Agenda and draft minutes

To receive apologies for absence.

Apologies for absence were received on behalf of Councillors Jeanne Raspin and Mary Dooley (Portfolio Holder for Health and Wellbeing).

To note any urgent items of business which the Chairman has consented to being considered under the provisions of Section 100(B) 4(b) of the Local Government Act 1972.

There were no urgent items of business.

Members should declare the existence and nature of any Disclosable

Pecuniary Interest and Non Statutory Interest as defined by the

Members’ Code of Conduct in respect of:

a) any business on the agenda;

b) any urgent additional items to be considered;

c) any matters arising out of those items;

and if appropriate, withdraw from the meeting at the relevant time.

There were no declarations of interest made.

To consider the minutes of the last meeting held on the 08th of December 2025.

The Committee was informed that after the previous meeting, the report of CS39-25/26 (and minutes) required the following updated information:

·       service improvement reference no. 7863 should have stated: “As a result of the complaint, the Contact Centre Manager had requested the wording on the self-service form which advised of disruption to the normal service was put in bold red capital letters to ensure this was highlighted to customers”;

·       reference no. 7823 should have stated 7923; and,

·       reference no. 7833 should have stated 7933 and listed the same service improvement as that in 7934 (it was split into both a Comment and Complaint).

Typographical errors (incorrect capitalisation) were additionally addressed under CS39-25/26.

Moved by Councillor Rita Turner and seconded by Councillor Emma Stevenson

RESOLVED that the Minutes of a Customer Services Scrutiny Committee held on 8^th December 2025 be approved as a true and correct record once the above additions and amendments were made.

The Committee considered the updated List of Key Decisions and Items to be Considered in Private provided at the meeting.

RESOLVED that the List of Key Decisions and Items to be Considered in Private be noted

The Customer Standards and Complaints Officer presented the report to the Committee to provide information on the Council’s performance in relation to its customer service standards and the number of Compliments, Comments and Complaints received for Quarter 3 2025/26 (1^st October 2025 to 31^st December 2025).

A breakdown of the key customer service standards by quarterly period, together with the target and the cumulative performance for each standard, was attached at Appendixes 1 and 2 of the report.

Revenues had achieved 88% of incoming calls answered within 20 seconds for Quarter 3 2025/26 (target 70%).

Benefits had achieved 90% of incoming calls answered within 20 seconds for Quarter 3 2025/26 (target 80%).

In Quarter 3 2025/26, Revenues and Benefits had received 6,155 emails – all acknowledged within 1 working day.

For Quarter 3 2025/26, Contact Centres had achieved: 81% of incoming calls answered within 20 seconds (target 75%); abandoned 2% of incoming calls (target less than 3%); and the average waiting time was 26 seconds (target not exceeding 30 seconds).

In the same period, Contact Centres had acknowledged all 6,560 email enquiries received within 1 working day (meeting the target of 100%), with 99.7% of emails replied to within 8 working days (target was 100%).

Contact Centres had answered 87% of incoming Live Chats within 20 seconds for Quarter 3 2025/26 (target 90%), with 557 chats answered out of 562 in total.  In Quarter 3 2025/26, all 4 Contact Centres and The Arc’s Meet & Greet Reception Desk had received 6,441 visitors.

Face-to-face monitoring took place week commencing 17^th November 2025 to measure waiting times – 572 customers had visited during that week, with an average waiting time of 1.2 minutes (target was seeing 100% of customers within 20 minutes).

76 Compliments had been received during Quarter 3 2025/26, with Go! Active receiving 2 Customer Feedback Form Compliments within this time.

8 Comments had been received with all acknowledged and passed to the respective department within the target time of 5 working days during Quarter 3 2025/26.  Go! Active had received 10 Customer Feedback Form Comments within this time.

57 Stage 1 Complaints had been recorded in Quarter 3 2025/26, with 12 M.P. Enquiries received within this time.  100% of Stage 1 Complaints and 100% M.P. Enquiries had been responded to within the Council’s Customer Service Standard of 10 working days – the average response time for Stage 1 Complaints was 4.5  working days.

8 Stage 2 Complaints had been recorded in Quarter 3 2025/25.  100% of Stage 2 Complaints had been responded to within the Council’s Customer Service Standard of 20 working days – the average response time for Stage 2 Complaints was 10 working days.

No Local Government Ombudsman Complaints had been received during Quarter 3 2025/26.

The following service improvement examples:

·       service requests would now be included in comment and complaintacknowledgements, so a customer was aware the issue at hand was being dealt with as well as a Complaint raised;

·       the Gas team were  ...  view the full minutes text for item CS47-25/26

The Scrutiny Officer presented the fourth Post-Scrutiny Monitoring Report assessing progress against the recommendations to date for the Review of Members ICT & Support and ICT Service Delivery to the Committee.

The Committee had put together 13 recommendations to the Executive with the intent to assist the Council in improving equipment provision and support to Members and the operation of meeting spaces within a modern post-COVID-19 environment.

12 out of 13 recommendations had been achieved, with 7 within the target date and 5 completed behind schedule.  Recommendation 1.4, which had been previously extended, was now marked ‘Alert’ and so required the Committee’s attention.

Councillor Cathy Jeffery left the meeting at 10:10 hours.

It was requested for the non-implementation reasons, detailed in the attached Appendix 1 to the report, that the Committee withdrew the recommendation and that the planned power supply in the Chamber now not be upgraded.

5 in favour

0 against

Moved by Councillor Louise Fox and seconded by Councillor Emma Stevenson

RESOLVED that: 1) Members note the progress against the review recommendations;

2)    Members acknowledge any exceptions to delivery and clarify the additional action required by the service;

3)    Members make its report and findings public, in accordance with Part 4.5.17(4) of the Council’s Constitution;

4)    Members of the Committee consider referring recommendation 1.4 back to the Executive for withdrawal per the reasons in Appendix 1; and,

5)    Officers continue to implement the recommendations and submit a further report in twelve months’ time highlighting progress and any exceptions to delivery.

The Assistant Director of Housing Management and Enforcement left the meeting at 10:11 hours.

The Scrutiny Officer presented the report to the Committee.

The Committee had agreed to undertake a review of effectiveness of the Council’s waste collection and disposal education as part of its 2023/24 Work Programme.

The issue was initially raised due to concerns of contamination rates within recycling waste collections, creating additional costs to the Council through contamination charges.

The Committee had put together 11 recommendations, as outlined in the attached Appendices, which would aim to ensure that the Council’s approach to waste disposal advice and education was reaching all target audiences, reduce current contamination rates, and improve recycling rates by way of increased resident participation.

To date, 9 out of the 11 recommendations had been achieved: 1 recommendation had been with the intent to complete in 2026; 1 recommendation was marked ‘Alert’ as it was not able to be completed due to Local Government Reorganisation implications.

The Assistant Director for Streetscene, Community Safety and Enforcement answered questions on the following:

·       the food waste leaflet delivered to residents;

·       the availability of replacement food waste bins;

·       the recording of food waste bin deliveries; and,

·       the size of food waste bin liner recommended.

The Assistant Director for Streetscene, Community Safety and Enforcement informed that if Members involved in local community events wanted Streetscene to attend (to promote and explain the new food waste bins) to make contact directly for any potential arrangements to be made.

5 in favour

0 against

Moved by Councillor Emma Stevenson and seconded by Councillor Louise Fox

RESOLVED that: 1) Scrutiny Members note the progress against the review recommendations;

2)    Scrutiny Members acknowledge any exceptions to delivery and clarify the additional action required by the service.

3)    Scrutiny Members make its report and findings public, in accordance with Part 4.5.17(4) of the Council’s Constitution; and,

4)    Officers continue to implement the recommendations and submit a further report in six months’ time highlighting progress and any exceptions to delivery.

The Scrutiny Officer presented the final Work Programme 2025/26 update of the municipal year to the Committee.

Moved by Councillor Louise Fox and seconded by Councillor Emma Stevenson

RESOVLED that Members review this report and the Programme attached at Appendix 1 for approval and amendment as required. All Members are advised to contact the Scrutiny Officer should they have any queries regarding future meetings.

The Scrutiny Officer introduced the Work Programme 2026/27 of the following municipal year to the Committee.

Members were informed the programme was subject to change and could have additional items proposed.

RESOVLED that: 1) the Committee approve the report and the proposed Work Programme attached at Appendix 1 per the reasons set out in Sections 3 and 4 of the report;

2)    Members review this report and the proposed Work Programme attached at Appendix 1 for approval and amendment as required;

3)    all Members are advised to contact the Scrutiny Officer should they have any queries regarding future meetings.