Agenda item

1.     The report was presented by the Customer Experience and Relationship Manager), Pascale Blackburn-Clarke. The following key points were highlighted to Members:

        a)     The report covered early returns for the 2025–26 period. It was advised that minor variations might occur when the full annual report was presented in September.

        b)     Benchmarking figures from the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) were not yet available for the last financial year; therefore, the report used the previous year’s data. Updated figures would be included in the full annual report.

        c)     Fewer complaints escalating to the Ombudsman might indicate effective local re         solution in other authorities, but this could not be assumed without supporting evidence. Historical complaints continued to affect volumes, but early identification and appropriate remedies were helping reduce the number of cases upheld or investigated by the LGSCO.

2.     In answer to Member comments and questions, the following was said:

        a)     Artificial Intelligence (AI) generated complaints had made the process more complex. Complaints were often significantly longer, sometimes incoherent, and occasionally referenced irrelevant or outdated legislation. This required additional officer time to interpret and identify the core issue.

        b)     Regarding the rise in complaint volumes, Pascale confirmed that this was not due to iCasework, which had been in use for many years. Instead, increases were common following elections and had been further amplified by a change in administration and associated media attention. This heightened public awareness of the Council’s work, leading to more complaints. Although workloads had risen, some high?pressure areas were beginning to see reduced backlogs and improved average handling times.

        c)     It was confirmed that the Council was exploring the use of AI tools. While responses still required officer oversight and subject?matter knowledge, AI could assist with wording and clarity. Further opportunities for AI use were being considered, though this remained at an early stage.

        d)     The Director of Countrywide Children’s Services, Kevin Kasavan, added that AI tended to tailor outputs to a user’s search history and preferences, which could skew complaint narratives. In contrast, the Council must rely on factual information, which limited the usefulness of AI for drafting responses.

        e)     It was explained to Members that comparison between Kent and other Authorities was difficult because councils reported differently. Many did not publish corporate complaints data beyond statutory requirements. While several authorities had adopted the 15?day target, it was too early to assess the impact, as the Ombudsman had only implemented the change in April. KCC’s average response time was 10 working days, when a response was provided in timescale, but pressures in some services could affect performance.

        f)      It was confirmed that the next Organisational Learning Panel meeting was scheduled in the coming weeks. While other authorities were not currently involved, Ben Watts agreed it was a fair challenge to explore external learning. Conversations with other councils already took place informally, and he would take forward the suggestion to strengthen this approach.

        g)     Deputy Leader of the Council, Mr Brian Collins, commented that neighbouring councils’ statistics could fluctuate significantly following elections, which should be considered when comparing performance.

        h)     It was suggested that Hampshire could be used as a potential authority for sharing learning.

        i)      Ben Watts agreed that both highand low performing councils could offer valuable insights. He emphasised the significant work undertaken by officers to produce the supplemental report and asked that group leaders provide feedback during agenda?setting to ensure the end?of?year report met members’ needs.

        j)      A Member commented that he welcomed the report’s emphasis on using complaints to improve services and requested more detail in future reports on how learning was being applied. Ben Watts agreed to reflect this in the next feedback report and reiterated the Committee’s thanks to Pascale and her team for their work.

3.     a)     RESOLVED Members noted the progress made since the Annual

                Customer Feedback Report.

        b)     RESOLVED Members noted the ongoing challenges and planned actions set out in the report