Agenda item

The Leader introduced the report that confirmed that all Public Services in Wales are required to record and respond to feedback from residents in accordance with the guidance and legislation issued by the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales (Ombudsman).  There are additional statutory requirements that must be met for complaints about Social Care. The report focusses on the overall performance regarding compliments, comments and complaints, and corporate performance in more detail.

Feedback on the above is recorded in the My Newport platform. The report summarises the complaints received in 2019/2020 and makes recommendations for actions that will improve the service provided by the Council.

The report noted that the Ombudsman requires public bodies to listen to feedback from the public and use that feedback to shape services and drive continuous improvement.  This includes having systems in place to record, analyse and report on the feedback received from residents.

The Ombudsman passed new legislation last year (The Public Services Ombudsman (Wales) Act 2019), and has very recently published new model policies and guidance underpinning this.  The structure and content of the annual report reflects the changes.

The Council receives many compliments from residents about the services provided and this was the first full year that residents were able to use customer accounts, webforms and an app to record these quickly and easily. It was noted that the majority of compliments recorded are for City Services, as the most visible service with the most daily interactions with residents. Whilst the Ombudsman requires the Council to record compliments, he does not require data on these numbers, however, the report acknowledges that compliments received are a positive reflection on the services provided to residents.

Comments are also a way of recording the feedback from customers who are unhappy with policies and decisions made by the Council. City Services received the most recorded comments about policies for the same reasons it receives the most complaints. It should be noted that this was also a year when policy changes that impacted every household were implemented. Changes such as the introduction of smaller bins in order to meet recycling targets and the transfer of responsibilities for Civil Parking Enforcement to the Council generated much higher levels of feedback than usual. This, combined with the simple and easy way that residents can submit their feedback has contributed to the increase in numbers year on year. The report confirmed that it will not be possible to make a fair comparison until 2021, when there will be two full years’ worth of data recorded on the new system.

The number of complaints received by the Council account for 1.84% of the total customer contacts recorded by Customer Services last year.  There were more complaints recorded this year, however, this did not result in an increase in formal reviews or cases being referred to the Ombudsman.

The Leader was pleased to report that increasing numbers of complaints this year is not necessarily a cause for concern, as the Ombudsman expects Local Authorities to receive feedback in the form of complaints, and to make it easy for residents to complain. The low numbers of formal Stage 2 reviews and Ombudsman referrals are reflective of service areas handling complaints appropriately when they are raised.  City Services received the most complaints, reflecting the nature of their work and direct interface with residents.

The report noted that 25.5% of complaints were upheld or partially upheld which is broadly in line with performance in previous years.

The improved methods of submitting feedback, including complaints, also supports social services complaints. The volume of complaints received for social care services has increased slightly year on year, but fewer complaints have resulted in Independent Investigations and Ombudsman referrals.  This indicates that complaints are being well handled at the first stage and resolved to the complainant’s satisfaction.

The number of complaints referred to the Ombudsman’s office is below the national average for Local Authorities in Wales.  38 cases were referred to the Ombudsman during this time, and four of those required Ombudsman intervention where an ‘early resolution’ was agreed with the Council and complainants.

The Leader confirmed the Council is committed to developing the service in focussing further on ensuring the feedback from residents is used to improve service provision and outcomes.

The report provides examples of improvements that have been identified and implemented in the 12 months as a result of resident feedback. This is in line with the Ombudsman’s requirement to focus on ‘lessons learnt’ under the new legislation and guidance.

The report noted that the Council will review the existing policies and procedures to reflect the new legislation and guidance issued by the Ombudsman.  Further guidance, training and support will be provided to Officers to improve how complaints are dealt with and to embed a culture of continuous improvement based on the feedback received.

The Leader thanked the Cabinet Member for Community and Resources and the Cabinet Member for Social Services for the help and support they have given in driving forward continuous improvement.

The Cabinet Member of Community and Resources was pleased to report the Council has a very good relationship with the Ombudsman and the Council’s developed technology to assist with capturing data has resulted in less complaints being referred to the Ombudsman.

The Cabinet Member for Social Services referred to the many wonderful compliments received with regard to the service provided by social care which don’t appear to be recorded in the graph contained in the report.  He asked if the Chief Executive could write to officers to encourage them to record compliments more robustly. Overall he was pleased with the content of the Ombudsman’s report.

In response to Cllr Cockeram’s comments on compliments received, the Leader confirmed the Council does record compliments but the Ombudsman does not require them to be reported.

Councillor Jeavons was pleased to note that most complaints are dealt with at Stage 1. 

The Leader thanked all officers for their commitment to public service which has ensured that the Council has continued to provide services to the citizens of Newport during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Cabinet was asked to:

i)              consider the volume, nature and themes regarding compliments and complaints received, and the Council’s performance regarding complaint management in 2019/2020;

ii)             note the content of the Ombudsman’s letter;

iii)           comment on any issues arising from the report or letter; and,

iv)           endorse the recommendations for improvement set out within the report, which ensure that the Council complies with its obligations under the new Public Service Ombudsman for Wales Act 2019

Decision:

Cabinet voted and unanimously agreed the report.