Issue - meetings

The Customer Service Manager introduced the report and highlighted the salient points, which included:

• 47 complaints received with 5 cases still open (it was confirmed that since the report had been produced these had been resolved to the customers satisfaction).
• Review of the process in dealing with complaints using systems thinking principles.
• The new procedure in place to inform all departments of the death of a resident.
• The number of compliments received.
• There had been no complaints to the Ombudsman.

Following presentation of the report the Board discussed the following areas in more detail:

• The customer complaint in respect of the closure of a car park early and a resident’s car being locked in that car park.  (The Head of Environmental Services to be asked to provide a full explanation into how this happened.)
• The circumstances in respect of the complaint from BDHT and notification of a planning application. (The Head of Planning to provide a full explanation.)
• Enforcement complaints and staffing issues within that team.
• The inclusion of complaints which were previously classed as service issues, for example car parking appeals. (This was following a recommendation from the Planning Policy Task Group Report).
• The closure of the Bracken Close, Catshill play area. (The Head of Leisure and Cultural Services to provide information on any future plans for the use of the land.)
• The new process put in place to ensure that the details in respect of the death of a resident were passed to all relevant departments within the Council.
• The decrease in customer enquiries handled by the Customer Service team and the transfer of customer contact to experts within the services.

Following further discussion it was

RESOLVED that the Making Experiences Count – Quarterly Complaints Report be noted.