Rotherham Council: Complaints down 32 per cent

In 2020/21, the council received 931 complaints, compared to 1,372 in 2019/20.

An annual complaints report is set to be presented to members of the overview and scrutiny panel on December 15, and analyses complaints made from April 2020 to March 2021.

It states that the Covid-19 pandemic ‘had the effect of reducing the numbers [of complaints] received’, before returning to ‘average levels’ later in 2020 and into 2021.

Fewer complaints were upheld in 2020/21, with at 235 or 26 percent, compared to 2019/20 when 365 or 27 per cent of complaints were upheld.

“The council provides a wide variety of services to over 264,984 residents.

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“In this context, 931 complaints are only a fraction of the number of customer interactions occurring each year,” adds the report.

The report adds that the department will work to “ensure that complaint investigations are more outcome focussed,” and “improve the way in which the Council learns from complaints.”

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