Issue - meetings

To receive a report from the Head of Housing & Health reviewing the Annual Complaints Handling process for 2023 / 2024.

The Group had before it, and NOTED, a report * from the Head of Housing and Health setting out how complaints were handled during 2023 – 2024 and other pertinent information in relation to this.

The following was highlighted within the report:

·       The Government and Regulator wanted to know how well each Registered Provider was doing and so was proactively encouraging complaints to come forward. The key things to remember were that complaints were genuinely an opportunity to learn and improve and were often the only way to facilitate this learning process.

·       Data showed that more complaints were dealt with now at the first stage of reporting and over 50% of complaints were not upheld. Fewer complaints were going through to stage two.

·       Some complaints were frivolous and / or non-valid.

·       To put it into context, 93% of tenants did not complain, so we were only talking about 7% of tenants overall who had made a complaint.

·       The challenge was to determine what could be done better and what was not working.

·       Better communications would be key moving forwards.

·       Some areas received no complaints such as disabled adaptations and emergency repairs.

Discussion took place regarding:

·       Where possible, references to ‘quickly’ within the report needed to specify defined timescales.

·       The need for people to be able to engage with the Council in as many different ways as possible so as to improve communication.

·       Ward members had a role to play.

Note: * Report previously circulated.