Agenda item

LIST OF BACKGROUND PAPERS AS REQUIRED BY LAW

(Papers relied on to write the report, which do not contain exempt information and which are not published elsewhere)

North Norfolk District Council Compliments, Complaints and Comments Policy

North Norfolk District Council Customer Service Strategy

Contact Officer, telephone number and email: David Williams, Customer Services Manager, 01263 516415, david.williams@north-norfolk.gov.uk

The CSM introduced the report and informed Members that the aim was to provide an insight into the frontline service provided to customers, whilst also considering the impact of Covid-19 and the Team’s response to the crisis.

Questions and Discussion

  i.         Cllr N Housden asked for clarification on the planning complaints. The CSM replied that the planning complaints generally referred to the manner in which planning applications were handled, which could refer to applications being processed too quickly, too slowly, or applicants not receiving adequate communication throughout the process. He suggested that it would be better to request service specific information from the Head of Planning, who would have a better understanding of the complaints. The CSM stated that the Customer Service role was to receive complaints and pass them on to the relevant service, which meant they often did not see the full details. Cllr N Housden suggested that it might be useful to have a further breakdown of planning complaints.

 ii.        Cllr G Mancini-Boyle referred complaints data on p29, and asked why there had been no reduction in complaints from stages two to three. The CSM replied that whilst he did not have the full breakdown of complaints available, some may have been resolved within the timeframe of reporting and others not. He added that it was coincidental that stage two and three complaints were the same number, but this did not necessarily mean these were the same complaints. The Chairman noted that figures taken from a different period did show a small reduction between each stage, and asked for clarification on whether this was the aim of the policy. The CSM replied that complainants were asked whether they were satisfied that their complaint had been resolved at each stage, and they would often choose to progress complaints. He added that LGA guidance on the matter had recently changed, and it was now suggested that complaints should be dealt with in a two stage process. The HIT stated that in the current process, complainants were asked whether they would like to progress their complaint, which gave little disincentive, that might further explain the minimal reduction in numbers between each stage.

iii.        Cllr L Shires stated that the number of interactions handled during the lockdown period had been vast and the Customer Services Team’s response to this demand had been flawless. She referred to the breakdown of complaints on p30, and suggested that it would be useful to have more detail to learn from mistakes and see the impact that Covid-19 on complaints.

iv.        Cllr C Cushing stated that it was important to learn from the report to improve the Council’s complaints procedure and ensure the same issues did not reoccur. The HIT agreed and stated that improving the service for customers was a key objective of the Corporate Plan. He added that the Council completed approximately 100k transactions per year, which in relation to 148 complaints was a relatively good picture, though there was always room for improvements.

 v.         Cllr N Pearce reiterated that the number of complaints was extremely low in relation to total transactions. He referred to benefits complaints on p30 and stated that more detail was required to fully understand the issues. The CSM replied that the 56 complaints for council tax, benefits and business rates covered a broad spectrum of issues, and having only five for complaints for benefits was a positive sign. He added that whilst Covid-19 would affect resident’s incomes, he was confident that the team would continue to handle incoming requests for assistance effectively.

vi.        In response to a question from Cllr G Mancini-Boyle, it was confirmed that the complaints policy required all complainants to progress through every step of the process.

Customer Centred Services - Digital by Design Presentation

The HLS gave a presentation on potential changes to the customer services approach and informed Members that the Corporate Plan aspired to make the Council’s services easy to access through a number of channels. It was reported that current pressures on the service included increased demand, funding pressures, and delivering the aims of the Corporate Plan. It was stated that it would be difficult to increase staffing levels to cope with the increased demand, hence alternatives had to be considered. The HLS stated that Covid-19 had caused a number of changes to the way Customer Services worked already, with members of the public no longer visiting the office to access services, and most enquiries being handled by staff working remotely. It was noted that the Council must ensure that the right service was available to residents as and when required to improve their experience, whilst also improving efficiency. It was suggested that the proposals would make some services available 24/7 via the NNDC website. IT was noted that both telephone and face to face services would remain in place for those unable to access the internet.

The HLS informed Members that there were four key actions behind the digital by design proposal, which included obtaining customer insight into how customers interacted with the Council, continuing to develop the Council’s website, changing access arrangement to encourage digital channels, and redesigning services to be digital where possible. In summary, the proposals sought to implement more effective targeted services, remove duplication and waste, allow customers to choose how to access services in a convenient way, and enable a transfer of resources to where they were most needed.

Questions and Discussion

  i.         The Chairman thanked the HLS for the presentation, but raised concerns around the limited opportunity for Member input prior to implementation of the proposals. He asked for clarification of how Members would be involved in the process. The HLS replied that whilst the implementation of the proposal would be an operational matter, progress could be reported to the Committee on a regular basis for Member feedback. She added that a more detailed strategy paper could also be reviewed by Members, in addition to commenting on the existing action plan. The Chairman agreed that implementation was an operational matter, but suggested that Members needed time to develop their understanding of the proposals and contribute to the process. He sought assurances that the proposals would not go forward without further Member engagement. The HLS replied that the Corporate Plan panels would monitor the outcomes of the project, and if necessary, Members could scrutinize any issues that arose. The Chairman stated that he was not convinced that reviewing outcomes would provide Members with adequate opportunity to offer input into the process. The HLS replied that the strategy had been set by Cabinet in the Corporate Plan, and at this stage it was now the officers’ role to identify and implement that strategy. She added that a demand management approach was common place amongst Councils, and it would not go ahead without careful planning. It was suggested that the Council would struggle to meet future demand if the approach was not adopted.

 ii.        The Chairman suggested that it would be useful to have a workshop or briefing session in which the presentation could be repeated with more time for discussions and input. The HLS replied that it was the intention of SLT to provide a zoom briefing on the proposals, though the opportunity was taken to present it to Members at Committee as soon as possible. The HIT added that whilst the proposals were part of an overarching policy, no actions would take place outside of normal the portfolio holder interaction and reporting processes. He reiterated that the proposals were merely a guide for delivering the step change in how the Council delivered its customer services. The HLS confirmed that she would provide the same presentation as a standalone zoom briefing.

iii.        Cllr R Kershaw spoke on behalf of the portfolio holder who was unable to attend the meeting and stated that the lead should come from what the customers’ wanted. He added that the implementation process could come back to Scrutiny, though any software design must avoid being overcomplicated with too much input.

iv.        The Chairman suggested that it would be prudent to leave further questions to a standalone presentation. He referred back to the main report, and suggested that it would be helpful to see a future report on how the complaints identified would be resolved by the digital by design model. Cllr N Housden reiterated concerns around a lack of specific detail on complaints, and suggested that it would be required to learn from past mistakes. Cllr L Shires stated that she was fully supportive of a digital approach, but raised concerns that accessibility might suffer for those unable to access digital channels. She welcomed the opportunity for a zoom briefing to gain greater insight and provide input to the strategy.

 v.         Cllr N Housden stated that whilst Covid-19 had forced many to use digital options, once life returned to normal, he expected there would be a desire amongst the public to return to previous access channels, and this had to be monitored closely.

vi.        Cllr J Toye stated that he supported the officers’ proposals, and noted that whilst it was the Members role to set requirements, he was comfortable for officers to proceed. Cllr N Pearce stated that he was supportive of a further briefing and an additional report on how the proposals would address lessons learned. He proposed that an all Member briefing session take place on the proposals, and further reports be produced to look in detail at the nature of complaints, and how the proposals would address these issues. Cllr L Shires seconded the proposals.

RESOLVED

1.    To note the report.

2.    To request that an all Member briefing take place on the Digital by Design customer service proposals.

3.    To request an additional report from SLT with greater detail on the nature of complaints received.

4.    To request an additional report from SLT on how the Digital by Design approach would address issues raised in complaints.