Agenda item

The Committee received a report from the Interim Head of Children and Young People’s Services regarding the numbers and types of complaints handled by the Children and Young People’s Service during 2010/11 and how they were dealt with to minimise the impact of justifiable concerns and to reduce the likelihood of future complaints.

The Committee noted that the key reasons for reporting complaints on Children and Young People’s Services separately was because they were handled under specific regulations that individually define the statutory process into 3 formal stages (Stage 1, 2 and 3). Havering introduced an informal Pre Stage 1 process in 2005 to support a better complaints practice and avoid complaints escalating to statutory processes.

Some of the key messages that arose from the report during 2010/11 were that:

-         The overall number of complaints was around 176 (46 matters raised by MP’s and Councillors).

-         The Pre Stage 1 process (40) had been very successful in resolving many initial concerns, with both more handled through that process and with none moving from that stage to the formal stage 1 process.

-         The overall number of Stage 1 complaints had increased from the previous year by 32. There had been an increase in complaints made by the Children’s Advocacy Service.

-         The number of Stage 1 complaints, that escalated to a Stage 2 complaint had increased in 2010/11 by 6 complex complaints.

-         There were two Stage 3 complaints for the financial year 2010/11. However one had rolled over to 2011/12 due to the complexity.

-         For 2010/11 7 Compliments were received, these were in relation to the good work Children and Young People’s Services had carried out.

-         7 complaints were submitted to the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO). The outcomes from these complaints were: 4 referred back as a premature complaint and investigated locally as a statutory Stage 1 complaint. 1 complaint was investigated by the LGO and no maladministration was found. 1 LGO Discretion – no or insufficient injustice. 1 LGO on going.

-         Most complaints were initiated by parents and very few by children and young people.

-         The majority of complaints related to the alleged behaviour of staff or the quality of service. 

-         A number of future actions had been identified as a result of the Annual Complaints and Compliments Report 2010/11. These were set out on page 7 of the appendix 1. Most were continuous development matters, but with one or two specific new actions. Key was the continuation of a staff training programme.

The Committee noted that following a major restructure within Social Care & Learning Directorate, there would be new arrangements whereby Children’s and Adult complaints had now merged. It was envisaged that the annual report of 2011/12 would include combined data and more effective comparisons about performance in managing and dealing with complaints across all services. Proposals were being considered to bring complaints services within Social Care and Learning (Learning and Achievement, Adult Social Care and Children and Young People’s Services) together in the future and as part of that change consideration would be given to how a wider service report can be provided.

The Committee noted the report.