Social services complaints up by 60%

THE number of informal stage complaints received by Pembrokeshire County Council’s social services increased by 60% in 2012/13 compared to the previous year, according to a report put before cabinet members on September 9.
Complaints relating to child care increased by 150%, while those relating to adult care increased by 33%, though there was “no trend” to explain the increase and none of the complaints related to safeguarding.

Some 28% were upheld or partly upheld, while 52% were resolved by quick fixes or voluntary settlements.

The quality of service was the most common category, accounting for 44% of complaints, with attitude of staff at 17%, care and management at 15% and a lack of engagement at 8%.

Attitude of staff had risen to the second most common type of complaint, from being fourth in 2011/12.

A total of 56 complaints were received by Social Care in all stages of the complaints procedure – 31 relating to child care and 25 related to adult care.

In child care complaints, 87% were resolved at the informal stage, with four complaints going through informal and formal investigations, and a fifth dealt with as a formal investigation.

In adult care, 85% of complaints were resolved at the informal stage.

The council received an additional 10 complaints outside their remit and 10 which were withdrawn.

Social services also received 100 compliments in 2012/13 – 19 relating to child care and 81 relating to adult care.

Cabinet spokesman for safeguarding and children’s services Councillor Sue Perkins said it was “very healthy to have a robust compliments system” and added: “Some of the figures are higher than we would like but 80% of those were resolved at an informal stage.

“We need a robust complaints system and people have to feel that they have every right to complain.”