The Standards and Audit Committee are scheduled to meet to discuss the Treasury Management Annual Report, the appointment of Independent Persons, and the Annual Complaints Report. There will also be a verbal update from the External Auditor.

Complaints Annual Report 2024-25

The committee will be considering the Complaints Annual Report 2024-25, which provides an overview of complaints received and managed during the financial year. The report pack states that a total of 364 complaints were received during 2024-25, representing a 9.5% reduction compared to 2023-24. Increasing levels of complaints were seen in areas relating to bins and recycling, council tax and environmental services during 2024-25, but the number of complaints for street scene services reduced by 46% during the year. The report also includes the council's self-assessment against the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman's (LGSCO) complaint handling code¹, which it is claimed identifies no gaps against the standards set out in the code.

The LGSCO complaints handling code provides guidance on how local authorities should handle complaints effectively and consistently. It promotes openness and transparency in the complaints process, ensuring that residents understand how to make a complaint and what to expect in terms of response and resolution.

The report also provides details of the LGSCO's annual report, as well as information relating to complaints received in 2024-25 which are under the remit of the Housing Ombudsman, and which are scrutinised separately by the council's Housing Advisory Board.

The report states that 83.5% of complaints (304 complaints) were resolved at Stage 1 of the complaints process, and that 81% of complaints were responded to within the required timeframe. The report pack also states that following investigation, 137 complaints were upheld or partially upheld, representing 37.6% of the total received, and that the most frequent subjects of complaints were:

• Bins and Recycling
• Homelessness and Housing Allocation
• Council Tax
• Street scene issues
• Environmental problems

The report lists examples of service improvements that have been implemented as a result of learning from complaints, such as a review of the process for green waste sticker delays, and the installation of low level barriers at Queen's Park Sports Centre.

Housing Services annual complaints performance

The committee will also be considering the Housing Services annual complaints performance and service improvement report 2024/25. The report pack states that the total number of stage 1 and stage 2 complaints received has fallen to 481 from the 548 received during 2023/2024, and that the number of repairs complaints has fallen from 488 in 2023/24 to 373 during 2024/25. The report pack claims that the fall in the number of complaints likely links to improved repairs performance over 2024/25, and that the number of housing management related complaints has increased from 61 in 2023/24 to 108 during 2024/25, due to expressions of dissatisfaction now being logged as formal complaints.

The report pack also states that 31.2% of respondents to the Tenant Satisfaction Measures questionnaire said that they were satisfied with complaints handling, an increase from 25.2% the previous year, and that 74.69% of stage 1 complaints were responded to within timescale, an increase from 47% the previous year.

The report pack lists the top five reasons for housing management complaints as:

• ASB case handling
• Staff conduct
• Rent
• Grass cutting/ estate maintenance
• Wanting to move

The report pack lists the top five topics for repairs complaints as:

• Chasing repairs
• Delays with repairs
• Cancelled/ missed/ failed appointment
• Damp and/or mould
• Outstanding repairs/works

The report pack also lists specific learning improvement examples, such as the purchase of low level barriers to segregate courts at Queen's Park Sports Centre.

Appointment of Independent Persons

The committee will be asked to consider a report about the recruitment process for Independent Persons (IPs), who are consulted during the councillor complaints process. The report recommends that the committee recommends to Full Council that Ian Kirk and Miles Spencer-Shaw be appointed as Independent Persons under the Localism Act 2011², until 31 March 2028 with an option for the Monitoring Officer, in consultation with the Chair of Standards and Audit Committee, to extend the period by a further year, and that an annual allowance of £1,393 plus travel and subsistence be approved for each Independent Person.

The report pack states that the role of Independent Person was advertised for over two weeks on a number of platforms including the Council's website, Facebook page and Linked In, with a closing date of 14 September 2025, and that the Council received very positive interest in the role and applications from candidates with qualities, skills and experience relevant to the role.

The report summarises the two candidate's skills and experience:

• Mr Kirk is a retired local government senior manager, a Deputy Registrar of Births Deaths and Marriages, a Magistrate, and has held two four-year terms as the Independent Person for Standards at Bolsover District Council and Chesterfield Brough Council.
• Mr Spencer–Shaw holds several roles of public responsibility including being a Fostering Panel Independent Member, Adoption Independent Panel Member, Lay member of the Membership Services Committee of the British Acupuncture Council, NHS Lay Advisor, School Exam Invigilator, Property Sales Negotiator, and a Justice of the Peace.

Treasury Management Annual Report 2024-25

The committee will be asked to consider the Treasury Management Annual Report 2024-25, and the Treasury Management activities for the first four months of 2025/26. The report recommends that the committee recommends to the full Council that the outturn Prudential Indicators for 2024/25 be approved, that the treasury management stewardship report for 2024/25 be approved, and that the treasury management position for the first four months of 2025/26 be noted.

The report pack states that during 2024/25, the Council complied with its legislative and regulatory requirements, and that the key actual prudential and treasury indicators detailing the impact of capital expenditure activities during the year, with comparators, are as follows:

The report pack also states that interest income received for the year was £1.613m against a budgeted amount of £809k, and that the increase was as a direct result of the interest rate rise which was not anticipated at the time of setting the 2024/25 budget.

The report pack notes that Arlingclose continued to provide treasury management advice to the Council throughout 2024/25, and maintained its central view that Bank Rate would continue to fall throughout 2025, and that given the risk of short-term unsecured bank investments, the Council continues to invest with the Debt Management Office to achieve greater security.