Interviews with:

·  Ellie Kershaw, Policy and Programmes Manager; and

·  Dave Lindsey, Head of IT

Following an overview of the complaints report by Ellie Kershaw, Policy and Programmes Manager, and in response to Members questions it was confirmed that the issues highlighted by residents through complaints did feed into changes to the way in which the Council delivered its services. 

Dave Lindsay, Head of ICT was invited to attend the meeting to provide an update on the new complaints system. Responding to questions raised by Members at previous meetings, he explained that it was a generic correspondence system and a customer database.  The complaints module had gone live first, in August 2012. Mr Lindsay explained that the issues with its delayed implementation had been the result of a lack of resources in the IT team.

With regards to the capabilities of the system Mr Lindsay informed Members that:

• The system would help identify vexatious complainants; and
• It was an event based system and would therefore an email would be generated to the relevant office if there was something to act on.

He explained that there had been an issue with complaints reporting but work to remedy this was taking place the following Monday.

The Committee raised questions about front line staff making a distinction between complaints and suggestions or queries and were informed that checks were being carried out to ensure this was being done effectively.  It was stressed that if a customer wanted to lodge a complaint, even if strictly speaking it was not a complaint, it would be accepted.

Members considered whether the preferred method of reporting complaints had been investigated so that the council could identify the preferred method of communication used by residents. The Committee felt that this was an area that should also be reported on in the quarterly report.

It was resolved that the Head of ICTidentify, through complaints reporting, the methods of communication used by residents when reporting complaints. The results should be included in the quarterly complaints report.