Hampshire County Council

Adult Services Policy Review Committee Item 8

23 November 2005

Annual Report of the Complaints and Customer Care Service

Report by the Director of Adult Services

How the conclusion in this report fits with the Corporate Strategy

Aim 5 - Whilst there is a legal requirement to investigate complaints using a prescribed procedure, the Complaints and Customer Care Service is committed to ensuring that lessons are learnt from the feedback given through the complaints process and that action is taken on the basis of this learning to improve services.

Aim 6 - The Complaints and Customer Care Service has a responsibility to ensure that staff and Members respond quickly and appropriately to expressions of dissatisfaction with services and provide training and guidance on an ad hoc basis and through formal training.

1.

Summary

1.1

1.2

1.3

1.4

1.5

1.6

1.7

Attached is the Annual Report of the Complaints Service for the year 2004 - 2005. There is a requirement in the National Health Service and Community Care Act (1990) and The Children Act (1989) that such a report be produced and presented to Members.

In the year from April 2004 to March 2005 there were 474 enquiries received at headquarters, this compares to 539 received for the same period the previous year and is a decrease of 12% on the previous year. Of those received over the year, 429 were complaints, or expressions of dissatisfaction with the service received, a decrease of 15.4% from the 507 complaints received at headquarters the previous year.

For Adult Services there were 300 enquiries received at headquarters, compared to the 301 received the previous year. For Children's Services there were 168 enquiries, compared to 225 the previous year, a reduction of 25%.

There were no Stage 2 investigations carried out during this year. All complaints were either resolved informally or were dealt with through an alternative procedure. Six were referred to the Corporate Complaints Procedure as either the complainants were not qualifying persons under the relevant legislation or the cause of concern could not be dealt with through the formal procedure.

In the year 2004-2005 there were 31,279 referrals to adult services. Therefore the complaints or comments received comprised less than one percent of referrals. In children's services, with a total of 8,662 recorded referrals, the 168 complaints received comprises less that two percent. Both figures suggest that of all people receiving our services on a very small proportion feel it necessary to complain.

There were two Stage 3 Review Panels held, one for Children's Services and the other for Adult Services relating to the older person's client group. Both of these were complaints that had been investigated in 2002-2003 and the request to go to Panel was delayed substantially by the complainants.

136 compliments were received directly at headquarters.

2.

Impact Assessment

2.1

In compiling this report account has been taken of the requirements of the Corporate Equalities Plan and Race Scheme. The Complaints and Customer Care Service is required to monitor all complaints relating to racial incidents. None were recorded in the year covered by the report.

3

Consultation with Local Members

3.1

N/A

Recommendation(s)

That:

1

Committee endorse the approach taken across the department to resolve complaints as quickly and effectively as possible, thereby reducing the need for recourse to formal procedures.