Issue - meetings

(Report by Mrs J Wainwright, Director Commissioning &Partnerships, Ms R Turner, Managing Director and Mrs S Hohler, Cabinet Member for Children, Families & Education)

(Mrs A Kitto, Customer Care Manager, was present for this item)

(1)         The Committee received a report that provided information on the complaints and representations received in 2009/10 about services provided by the Children, Families and Education Directorate.

(2)         In reply to a question, Mrs Wainwright advised that the local authority had no statutory right to be involved in complaints made to the headteacher of a school.  The original procedure was as follows: Stage One - Where a parent complained about the school this should be made to the headteacher in the first instance. Stage Two - If the parent felt that the complaint had been dealt with unsatisfactorily dealt with by the headteacher it would be referred to the governing body.  Stage Three - If following the governing body’s response the parent was unhappy that they had not followed due procedures then the local authority would be asked to take a view, but the local authority had no power of redress, and could only comment on the procedure.  The new procedure was agreed through legislation that the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) would take on the ‘stage three’ role rather than the local authority. 

(3)         Mr Parry requested that future reports have comparators for neighbouring authorities etc.

(4)         RESOLVED that the report be noted.