Minutes:
Please can you clarify where you get your figures from in relation to Complaints and Compliments? If the Compliments come from emails and the Complaints from those who follow the formal Complaints Procedure, this doesn’t truly reflect the satisfaction of service users. So many parents have to juggle so much that they don’t have the capacity to write a formal complaint but may have stated their dissatisfaction via general email communication and phone calls. A true reflection of customer satisfaction would involve using the same platforms to obtain data for Complaints and Compliments. In my opinion there should be a regular customer satisfaction survey sent to families with simple tick boxes to gage their feedback in the quickest way possible, but also offering the opportunity to provide further feedback. Formal complaints letters are not something everyone feels comfortable in putting together.
Answer
Thank you very much for submitting this important question. This has been reviewed and the following is our answer to the points raised.
Where do the figures come from?
The figures provided in the complaints and compliments overview are all those that have (i) been formally recorded on the Council’s complaints and compliments management system/solution and (ii) have been handled in accordance with either the statutory children’s social care complaints process or the corporate complaints process.
Further details can be found in the report in the next agenda item.
This will include any complaints or compliments reported to us via any of the following channels:
· the online complaints form on our website;
· e-mails outlining feedback sent directly to complaints officers;
· e-mails outlining feedback sent to the services to which they relate;
· letters sent in via post; or
· verbal feedback provided in discussion – either face to face or over the phone/Teams calls.
Is this an accurate reflection of all feedback that the Council receives?
As has been suggested above, the data provided in the overview is those complaints and compliments that have been handled within the highlighted complaints processes.
Whilst it is accepted that this is not a reflection of all feedback received within Children’s Services, we find that generally when someone either wishes to raise a concern with us or to give us positive feedback on the services provided, they will tell us about it.
In addition to this, the channels by which they can do so – i.e. the complaints processes – are detailed on our website and are accessible via a number of different means.
Customer satisfaction surveys
We are always keen to make our services as easy to access as possible for our residents – especially with regard to feedback, as this is essential in helping us understand what we are doing well and where we need to improve.
It is accepted that not everyone is comfortable with pulling together formal letters/e-mails of complaint. The suggestion around use of a survey could well improve and expand the means by which residents can share their feedback with us.
The Council has a ‘Complaints Working Group’, which is used as a platform to discuss practices around responding to and managing complaints. Your items of concern will be brought up as an item for discussion at next meeting scheduled for 7 November.