WISE council managers will look at complaints and see where their departments have a weakness and where they can make improvements.

At a meeting of Powys County Council’s (PCC) learning and skills scrutiny committee members looked at the number of complaints the Schools Service had received over the last year.

This will now become an annual part of the committee’s work.

Customer services manager Kelly Watts explained that in total 28 complaints had been made with five upheld and a further five partially upheld.

Ms Watts said: “Complaints can paint a picture of service delivery and should not be seen as a negative but an opportunity to make improvements to what’s happening.”

She explained that there were two levels of complaint – a stage one would be investigated by one of her team.

A stage two complaint would be seen as needing more in depth investigation with the need to be looked at by senior management.

All complaints are supposed to be responded to in 20 days.

At the moment 73 per cent of complaints are responded to within the deadline.

The level of complaint is decided between Ms Watts and the heads of service.

Ms Watts added: “Complainants do have the opportunity of going to the Ombudsman (Public Services Ombudsman for Wales).

“We would not necessarily know that a complaint has gone to the Ombudsman, sometimes we get asked questions.

“Complaints about individual schools go to them directly.”

Sennybridge School governor and independent committee member Graham Robson asked: “Just wondering about the 27 per cent of cases that were not responded to in time, do you keep a record of them?

“What were the reasons? Were they complex complaints?

“It would be helpful for us to see that, if that means that we are able as a scrutiny committee to collar some areas that are repeat offenders.”

Ms Watts said that records are kept and the service receive a reminder that they need to deal with a complaint as the 20 day deadline looms.

“We constantly ask for updates,” said Ms Watts.

Ms Watts added: “It’s also a corporate improvement measure.

“Across the council it’s 79 per cent.

“It is something as an authority we need to monitor and improve on.”

Cllr Sandra Davies (Labour – Cwm Twrch) noticed that the service had received no compliments.

Cllr Davies, asked: “Are we unique by not having any?

“And what are we doing to receive some?”

Ms Watts answered: “The authority as a whole only had 185 compliments, so we don’t get a lot anyway.”

Complaints were made on:

  • Additional learning needs – 7
  • Admissions and transport – 6
  • Lack of action – 4
  • School complaints process – 1
  • Data breach – 1
  • Inaccuracies in document – 1
  • Unlawful suspension – 1
  • Discrimination – 1
  • Welsh medium provision – 1
  • Total 23 –
  • 5 complaints went through both stage one and two processes rounding the total up to 28