Report sets out value of public feedback to OIC

Councillors at tomorrow’s meeting of the Council’s Monitoring and Audit Committee (14 November 2024) will be presented with a report on the number of representations received from the public about the services the Council provides. 

The report will highlight that 192 complaints were received across the organisation in 23/24 - a 15% rise on last year. 

In the same period 329 compliments were received about the services provided by the Council. 

Staff singled out for praise across the organisation included the frontline staff picking up waste and recycling, the care at home team, the Planning Department and the Roads team. 

A significant number of those compliments were received in January this year during the heavy snow fall – including praise from a midwife who had accompanied a pregnant patient to the Balfour Hosptial, with the Council’s Roads team escorting the ambulance through and clearing blocked roads to allow safe passage through.

Complaints received by the Council are hugely important as they allow services to identify required improvements.  This year this included: 

• Changes at the Civic Amenity Site at Hatston, including making signs about closures at the site more visible 

• A review of the systems in schools that track and monitor issues around behaviour and bullying.  

• Extra diligence with regards to where work vehicles are positioned during internments at cemeteries 

Karen Greaves is Corporate Director for Strategy, Performance and Business Solutions.  She said: “The views of our residents on Council services are hugely valuable to us and help us to identify not only were we need to make changes, but also where we are getting things right.  That feedback therefore makes a huge difference to service delivery but in the case of compliments, it gives a huge boost to the morale of our staff, who can hear directly how their service and efforts are appreciated by the public.  

“We run many services within Orkney and we are always looking to find ways to improve how we do things. We want to hear from our community when we have got it wrong, when we have got it right and when you have an idea how we could do it better.” 

For more information on how to provide your feedback about Council services – and the process that is followed for listening and responding to this feedback – go to Complaints, Compliments and Feedback 

A copy of the report is available here - Item 03__Annual Complaints and Compliments Handling