Issue - meetings

Councillor Keith Williams, Cabinet Member for Corporate Services and Operational Excellence and the Head of Customer Services, Registrars and Bereavements submitted a joint report setting out proposed alterations to the Council’s current Corporate Customer Feedback Policy following a recent review.  The joint report noted that the Corporate Customer Feedback Policy was previously reviewed in February 2015 and therefore required reviewing following the outcome to the Annual Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman’s Report 2018-19.

Councillor Williams thanked officers for their work in producing the draft policy and informed Members that the changes reflected common practice in other local authorities and would continue to ensure a consistent approach across the Council.

Resolved:-

1.    That it be agreed that the policy be renamed the Customer Feedback and Complaints Handling Policy.

2.    That in be agreed that the purpose of the Customer Feedback and Complaints Handling Policy is to provide customers with clear guidance about how to achieve a prompt resolution to complaints in a fair and consistent fashion.

3.    That the adoption of the reviewed and updated Customer Feedback and Complaints Handling Policy be authorised as the Council’s method for handling all relevant complaints to ensure that, where possible, complaints are resolved internally before such matters are referred to the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO).

4.    That the adoption of a new Customer Behavioural Policy be authorised to replace the Council’s current Persistent and Vexatious Customer section within the current Corporate Customer Feedback Policy.

The reasons for the decision and alternative options are as set out in the report to the meeting.