Agenda item

(To receive a report from Carolyn Knight, Quality and Standards Manager, which provides the Committee with information on the Compliments, Comments and Complaints received by Children's Social Care for the period 1 April 2016 to 31 March 2017)

The Committee gave consideration to a report from Carolyn Knight, Quality and Standards Manager, which provided information on the Compliments, Comments and Complaints received by Children's Social Care for the period 1 April 2016 to 31 March 2017.

It was reported that it was a statutory requirement under the Local Authority Social Services and National Health Service Complaints (England) Regulations to produce an annual complaints report.  The report presented focussed on complaints that related specifically to Children's Social Care (including fostering and adoption).  It was highlighted that school and corporate complaints were dealt with separately and were not therefore included within the scope of the report.

It was reported that during the period 1 April 2016 to 31 March 2017, there had been 128 complaints, which was the lowest number received in the last ten years.  Of the 128 complaints, 16 had gone to stage 2; and 6 had gone to stage 3. It was noted that 52 of the complaints had been unsubstantiated and 43 had been partly substantiated; and 7 that were substantiated; and that there were 24 complaints where the outcome remained unknown as a result of staff not completing the necessary paperwork.

Attached to the report was a copy of the Annual Complaints report for 2016/2017.  The Committee was advised that 16 complaints related to the conduct and attitude of staff.  The Committee was further advised that the action plan detailed on pages 65 to 67 identified the areas of concern and what needed to happen to rectify the issues.

The Committee noted that the lateness of the report was as a result of not being able to retrieve data from the LAGAN system.

During discussion, the Committee raised the following issues:-

·         One member raised the issue that the highest number of complaints received was in relation to the South Kesteven Team, which had recorded 22 complaints, of these 3 had been substantiated and 9 had been partly substantiated. The Committee was advised that this area had seen a high turnover of staff and high caseloads.  The Committee was advised that since 1 April 2017 the process of escalation was now being tracked better.  It was noted that as a result of the Workforce Development Plan, the reliance on agency staff was reducing; and work was being undertaken to look into areas where there had been a high turnover of staff; and that the recruitment and retention initiatives had seen a stabilisation in staffing numbers; 

·         The Committee was advised that once data had been received up to March 2018, it was hoped that it would show improved performance;

·         Some members agreed that compliments should be encouraged more by staff;

·         It was confirmed that the data did not include Early Help at the moment, but it was hoped that going forward the data would be expanded.  Confirmation was given that the data did include Looked After Children;

·         A suggestion was made by a member that Visiting Members should be encouraged to look at the record of complaints and compliments when conducting their visits; and

·         Some members welcomed the action plan to minimise the number of complaints received.  Particular reference was made to the use of an 'Out of Office' message.

RESOLVED

That the action plan contained in the Annual Complaints Report for 2016/17 be endorsed.