Corporate Parenting Board

Thursday 10th March 2022

Complaints - Annual Report

For Review and Consultation

Portfolio Holder:	Cllr A Parry, Children, Education, Skills and Early Help

Executive Director:	J Mair, Corporate Director, Legal & Democratic

Report Author:	Antony Bygrave

Title:	Complaints Manager - Assurance

Tel:	01305 225011

Email:	antony.bygrave@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk

Report Status: Public

Recommendation: That the Committee scrutinises and notes the Annual Complaints Report for 2020/21

Reason for Recommendation: To have an awareness of the numbers and types of complaints and the organisational learning.

Executive Summary

This annual report provides an update on the numbers, types and outcomes of complaints made against services at Dorset Council across the Directorate. There are also appendices that meets statutory reporting requirements of Children’s Services.

Key messages for 2020-21 are:

There were 1268 complaints across the Directorates in 2020-21 which is a 76% increase year on year;

Of these only 644 have been considered through formal processes;

624 have been resolved informally with the Complaints Team working with operational managers towards more agreeable outcomes with less undue process;

Of the 19 Ombudsman investigations only 6 cases revealed maladministration. 3 relating to SEN delays at a cost of £6,750 to the council, up from just £1800 in 2019-20. The adult social care and place cases required an apology without financial penalty;

39% of responses exceeded the 20 working day timescale up from 16% 2019-20. This is largely attributed to volumes and the pressures associated with the Covid19 pandemic;

Only 8% of complaints were considered fully justified with 11% part justified;

There were only 119 learning points collected from complaints suggesting more focus is required on the self-assessment of the services we provide;

Also we are pleased to report a tremendous increase in compliments across the directorates 633 (up 112%);

In addition we received 54 code of conduct complaints regarding DC and Town and Parish Councillors in Dorset (some 160 councils and 1,400 councillors). Of these, just 8 were investigated and 3 upheld. In line with our approach to other complaints we will look in the future to how we can learn from complaints about councillors as part of promoting high standards of conduct.

The Complaints Team as an Assurance function continue to make a difference in promoting a culture of learning from complaints despite well documented challenges across the directorates due to the Covid19 emergency. We are also pleased to report that we are able to support managers across the directorates in resolving complaints without undue process, where possible. This is also having a financial benefit with a reduction in Stage 2 complaints and independent investigators fees.

Financial Implications

Dorset Council have paid £6750 in LGSCO maladministration charges in 2020-21 compared to £1800 2019-20. This is largely centred around SEN and periods where education was not provided

In 2018-19 £15,961.75 was spent on independent investigators for the more complex complaints case. Our positive work towards informal resolutions had reduced this figure to just £30 in 2019-20. Because of the complexity of some Children’s Services cases in 2020-21 we have paid £4334.60 to Independent Investigators, but still a great reduction to 2018-19, and historically

Well-being and Health Implications

The increase in complaints, coupled with associated vexatious behaviours have had an impact on staff wellbeing and the team are regularly encouraged through line management and other Dorset Council support, to be mindful of themselves and their colleagues in-keeping with our behaviours

Climate implications

None

Other Implications

None

Risk Assessment

Having considered the risks associated with this decision, the level of risk has been identified as:

Current Risk: LOW

Residual Risk: LOW

Equalities Impact Assessment

None

Appendices

Appendix A – Children’s Services Statutory Information

Background Papers

None