Issue - meetings

This annual report sets out complaints performance in Brent Council for the period 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022 and focuses on the nature of complaints and the learning they provide to inform Brent’s future approach to service improvement.

Cabinet RESOLVED to note Brent’s performance in managing and resolving complaints, as detailed within the Complaints Annual Report for 2021-22.

Councillor Mili Patel (Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance, Resources & Reform) introduced a report setting out complaints performance by Brent Council for the period 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022.  The report included details on complaints performance relating to Adult Social Care and Children’s Social Care which it was noted were governed by separate statutory complaint procedures.

In considering the report Cabinet noted the key headlines relating to complaints performance in 2021-22 which included a decrease in Stage 1 complaints by 13% but increase in number of Stage 2 complaints by 21% (43 cases) with 22 cases being upheld by the Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman against Brent in 2021-22 compared to 12 cases in the previous monitoring period.  In recognising the ongoing impact on the volume and complexity of complaints as a result of the pandemic and cost-of-living crisis, members also welcomed the work being undertaken with those services identified as receiving the highest number of complaints, including housing repairs, housing customer experience and Council Tax. to review the complaints handling process and address the root causes of the complaints being received.

In thanking officers for their efforts in monitoring and managing complaints performance, members felt the issues and areas highlighted as key concerns reflected the nature of current challenges being experienced by many local residents requiring support and also the Council in being able to manage the increased level of demand for key services.  As such the report was welcomed as a means of continuing to focus on the nature of complaints received and approach towards service improvement for residents.

Having considered the report Cabinet RESOLVED to note Brent’s performance in managing and resolving complaints, as detailed within the Complaints Annual Report for 2021-22.