Issue - meetings

That the effectiveness of the complaints procedure and lessons being learnt to improve service provision be noted.

The Team Leader - Performance introduced the Statutory Annual Report on Social Services Complaints and Compliments which covered complaints received between April 2020 and March 2021.  She reported that similar to the previous year, 93 complaints had been received and 721 compliments had been received which was nearly double from the previous year.

The Chair said that the number of compliments that had been received had been exceptional and that the report was one of the best she had read, to which the Committee agreed.

The Chair then questioned as to why the complaints were almost double compared to the previous year within Children Services Child to Adult Team.  In response, the Service Manager Disability and Mental Health stated that the complaints were not directed at the Service but on how the parents were feeling at the time with the situation.  Parents had struggled during lockdown due to reduced capacity and in some cases closure of facilities and found it difficult being at home with children with challenging behaviour.

The Team Leader - Performance agreed to send the Committee a summary of the complaints.

Councillor Gladys Healey praised staff on the way they had conducted themselves with their clients as there were no complaints about dignity within adult social care.  She added that pay and conditions for Care Workers should be improved to alleviate the problem with staff shortages.

In response to Councillor Gladys Healey, the Senior Manager - Children and Workforce stated that there was no evidence around the complaint about poor communication within Children’s Services and after investigation it had been put down to the fact that a child had overheard an adult conversation within the household.

The Chief Officer (Social Services) wanted to thank the team for the timescale in which they had responded to complaints in both Adult and Children’s Services given the circumstances during the year.

The recommendation in the report was moved by Councillor Paul Cunningham and seconded by Councillor Gladys Healey.

RESOLVED:

That the effectiveness of the complaints procedure and lessons being learnt to improve service provision be noted.