Agenda item

Report of the Cabinet Member for Health and Care

The County Council has a duty to publish an Annual Complaints and Representation report for complaints against the Adults Social Care Service. The Cabinet Member for Health and Care introduced the Annual Report for 2022/23, highlighting with Members the increase in complaints regarding financial assessments. A review of procedures for financial assessments had been undertaken to identify how the process could be made less bureaucratic. The process had now been simplified to make it easier for the individual whilst maintaining the appropriate level of rigour.

Improvements to systems was an ongoing project, including reviewing how information is made available, particularly on-line, looking at making it more user friendly and more easily accessible. Many of the Members will be involved in a system test this October to identify ease of access to financial assessments. This will be an opportunity to test how easy the amended system is to use and whether further improvements can be identified.

It was noted that the number of complaints received were relatively low in comparison with the number of individuals involved in receiving services. Details of the complaints process was shared with the Committee. The top three areas for complaint in 2022/23 being: delays in receiving a service; financial assessment; and invoice issues. The Ombudsman numbers remained constant.

Members had previously asked whether increased training for officers at first point of contact would help reduce complaint numbers. There was always an attempt to resolve issues at the first point of contact, with early resolution at the heart of the process, however it was also important to inform individuals of their right to access the complaints process. The First Contact Team dealt with social care assessments and was staffed by social workers and social work assessors. Any financial concerns would be dealt with by the finance team. The information for both financial and social care assessments was prescribed by the Care Act. Member noted that all complaints were acknowledged and defined with the complainant initially, once the complaint had been timescales for dealing with the complaint were shared.

Further training had been undertaken with front line social workers on explaining the financial process and tackling difficult financial discussions with service users. These discussions were now evidenced on Care Director. Further changes were proposed with the introduction of a form which is signed by the service user outlining the financial discussions that had taken place. This form will then be included on Care Director.

Members had suggested that more context and detail of complaints within the Annual Report would be helpful. However, there was a need to balance the level of detail with the confidentiality of complaints, particularly as the report is a public document. Members had also queried how cross boarder  service users were dealt, which authority had responsibility for the service user and therefore the complaint. These are taken on a case-by-case basis and depended on whether the individual had chosen to move across the border themselves or whether the County Council had made the placement.

Members queried whether staff working from home had an impact on complaints and/or productivity. There was no evidence of this and in most cases a hybrid system of working had been developed that worked well.

The Committee raised concerns about difficulties with transition from children’s to adult’s services for those individuals with learning disabilities, and their preparation for adulthood. They were pleased to note that work was underway to ensure earlier planned transition to help easier transitions, with a strength based approach to adult services which would help to maximise potential.

68 compliments were recorded within the report. Member were pleased to note that these were acknowledged and celebrated within the team. The Cabinet Member told the Committee that she takes every opportunity to recognise the professionalism and commitment, which was particularly important when the job is such a complex and difficult one.

The Committee wished to pass on their thanks for the work undertaken to the whole team. They are also keen to see evidence of the impact of changes to the financial assessment accessibility and ways of charging, which they intend to refer to Corporate Review for their consideration.

Resolved: That:

a)    the Annual Report of the Customer Feedback and Complaints Service for Adults Social Care 2022/23 be welcomed;

b)   the Committee’s thanks be passed to all Teams for their diligence, professionalism and commitment, and particularly to those responsible for receiving the 68 compliments shown within the report; and

c)   the Committee make a referral to Corporate Overview and Scrutiny to consider the impact of changes to the financial assessment accessibility and method of charging six months from implementation.