Complaints and Compliments Report 2010/2011

We receive many comments about our work which help us to develop the service we offer. Where these comments imply any dissatisfaction we count them as complaints. We hope that by listening carefully to what you say and making improvements when we can we will maintain our record of settling all complaints within the Service.

The level of valid complaints is up by two on the previous year to seven. The Service continues to receive a high volume of acknowledgements of good customer care and from these 28 were included in the annual return as examples of exemplary service. The compliments covered most aspects of the Service’s work and reflect its commitment to customer care. These results were achieved in a climate of constant change and when the Service had key posts vacant due to sickness and the recruitment freeze. However, the cover arrangements put in place have ensured that the high levels of customer care that are a feature of the Service have been maintained.

In response to the complaints, procedures have been revised to take account of the feedback received from service users and the delivery of briefing sessions were amended to make them more appropriate to the target audience. Apologies were issued and explanations of the processes we have to follow were provided, where relevant. All of the complaints had a response within 20 working days, as required by the Hampshire County Council complaints policy.  

To put these figures into context the Service has delivered over 1800 hours of training, with over 11000 attendances at 678 sessions, with 481 of these being individually tailored whole governing body training events, alongside providing a clerking service to over 250 governance bodies

If you would like to make a complaint, suggestion or even a compliment, we would be pleased to hear from you.