Agenda item

To consider the annual report on Complaints, Compliments and Comments.

The Customer Services Manager presented the report ‘Schools Service, Complaints, Compliments and Comments’ (copy filed with signed minutes).

The report covered the period June 2018 to May 2019.  Complaints are considered under a two stage process.  Both stages are usually undertaken within the service area with the second stage being carried out by either a Senior Officer from within the service area, an independent Officer from another service area or an external investigator.  Twenty three complaints were received of which 5 proceeded to Stage two of the process.

It is necessary to respond to complaints within 20 working days and 73% of complaints were responded to within this timescale.

Can the outcome of the complaints detailed in Table 2 be included for future reports.

This can be provided.

How does the service learn from complaints?

The Senior Challenge Advisor confirmed that he had acted as Investigating Officer in the past.  Learning is shared with the Head of Service and Officer to ensure that mistakes are not repeated.  A tracker is kept by the Head of Service.

What happens when complaints are not upheld and yet the complainant remains unsatisfied?

The next stage would be for the complainant to make a complaint to the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales.  The PSOW does not advise the Customer Services Department that a complaint has been received.  Notification of a complaint received by the PSOW would be sent to the Monitoring Officer.

If 73% of complaints were responded to in time that means 27% weren’t.  Can information be provided as to why these deadlines were missed.

The Customer Services Manager confirmed that her team did chase the service for responses when it was getting near a deadline and when any were outstanding.  There is a Corporate Objective to respond to 100% of complaints within 20 days.  The average time across the organisation is 79%.

To enable trends to be tracked can it be agreed that the year follows a standard time.

The timeframe would normally be April to March.

What opportunities are there for schools’ complaints to be appealed?

Governing Bodies have a two-stage process to consider complaints.  The appeal of any complaints would be made to the Schools Service, not to the Customer Services Team.

Has there been any post inspection feedback?

Estyn have shared their preliminary findings with the Chief Executive, Head of Schools and nominee.  The Leader, Portfolio Holder for Education and Scrutiny Chair will receive a briefing on 2^nd August 2019 when purdah has finished.

Cllr B Davies left 3.50pm

There have been no compliments for this service.  Is this unusual?

Far fewer compliments are received.  The whole of the authority only received 185 compliments.

Resolved that future reports to contain:

1.    Detail is provided on the which of the complaints detailed in Table 2 were upheld or not

2.    Information from the Monitoring Officer regarding any complaints received by the PSOW

3.    Information as to why complaints were responded to late and how late the response was

4.    That the timeframe for this report be standardised to April to March to allow for trend analysis