Issue - meetings

(1)       Mr Mills introduced the report and answered questions from Members.  Points highlighted were as follows:-

(a)       Mr Mills received Members’ congratulations for the positive approach taken by his Directorate team to the receipt of complaints and compliments, using both as a constructive way to build best practice.

(b)       The Transition target in ‘Towards 2010’ was a good example of using complaints to lead to new policy setting.

(c)        The figures for the number of compliments received, versus the number of complaints, was something that the Directorate should be proud of.

(d)       Complaints received by KCC are not necessarily about KCC services.  KASS staff may sometimes have referred to them complaints against private providers.  Mr Mills undertook to advise Members outside the meeting of the procedure which set out how these should be managed. 

(e)       The outcome of complaints made against private and voluntary providers could be monitored as part of the County Council’s contracting process and by Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) in the inspection process.

(f)         Part of the slight increase in the number of complaints received may be due to the recent publicity of its complaints process which the Directorate had undertaken.

(g)       Intervention by elected Members to solve problems meant those problems were classified as “stage one”, as they were quickly resolved before they could develop into complaints.

(2)       RESOLVED that:-

(a)       the information given in the report, and in response to questions, be noted, with thanks; and

lude fuller information on the sources of complaints and the m

(b)       future reports inconitoring process, as covered in paragraphs (d) and (e) above.