MORE than 440 complaints have been made against Barnsley Council over the last year - while the number of people complimenting the local authority has fallen.
Each year the council compile their compliment and complaints report, in a bid to see how they have performed over the 12-month period.
A total of 438 customer compliments were received by the council, a small decrease from 452 the previous year.
Whilst a total of 448 complaints were registered, with one being withdrawn.
This was a a small decrease of 16 from the previous year.
There has also been a continuation in how many complaints have been resolved - with 231 being considered at the early resolution stage and a further 217 requiring a formal investigation.
The report states: “We’ve achieved so many great things this year, it’s our aim to make sure that we respond to and manage rising customer expectations and demands, but also recognise the opportunities this presents.
“To achieve this, we need to listen to what people are telling us, manage their expectations and continuously improve our services.
“Not all customer concerns are dealt with as a complaint.
“Where a customer has contacted the service directly and their concerns are resolved, there is often no requirement to escalate this further through the complaint’s procedure.
“However, they should always be informed of their right to make a complaint and of how to do this.
“Customer complaints and compliments are important, and it’s our aim to make sure that people feel able to provide us with this information and know how to do this.
“We aim to respond fairly, in partnership with people and reach a swift resolution where putting it right is at the heart of what we always consider.”
Of the complains, 181 cases found the council were at fault, 127 were partially upheld, 118 not upheld, eight inconclusive and a further 13 are pending completion.
Meanwhile, the council were contacted by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman a total of 33 times - an increase from last year’s figure of 25.
Sixteen of those contacts resulted in a formal investigation - 73 per cent of which were upheld.
The report added: “Of the complaints the ombudsman upheld, they did not find that we provided a satisfactory remedy before it reached them.
“This is below the average of 14 per cent found in similar organisations.
“Further analysis of the cases and remedies offered by services and then the ombudsman will be undertaken and learning identified from this communicated to management for awareness and practice
improvements.
“As part of the complaints process a number of formal resolution methods may have financial costs associated with them such as external investigations, reviews and appointment of mediators and financial settlement.
“The cost of these dispute resolution options is aligned directly to the business unit budget the complaint relates to.
“As a resolution to a complaint, it is important that consideration is given when the council is required to make improvements and how it can remedy the customer for any impact or injustice caused.
“This may also on occasions have financial implications, again the cost of any remedy should be done so in consultation with legal services and is aligned directly to the business unit budget the complaint relates to.”
