· Learning from complaints.

Members were informed that three themes had been identified in 2021/22 and these were, standards of care delivered by commissioned providers, financial and charging concerns and Social Work concerns. 89% of these complaints were resolved at local complaints resolution stage and the response time had slightly increased from 62 to 64 days due to the complexity of investigations. 64% of complaints were either partially or fully upheld, which is similar to previous years. Based on recommendations by committee, a list of 41 learning points had been recorded.

Members noted that the number of complains had reduced over the past few years and queried what work is being done to respond to complaints in a timely manner. Also queried was the number of ombudsman complaints upheld, and the themes found within these complaints.

Resolved – that the report be noted.