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Agenda item

Annual Complaints Performance and Service Improvement Report, including the Annual Summary of Complaints Statistics from the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman - Year Ending 31 March 2026

Purpose:

This report provides a review of the organisation’s complaints handling performance and service improvement over the financial year 1 April 2025 – 31 March 2026.

The report is written in line with the Councils Complaints Policy and Procedure (“the Policy”) which was introduced on 1 April 2025. The Policy meets the requirements of the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman’s Complaint Handling Code.

The report also presents the Annual Complaints statistics as provided by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (“the LGO”) letter for the year 1st April 2025 – 31st March 2026.

The report also outlines some proposed changes to the Policy for Committee Approval.

 

Recommendations:

That the Audit and Governance Committee:

  1. note the content of the report and the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman’s annual letter for 25/26 attached at annex A.
  2. approve the recommended changes to the Complaints Policy and Procedure in relation to the use and response to Artificial Intelligence generated complaints attached at annex B.

 

Minutes:

Cheryl Sloan, Executive Director, Workforce Strategy & Transformation, presented the item, the purpose of which was to provide a review of the organisation’s complaints handling performance and service improvement over the financial year 1 April 2025 – 31 March 2026.

 

The report had been written in line with the Council’s Complaints Policy and Procedure (‘the Policy’) which was introduced on 1 April 2025. The Policy met the requirements of the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman’s Complaint Handling Code.

 

The report also presented the Annual Complaints statistics as provided by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (‘the LGO’) letter for the year 1 April 2025 – 31 March 2026.

 

The report outlined some proposed changes to the Policy for Committee approval.

 

In her presentation the Executive Director Workforce Strategy and Transformation made the following points:

 

  • The Council was required to self-assess its compliance with the Ombudsman’s Complaint Handling Code. The Council was compliant. However, it was acknowledged that improvements were required in how the Council recording complaints that were deemed exempt.
  • The Council intended to increase its use of exemptions, in particular to ensure the correct use of the route of complaints was used.
  • 97% of stage one complaints had been dealt with in the 10-day target and 100% of stage two complaints had been dealt with in required timescales.
  • The Council had intended to utilise allowable extensions to ensure compliance with timescales.
  • The report contained a summary of the learning from the complaint handling process..
  • 13 complaints had been referred to the Ombudsman. Of these, one complaint did not relate to the Council, eleven were closed with no action and one was investigated and upheld. The upheld complaint led to improvements in the disabled facility grant process and learnings had been taken and additional processes implemented as a result.
  • The changes to the Complaints Policy were in the area of artificial intelligence (AI) and included sections on Officer use of AI and tips to complainants on how to make effective submissions using AI.

 

In the discussion the Committee made the following points:

 

  • A Member focussed the discussion on the changes to policies around AI and queried how the Council is learning how to identify submission being made to them using AI and what training was being given to staff. Officers advised that it was becoming obvious when submissions had been made using AI. No training had taken place on how to identify AI however officers had received training on general use of AI.
  • The Chair of the Committee, Councillor Nigel Ridpath, highlighted the proposal in section 8.3 of the report which was to provide guidance to users to help produce their complaints effectively. Councillor Ridpath stated that he considered this valuable and forward thinking and showed that the Council valued its residents. Other Members suggested that additional thought may need to be given to the suggestion that complainants ask AI to include a closing paragraph which could result in wording that was not suitable for the Council or reflective of what the complainant wanted to convey.

 

Councillor Adam Clements proposed that the Committee accept the recommendations in the report.

 

Councillor Sandra Simpson seconded the proposal, this was put to the vote and agreed by the Committee.

 

That the Audit and Governance Committee resolved to:

1.    Note the content of the report and the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman’s Annual Letter for 2025/26 attached at Annex A

2.    Approve the recommended changes to the Complaints Policy and Procedure in relation to the use and response to Artificial Intelligence generated complaints attached at Annex B.

Supporting documents:

 

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