Issue - meetings

A report by the Director of Leisure and Community.

RESOLVED that, subject to (i) to (iv) above, the Executive adopts:

(a)  the updated Complaints Policy as set out in Appendix A to this report; and

(b)  the updated Unreasonable Complaint Behaviour Policy, as set out in Appendix B to this report.

At the invitation of the Executive Leader, Councillor R H Price, JP, addressed the Executive on this item.

During the discussion on this item it was noted at paragraph 20 of the report that, in addition to the Housing Ombudsman providing a free service, the Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) also provides a free service.

It was agreed during the discussion of this item that:

(i)            at paragraph 10 of the Complaints Policy, as detailed at Appendix A to the report, the contact details for the Housing Ombudsman be added alongside the contact details for the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman;

(ii)          bullet point 6 of paragraph 15 of the Unreasonable Complaints Policy, as detailed at Appendix B to the report, be amended to allow more than one witness to be present when personal contact takes place in dealing with unreasonable complaint behaviour;

(iii)         paragraph 3 of the Unreasonable Complaints Policy, as detailed at Appendix B to the report, be amended to reflect that in the event of a complaint being escalated to Stage 2, the Director of the department will review the complaint process, not the complaint; and

(iv)         a further report be brought for consideration regarding safeguarding of Members when they are the subject of persistent, vexatious or abusive people.

RESOLVED that, subject to (i) to (iv), as outlined above, the Executive adopts:

(a)  the updated Complaints Policy as set out in Appendix A to the report; and

(b)  the updated Unreasonable Complaint Behaviour Policy, as set out in Appendix B to the report.