Issue - meetings
Customer Feedback Policy
Meeting: 12/12/2024 - Cabinet (Item 50)
50 Customer Feedback Policy PDF 110 KB
(A report by John Medler, Assistant Director – Governance and Monitoring Officer)
Additional documents:
- Appendix 1 - Draft SELCP Customer Feedback Policy 2024, item 50
PDF 245 KB
- Appendix 2 - Complaints Process, item 50
PDF 419 KB
Minutes:
Councillor Emma Cresswell presented the Customer Feedback Policy report which translated into a framework designed to manage and deal appropriately with feedback and complaints received by the Council while ensuring customers are dealt with fairly, consistently, and proportionately. The Policy, attached at Appendix 1 within the report, had been aligned to be the same across the three Councils within the Partnership for consistency purposes. The Policy advised on:
· How to give feedback or make a complaint.
· Exceptions to the standard customer feedback procedure, for example where specific issues are treated by a defined complaints procedure.
· The standard of service, including response times, to expect when making a complaint.
· Providing insight to Council services and performance.
· Setting out how the Council monitors customer feedback and uses information to improve services and identify training needs.
Members discussed the report and commented as follows:
· Members welcomed the report and noted the importance of improving the Council’s services.
· Members highlighted the accessibility of the services the Council make available for all residents throughout various methods (online, in-person, by telephone or email).
· Members noted how the data from the implementation of this policy would allow for more informed decisions in the future.
The recommendations were moved by Councillor Emma Cresswell and seconded by Councillor Callum Butler.
RESOLVED:
1. That the draft Customer Feedback Policy at Appendix 1 be approved; and
That the Monitoring Officer be authorised to make amendments to the Policy to ensure it remains up to date and to reflect Complaint Handling Code guidance and recommendations issued by the Ombudsman.
Meeting: 14/11/2024 - Overview & Scrutiny - Corporate & Community Committee (Item 117)
117 Customer Feedback Policy PDF 110 KB
A report by the Assistant Director – Governance and Monitoring Officer
Additional documents:
- 4a. Appendix 1 - DRAFT BBC SELCP CUSTOMER FEEDBACK POLICY 2024, item 117
PDF 244 KB
- 4b. Appendix 2 - Complaints Process, item 117
PDF 418 KB
Minutes:
The report was presented by the Information Manager and Data Protection Officer.
The Council was responsible for ensuring it has a suitable policy in place for dealing with feedback and in particular complaints. The Council wanted to deal with complaints in a way that is open, fair, and proportionate. A policy-led approach helps staff understand what is expected of them, what options for action are available, and who can authorise these actions. Having a policy that can be shared with complainants can help in managing their expectations. Reviewing, updating, and aligning this policy meant the Council has a clear policy for dealing with feedback in general, and more specifically with complaints received.
The Policy had been aligned to be the same across the 3 Councils in the S&ELCP to provide consistency for all staff when dealing with these incidences.
The policy provided the Council with a framework to implement and take appropriate actions when dealing with complaints. It clearly defined what is and is not a complaint as well as steps that will be taken to address complaints.
· Confirmed how to give feedback or make a complaint.
· Highlighted any exceptions to the standard customer feedback procedure, for example where specific issues were treated by a defined complaints procedure.
· Defined the standard of service, including response times, to expect when making a complaint.
· Recognised the importance of customer feedback in providing insight to Council services and performance.
· Set out how the Council monitored customer feedback and used information to improve services and identify training needs.
It had been designed to include corporate oversight and monitoring and had also been reviewed against the LGSCO Complaint Handling Code (the Code). Some of the key updates in the Code related to response times and performance reporting. The Stage 1 response time had been changed to 15 working days to align with the updated LGSCO Code – previously at Boston the response time was 20 working days. The Policy also adopted the Code’s suggested definitions for ‘a service request’ and ‘a complaint’ and confirms the approach the Council will take when responding to these.
As part of the implementation of the Policy, training and guidance would be offered to ensure Officers are aware of their responsibilities when dealing with and responding to complaints. The Council plans to use complaints review panel (a ‘complaints clinic’) to extract any lessons learnt from recent complaints to enable sharing across the organisation. The Council would also produce and publish an annual complaints performance and service improvement report to assess and analyse performance and improvements.
Committee deliberation followed which included:
On seeking the time scale in place to respond to a complaint, a member was advised that from the date of receipt of a complaint the Council had 5 working days to acknowledge the complaint. From the date they acknowledge the complaint they then had 10 working days in which to respond.
In the event that the complainant submitted a stage 2 complaint then the same 5 working days ... view the full minutes text for item 117