Agenda item - Complaints Update - November 2013

Report of the Head of Law & Monitoring Officer (copy attached).

44.1         The Committee considered a report of the Head of Law & Monitoring Officer in relation to the Complaints Update; the paper sought to provide the regular update to the Committee in relation to allegations about Member conduct, and also contained a summary of information about the number of complaints received in relation to services provided by the Council. As a new addition the report also contained summary information about the number of complaints received about services the Council provided.

44.2         Following a query from Councillor Wealls, the Standards & Complaints Manager explained that quarterly reporting was undertaken to give a picture of the corporate spread of complaints and how the number related to individual directorates. The Executive Leadership Team (ELT) received progress reporting, and some complaints could be better understood when properly contextualised. It had also been considered good practice to now bring this information to the Committee as part of the monitoring work it already undertook.

44.3         It was confirmed for Councillor Deane that the information in relation to the complaints could be interrogated further to identify where they sat at individual team level, and, in relation to complaints about Members, it was confirmed that any which related to potential criminal activities would sit outside of the Code of Conduct and be dealt with by other appropriate legislation.

44.4         In discussion about comparative information in was explained to Dr Horne that this type of information was not easily available; however, Officers had tried to undertake some of their own benchmarking and believed that the service was comparatively efficient and streamlined – in particular given its corporate nature.

44.5         Members welcomed this reporting, and noted it was very useful.

44.6         RESOLVED – That the Committee note the report.