Dawn Stanley-Smith, Customer Resolution and Information Manager outlined a report providing information on representations and complaints received by children’s social care services within the Children and Young People’s Department for the year 1 April 2015 to 31 March 2016.  The report demonstrated an overview of complaint trends, performance and areas for development.

Members heard that a number of complainants and representations that had been made did not meet the criteria of the complaint regulations and had either been referred to the relevant process or procedure or had been acknowledged, registered as comments or feedback and forwarded to managers for a response.  Members were informed that twenty complainants had had their complaint resolved at first contact with the Customer Resolution and Information Team without the need to formally register a complaint.

Numbers of complaints registered over twelve months had been provided and it was explained that 82.9% of complaints made by children or young people had been resolved within the statutory timescale and that Stage 1 complaints registered by an adult were dealt with by an appropriate manager.  Also 92.3% of stage 1 complaints had been responded to within the timescale and 100% of stage 2 complaint investigations had been completed within the expected timescale.

Members heard what had been learned from complaints and that a new policy and procedure in relation to managing difficult communication had been produced to assist staff and children and families.  Also work was underway on recommendations in respect of another two new procedures.

Members then heard that when reviewing effectiveness, it had been identified that the number of complaints received from children and young people had tripled following the work undertaken with the Children in Care Council to ensure that all children knew how to make their voices heard.  It was suggested that the vast majority of complaints continued to be resolved by Council staff or the Customer Resolution and Information Team at an early stage.

It was further explained that a series of workshops had been planned which included an overview of the complaint process in order to increase and improve awareness of how to support children and young people to make representations.  Work would continue with corporate IT colleagues in relation to identifying an effective IT platform and a recruitment process was to be undertaken to increase the number of Independent Persons to work on stage 2 investigations.

A representative of the Children in Care Council attended the meeting and gave an overview in respect of the workshop she had undertaken in relation to complaints.  She believed that the workshop had been successful  and helped to improve the service.

In response to questions raised by Members, the representative of the Children in Care Council outlined her personal experience in relation to the complaints procedure and confirmed that all the correct steps had been followed.  She advised Members that she now felt capable of helping someone through the process.

Also in response to questions, the Customer Resolution and Information Manager confirmed that an increase in complaints could be expected as the message filtered out to young people in respect of how to engage in the process.  She also advised that the number of Ombudsman complaints could be as a result of people being advised they had not met the criteria to follow the complaints procedure.  She reported that quarterly briefings were to take place with staff to share best practice.

Resolved –

(1)  That the report be noted.

(2)  That the Customer Resolution and Information Manager be thanked for her report and the representative of the Children in Care Council be thanked for her attendance.