Watch more of our videos on Shots!
and live on Freeview channel 276

Calderdale councillors heard details of some of the complaints and compliments submitted about their authority last year.

Of the 193 complaints received by Calderdale Council between April 1, 2021 and March 31, 2022, 71 (36.8 per cent) were upheld or partly upheld, 82 (42.5 per cent) were not upheld and 40 (20.7 per cent) were withdrawn.

Most of the 153 investigated related to service or policy decisions (54) or service level or quality (38).

Examples included a decision to place hardcore on a grave at Rastrick Cemetery destroying perennials planted underneath, which was upheld and staff will learn from the process, says the council.

A generic view of a customer contact calls centre. Picture: Adobe Stock

An example of a partially upheld decision is one by school transport to not place a chaperone within an arranged taxi transport arrangement, resulting in some training arrangements being made for the service user to be able to travel unaccompanied.

An example of a complaint not upheld is one relating to the decision to install LED lighting on the main A646 Burnley Road on grounds, alleging they were too bright near a property – they were at the correct level with removal of trees which had blocked light a factor.

However the council also received 253 compliments in 2021-22, most relating to public services, and councillors heard positive feedback should be recognised too.

These include personal contact to parents from a special educational needs and disabilities officer, support for a family during a time of difficulty, and good follow-up to an issue following an initial phone call.

First aid to a person injured at a keep fit class, with a professional and friendly approach, and three men plus machine dealing with a blocked drain within 24 hours of it being reported are other examples.

Mapping – and pinpointing – drains is not easy and sometimes causes issues responding to gullies, councillors heard.

Governance and Business Committee councillors heard complaints were up on 2020-21 in three of four categories (chief executive’s office, children and young people’s services and public services, but down in regeneration and strategy) but the lower levels of that year were partly due to the Covid pandemic.

In most areas, the exception being children and young people’s services, complaint numbers were lower than before the pandemic.

More compliments than complaints about Calderdale Council in 12 months, councillors told