A report providing the Committee with an overview of complaints, compliments, SARs activity and performance for Children’s Social Care for the period from 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021.

The Executive Director of Children’s Services – Education, Early Help and Social Care, Brighter Futures for Children, submitted a report providing an overview of complaints and compliments activity and performance for Children’s Social Care for the period from 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021.  A summary of Children’s Social Care Complaints and Compliments 2020/21 was attached to the report at Appendix A. Nayana George, Customer Relations and Information Governance Officer, provided an overview to the Committee.

The report stated that over the period from 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021 the service had received 70 statutory complaints, which was a 23.9 % decrease compared to the 92 that had been received in 2019/20.  Of the 70 complaints received, 13 had been resolved through alternative dispute resolution (ADR) by the social care teams.  The remaining 57 had progressed to a formal investigation, although three of these had been subsequently withdrawn by the complainant once the investigation had commenced.  During the same period a total of 68 compliments had also been received.

Regarding the low uptake of online training it was reported that face-to-face training sessions had been fully attended.

Resolved –    That the contents of the report and intended actions to further improve the management of representations, particularly complaints, in children’s services in Reading be noted.