URL: https://democracy.runnymede.gov.uk/ieDecisionDetails.aspx?ID=1114

Decision Maker:

Outcome: Recommendations Approved

Is Key Decision?: No

Is Callable In?: No

Purpose:

Content: The Committee reviewed the statistics and narrative in respect of complaints and compliments recorded in the first Quarter of 2025/26 covering the period 1 April – 30 June 2025.   The Committee noted a spike in complaints for Quarter 1 with a total of 95 being recorded on the central database compared with a little less than half that number in Quarter 1 of the previous year.  Of these, 55 were for Environmental Services (DSO).  Members were assured that work had been undertaken to address this including more information on the website with regard to service disruption.  It was noted that customers often lodged a complaint instead of using the ‘report it' function.  To help manage this, an agreed threshold between service requests and complaints being employed with regard to refuse and recycling missed collections.    Members noted the service area statistics which included, where held, the number of complaints which were not accepted for one of the reasons as approved by the Ombudsman’s Complaint Handling Code and set out in their required reporting arrangements.   Officers reported more examples of service improvements being recorded by complaint handlers, with a number of these set out in the report.  These provided good lessons to be learned and shared across the organisation both strategically and in specific operational areas.   In respect of compliments, the Committee noted that 23 had been recorded in Quarter 1 and Members were pleased by the examples set out in the exempt Appendix.   The report was duly noted.  

Date of Decision: September 23, 2025