Customer satisfaction 2007
In summer 2007, an independent survey was conducted by Ipsos MORI
into customer satisfaction of people who made complaints to the Local
Government Ombudsman service during 2006/07. This was a telephone
survey, broadly similar to the one conducted in 1999. The results of
the study and our response to it are published below.
Making a difference: Service developments
by the Local Government Ombudsman
We commissioned an independent customer satisfaction survey last
year from Ipsos MORI as part of our ongoing programme of
using feedback to help make improvements to our service.
The purpose
of the survey was to build on the results of our in-depth
study with a small group of complainants in 2005 and enable
comparisons to be drawn with our performance in our previous
large survey, which was in 1999.
We have continued to make improvements
to our service since then to reflect what complainants, councils
and advice agencies have been telling us. At the same time
we have maintained our independence and impartiality. Key
service developments include:
- An annual assessment of every council’s performance in
dealing with complaints made about them to the Ombudsmen. The
aim is to help councils improve complaint handling, and improve
their services more generally, for the benefit of the public.
The assessments are published as ‘annual letters’ on
our website.
- Special reports on subjects where we find similar
issues of concern across a large number of complaints.
We highlight the problems for councils and provide them with
advice and guidance so the same faults are not repeated.
Subjects tackled to date include the funding of after care following
compulsory detention under the Mental Health Act, school admissions
and appeals, neighbour nuisance and anti-social behaviour,
and complaint handling in local partnerships.
- An amendment to our legislation
last year that means we can carry out joint investigations
with the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.
When we receive a complaint that cuts across our separate areas
of work, such as those related to the provision of health and
social care, we can now work together to resolve it. Individuals
only have to make one complaint and will get a more efficient
service. Other examples include complaints about the administration
of housing and welfare benefits, and complaints about planning
and environmental issues. We can also appoint a mediator to help
conduct an investigation.
Over the next year two significant developments will directly
address some of the issues that we believe underlie the findings:
- We
are launching a new service in April that will be
the first point of contact for all potential complainants
and enquirers. It will be mainly telephone based. A team of highly
trained advisers will provide comprehensive information
and advice at the outset that is tailored to the individual’s
need. This will ensure that complainants have accurate
and realistic expectations about their complaint
and the potential outcome from the first time they contact us.
They will know what is likely to happen next and how long it
will take. If we cannot deal with the complaint we will provide
information on other services that may be able to help.
- The modernising
legislation that we have been pursuing will come
into force later this year. The changes to our primary
legislation in the form of the Local Government and Public Involvement
in Health Act will enable us to operate more flexibly
and clarify some areas of our work. We will have new powers to
look at issues where we think wider injustice has
been identified during the course of an investigation. The functions
that we can investigate have been extended and will include services
delivered on behalf of an authority, and about procurement.
We will also be able to accept complaints other than in writing.
If
we are satisfied with an authority’s action we can publish
a statement about the complaint if we believe it is in the
public interest and where an Ombudsman’s report is not issued.
Changes to our funding arrangements and reporting to parliament
mean that we will be more directly accountable to the Government.
Ombudsmen will be appointed for a maximum of seven years on a non‑renewable
contract.
Dissatisfaction with the service is very often linked
to the outcome not being in the complainant’s favour. Our
role is to make an impartial and independent assessment of
the evidence, but we recognise that some dissatisfaction
arises from the conduct and processes attached to the investigation.
The
survey highlights areas of our work where we still need to
make improvements and we are developing a plan to address
these.
We welcome feedback from our customers as it provides
valuable information about our service, the way people perceive
it and what we can do to improve it. Please click on the
link below to see the Ipsos MORI report.
Tony Redmond
Anne Seex
Jerry White
Local Government Ombudsmen
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