Issue - meetings

To consider the draft Policy for dealing with Unreasonably Persistent Complaints and Customer Behaviour and Vexatious Requests (report of the Portfolio Holder for Governance and Customer enclosed).

Consideration was given to the report of the Portfolio Holder for Governance and Customer, which asked members to consider the draft Policy for dealing with Unreasonably Persistent Complaints and Customer Behaviour and Vexatious Requests.

The Council did not currently have a policy or a procedure to deal with unreasonable customer behaviour and complaints and vexatious requests.  The purpose of the document was to define unreasonable customer behaviour, explain what was considered to be unreasonably persistent complaints and how they would be dealt with, and to define vexatious requests and how there would be dealt with.

DECISION:

That the proposed Policy be approved.

(Other options considered:

·         To approve the draft Policy subject to amendments;

·         Not to adopt a policy and procedures.

Reasons for decision:

·         To ensure that complaints and customers are dealt with in an open, fair and proportionate way; and

·         To underline the Authority’s commitment to transparency and openness).

To consider the draft Policy for dealing with Unreasonably Persistent Complaints and Customer Behaviour and Vexatious Requests  (report of the Executive Manager Governance enclosed).

Consideration was given to the report of the Executive Manager Governance which requested consideration of a draft policy for dealing with unreasonably persistent complaints and customer behaviour and vexatious requests.

The Council did not currently have a policy or a procedure to deal with these circumstances.  The proposed policy dealt with unreasonable customer behaviour generally, unreasonable customer complaints relating, for example, to service issues or standards complaints about elected members, and finally it covered vexatious requests.

The purpose of the document was to define unreasonable customer behaviour, explain what was considered to be unreasonable customer behaviour and how it would be dealt with, to define vexatious requests and explain what was considered to be a vexatious request and how it would be dealt with.

The purpose of the Policy was to provide a framework for dealing with a very small number of such issues in a fair, open and transparent way.

Members raised the following issues:

·         Members felt that suggestions for the process, as detailed within the report, were reasonable.

·         A slight rewording of section 1, item 3 (Definition of Unreasonable Behaviour) paragraph 2 was required in order to ensure clarity.

·         Members suggested that use of the Policy be reported to the Panel on a quarterly basis in order that the Panel could review its progress and to increase transparency.

·         It was agreed that the flowchart mentioned in section 1.5 of the report be distributed to members once it had been completed.

AGREED:

That subject to the comments made by the Panel, the proposed policy attached at Appendix A to the report be recommended to Cabinet for adoption.