Decision details

Consider the Annual Complaints Report for 2015-16, and approve for publication on the Councils website.

Public question from Mr Taylor put by the committee manager:

 I am disappointed the annual complaints report doesn't identify the councillors against whom complaints have been made (and in some cases upheld). Given public money has been spent compiling reports and making recommendations in the cases of complaints against councillors I would like to see such reports published; they could help inform people's votes at future elections. I would like to see the costs of investigations pro-actively published too.

Answer provided by Tom Lewis the Council’s Head of Legal Practice and Monitoring Officer.  Reporting complaints against councillors, as included in the Annual Report on Complaints, is in line with statute and the Council’s Constitution.  Expenditure incurred on investigating a complaint over £500 is reported by the Council in line with Open Data.

The committee received a report from the Business and Development Officer regarding the Annual Complaints and Feedback Report 2015-16.  A correction was noted on page 16 of the report where the number of stage 2 complaints for city homes should be 3 (not 12).  Cllr Robertson stated that it is now two years since the Council has been inviting customers who telephone to make a comment be it a complaint or compliment.  The first quarter for 2016/17 has shown a drop in complaints compared to the first quarter of 2015/16.

Resolved (unanimously) to:

i.             Consider the draft annual complaints report 2015/16 shown at appendix A and approve for publication on the Council’s website.