Agenda item

Councillor Ward, Executive Member for Finance, Planning and Performance, introduced the report, with Dave Hodgkinson, Corporate Director – Resources, Nadeem Murtuja, Interim Corporate Director – Community Engagement and Wellbeing, and Matt West, Director of Housing Property Services.  

It was acknowledged that the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman had carried out an investigation into the council’s backlog of complaints waiting for investigation at Stage Two of the corporate complaints procedure. The Ombudsman had issued a public report, finding fault with the council’s complaints management performance, and had made recommendations to the council.

The Executive Member accepted the Ombudsman’s findings and that the council’s performance had not been good enough. It was noted that the Ombudsman had concluded that local authorities were under unprecedented pressure due to budget cuts, increasing demand, and the Covid-19 pandemic. However, this was not an excuse for the delay in processing complaints.

The Executive Member explained the key features of the Resident Experience Programme that sought to transform services for residents. This would include improvements to the council’s telephone-based and face-to-face services, supported by improved technology, improvements to the council’s website, and training for staff. The Committee noted that the complaints backlog had been successfully cleared, and that the resources to manage complaints had significantly increased.

The following main points were noted in the discussion:

·        A member highlighted that many seemingly simple issues were escalated to elected members as casework and queried why this was the case. In response, the Executive Member suggested that the delay in processing complaints may contribute to the volume of member casework.

·        Following a question, it was clarified that the council had invested an additional £350,000 into clearing the complaints backlog. A new complaints management system was being procured which would allow for greater management and oversight of complaints.

·        A member queried why the complaints backlog escalated to the extent it did. In response, the Executive Member commented that there were several factors, including insufficient resources, increased demand, and issues with oversight. A new project manager had been appointed to manage the backlog and it was commented this was progressing well.

·        A member queried the cause of member complaints. In response, it was advised that there was no single issue driving the complaints backlog, however a new omnichannel solution would allow for greater oversight of communications with the council and should help issues to be resolved faster.

·        It was queried if organisational culture and the shift to working from home had contributed to the complaints backlog. In response, the Executive Member could not comment on if home working was a factor or not, but if the council had the right systems in place, it should not matter where staff are based.

·        Following a question, it was confirmed that all 44 overdue complaints had received a response, as required by the Ombudsman report.

·        In relation to staff training on managing complaints, it was commented that there was previously no corporate budget for staff training and development. A budget had since been introduced as well as a new learning and development system.

·        A member commented on the volume of casework received and the seriousness of the issues raised, and queried how members could best support vulnerable residents contacting them for support. In response, the Executive Member commented that investing in the new complaints management system should ensure that simple issues are dealt with swiftly, so that staff can spend more time dealing with complex issues. It was hoped that this may lead to a reduction in member casework.

·        A member reported issues with residents attempting to contact the council by telephone but not being able to get through, and asked if investment should be made in front line services, such as plumbers and electricians, to get issues right first time. In response, the Executive Member emphasised the importance of having robust background systems in place to support transactions with residents.

·        Officers noted that changes to the website were being made immediately and Access Islington Hubs, where residents can attend in person to seek advice and support, had soft-launched in December.

·        A member suggested that the poor complaints system was symptomatic of wider issues in service delivery. It was suggested that routing correspondence through the contact centre may not be a satisfactory way to resolve issues swiftly. In response, the Executive Member commented on the importance of channel shift, and if basic transactional correspondence can be dealt with via the website, then this should reduce the volume of complaints. The member commented on the need to take an early invention and prevention approach, getting to the root cause of issues that matter to residents to stop routine issues becoming complaints.

·        A member asked if there were common features among the delayed complaints, or if a particular group was disproportionately impacted by the delays. In response, officers advised that the demographic information held on residents was not comprehensive. The Director of Housing Property Services commented that many complaints are related to housing repairs, although those delayed represented a range of complex issues. 85% of housing repairs were completed on time, but it was acknowledged that the council needed to communicate when a repair would take longer than expected. It was also commented that there had been a spike in demand for housing repairs following the easing of Covid restrictions.

·        A member suggested that some residents may find it difficult to raise complaints if they are not confident with using mobile phones or English is not their first language. It was considered important to retain opportunities for face-to-face communication with residents. The Executive Member confirmed that Access Islington Hubs allowed for issues to be raised in person.

·        It was queried, if the complaint backlog had now been resolved, why a new system was needed. The Executive Member emphasised that it was important to ensure that simple transactional issues could be dealt with swiftly, so staff time can be better spent on resolving complex issues.

The Committee thanked Councillor Ward and officers for the presentation and requested that an update be submitted to the committee in six months’ time.

RESOLVED:

(i)               That the Committee notes the Executive agreed to the following recommendations;

(a)   To note the contents of this report and the LGSCO’s public report dated 2 May 2023 and the recommendations made by the LGSCO, as set out in Appendix 1 of the report;

(b)   To note the requirement for the public report to be considered in full by the Executive in accordance with the Local Government Act 1974;

(c)   To note the agreed remedial actions already taken by officers in response to the LGSCO’s recommendations (paragraph 3.6 of the report).

(d)   To note and approve the proposal to progress the completion of those agreed remedial actions which are yet to be completed by officers (paragraph 3.6 of the report).

(ii)              That the advertisements published in the Islington Gazette, dated 15 June 2023, and Islington Tribune, dated 16 June 2023, be noted.

ACTIONS:

A further update on the resident experience programme to be scheduled for a future meeting.