Issue - meetings
Quarterly Complaints Update - Place
Meeting: 30/01/2020 - Dorset Council - Place Scrutiny Committee (Item 36)
36 Quarterly Complaints Update - Place PDF 1 MB
To consider a quarterly update report on complaints (Place).
Minutes:
The committee
received a report of the Senior Assurance Officer (Complaints) with regard to
the performance of complaints made against functions within the Place
Directorate.
The Chairman noted
that the report was still being developed and that a similar report may be
brought to the other scrutiny committees in the future. The importance of acknowledging compliments
as well as complaints was recognised.
The Leader of
Council highlighted how having a structure in place would provide the council
with consistency in how complaints were dealt with. He indicated that he was content with
progress being made and noted that dealing with complaints gave the council the
opportunity to learn and improve services where required.
The committee
considered the report and raised issues as follows:
·
There
were areas where trends could be identified, however it was noted that there
were instances where due process needed to be completed before an issue was
dealt with as a complaint
·
The
percentage of fully justified complaints was low
·
A point
was raised about the importance of keeping in touch with complainants during
the time their complaint was being dealt with
·
A
request was made for a breakdown of complaints by area and specific reference
made to planning and highways
·
Consideration
needed to be given to how complaints made to and dealt with by councillors were
recorded
·
It was
important that people felt able to contact the council if they had a complaint
and for the process to give them a voice.
It was also important for lessons to be learnt and improvements made
where required. In this respect, the
council welcomed a higher number of complaints.
Complaints were reviewed by managers on a monthly basis and learning undertaken
·
The use
of social media for sharing success stories was highlighted. Social media could also be used as a way of
raising awareness of how complaints could be made as well as information being
made available on the council’s website
·
It was
important to note that not all complaints reached the formal complaints stage
and that many were resolved before they reached that point.