Business Plan 2020-21 - lgo.org.uk€¦ · LGSCO Business Plan 2020-21 v web Page | 11 business goals and outcomes measures of success 4.2 Rationalise and better manage our shared

LGSCO Business Plan 2020-21 v web Page | 1

Commission for Local Administration in England

Business Plan 2020-21


The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman conducts independent, impartial investigations of complaints about service failure and maladministration.

Our vision is to be an exemplary ombudsman scheme and to remedy injustice and improve local public services.

Where we find fault we make recommendations for remedy to redress injustice caused. Where the evidence supports it we also recommend changes to policy and practice to address wider systemic failures and will feed back learning from our work to improve the local resolution of complaints and service provision.

As the Social Care Ombudsman, we provide a one-stop-shop for complaints about the service provided by all registered social care providers. Our powers to investigate extend to complaints about both publicly and privately funded social care. This means everyone who relies on these services has a clear route for redress and does not have to navigate complex processes in what is often a confusing social care system. In this way we help to make sure that local public services and care services are accountable to the people that use them.

Our strategy builds upon the excellent work already done by our staff and proposes further innovation and modernisation in our service. However, it does that without ever losing sight of our core casework responsibilities or compromising our defining principles of independence, impartiality and fairness.

During 2020-21 we will continue to champion openness and transparency in the way we work, the processes we follow, and the decisions and recommendations we make. We will share more information online and will use technology to help us ensure our service is both accessible and effective. We will continue to move the national conversation about our work away from a simplistic focus on complaint volumes, instead turning the spotlight on the value we can add for the many, through our recommendations for wider service improvements and sharing learning from our investigations.

We will continue to invest in our key assets to deliver these goals – our staff and our supporting technology – to provide a modern, accessible service with a learning culture that helps our staff do a tough job with confidence and pride. Our priorities during the third year of our corporate strategy are set out in this Business Plan for 2020-21. We will carefully monitor our progress over the course of the year, not only to ensure that the service we provide is as effective as it can be but also to ensure that we are embedding the longer term improvements that will help to meet the future needs of people who rely on our service


our values

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman is a values driven organisation committed to achieving its service standards and meeting its strategic objectives.

our strategic objectives

Our priorities for the next three years are set out in our Corporate Plan 2018 – 21, along with a summary of how we will measure our success.


business goals and outcomes

measures of success

1. We provide an excellent service that is easy to find and use

1.1

The Intake Team effectively manages all complaints and incoming enquiries in line with our published standards

We provide the public with easy access to our service and prompt advice about their enquiry in line with our service standards

All services standards for Intake, both internal and external, for our end to end service delivery model are actively monitored and achieved.

Key external service commitments are;

• 95% of calls answered within 60 seconds by the Intake Team

• Answer 98% of calls that are presented to the Intake Team

• Average answer time of 20 seconds or less by the Intake Team

• Handle 99% of written contacts within 24 hours of receipt by the Intake Team.

1.2

The Assessment and Investigation Teams effectively manage all complaints and incoming enquiries in line with our published standards

We conduct detailed investigations, focussing on the most significant complaints we receive, in a timely manner and in line with our service standards

We make an early assessment of every complaint to give the public a prompt decision in line with our service standards on whether we will investigate further

All services standards for Assessment and Investigation, both internal and external, for our end to end service delivery model are actively monitored and achieved

Our key external service commitments are;

• 65% cases closed < 13 weeks



• No more than 60 outstanding cases over 52 weeks held at one time

The Assessment Team service commitments are;

• 80% of all cases will be decided by Assessment or allocated to an investigator within 20 working days of receipt by Intake Team



measures of success

.

2. We deliver effective redress through impartial, rigorous and proportionate investigations

2.1

Develop our strategic approach to working with CQC and others to increase our reach with social care providers

We will work with CQC, care providers and others to:

• promote our work and ensure that individuals know they can complain to us

• focus on how CQC host our information, and reference our service and data on their website, and in doing so aim to better share the information we have

• look at new ways of promoting what we do with relevant others

We will build on recent work to increase our reach with care providers and, for example, extend how much CQC signpost to us

• Awareness of our service has reached a wider social care audience

• We have worked with CQC to ensure that the CQC website provides a better and more accurate reflection of our service



measures of success

2.2

Develop our approach to incorporating Human Rights and Equality legislation into our casework

Through this initiative we will:

• Standardise our approach to incorporating the Equality Act and Human Rights Act into our decisions;

• Support staff in identifying and understanding when Human Rights and Equality Act issues are Involved in our casework investigations; and

• Help staff better articulate their decisions where Human Rights and Equality Act issues are involved.

Thereafter, we will explore ways to promote this new aspect of our casework to external audiences.

• We have improved processes to identify cases where Human Rights and Equalities legislation are engaged

• Staff are confident about articulating these considerations in their investigations in an appropriate and proportionate manner

• Our new findings are promoted through external communications

2.3

Ensure our new suite of skills-based training is fully accessible to caseworkers and provide staff with greater opportunities to develop and progress

This initiative supports our Learning Organisation initiative. It focuses on the professional and personal development of staff and our core competencies.

This initiative will continue the work we have done to develop and

• Increased productivity within Assessment and Investigation teams following completion of EWM and PDM training.

• Advisors have been invited to express interest in specialist training programmes

• Advisors access the development programme and opportunities offered, and report increased confidence and knowledge of subject areas

• Following the completion of specialist training by Advisors, there is a reduction in CAU’s about failure to manage difficult or challenging behaviour appropriately or adapt a



measures of success

evaluate the skill and subject based training we offer and improve the

opportunities for staff (particularly those based in Intake) to progress

within the organisation when they have a desire to do so.

We will:

• Ensure all new and existing staff have access to quality skills-

based training, which will support them in reaching timely and

defensible decisions with the aim of increasing productivity.

• Develop and support our staff to enable them to progress within

the organisation.

communication style to meet specific needs.



measures of success

3. We use what we learn from complaints to improve local public services

3.1

Maximise the impact of our casework

We aim to increase the awareness and understanding of our role by

promoting the impact of our investigations for complainants and the wider

public.

This work will be delivered through the Casework Impact Group (CIG).

It will support our strategic objectives to:

• Be recognised as an authoritative body in our field, which highlights the learning from complaints

• Report better information to the public about service improvements achieved

• Work closely with others to drive improvement without compromising independence

• Improve local complaint handling in BinJs

The approach and activities needed to achieve this are outlined in the revised External Communications Strategy, which will inform individual performance objectives across the organisation.

• We have delivered effective communication in accordance with the key priorities and targets in the External Communications Strategy.

• Our staff are aware of our external communications work, know where to look for information about it and understand its importance

• We take a strategic approach to deciding what external policy consultations on issues relating to casework to respond to, to maximise the impact of our casework insights externally

• We have actively sought and monitored feedback from the external training courses we have delivered by asking delegates their views on the course and trainer

• We have agreed a clear strategic view of the role our external training will play over the next few years



measures of success

3.2 Ensure our Key Performance Indicators fully and effectively reflect and measure our business performance

Our key business aims in this initiative are to:

• Review the existing Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to make sure they are still accurate, relevant and meaningful.

• Make sure we are regularly utilising a concise set of data, across the organisation, which enables LGSCO to determine whether, and to what extent, we are achieving our strategic objectives.

• Ensure the Board, The Executive Team and managers use the same key indicators to assess the performance of the organisation.

• Our KPIs are expressed clearly and enable senior leaders to assess how well LGSCO is meeting its strategic objectives

• There is a clear read-across in the performance indicators used by the Board, the Executive Team and other managers and each is complementary to the other



measures of success

4. We are accountable to the public and use public money efficiently and effectively

4.1 Strengthen our management approach to help us be a high-performing organisation

As an organisation we want to actively manage staff performance in a fair and consistent way to enable staff to give their best and get the most from their roles.

To achieve this, we will ensure that:

1. All managers have a clear understanding of their role in creating a high performing organisation

2. Managers understand our systems and processes for managing performance and are confident about operating them

We have communicated the behaviours, responsibilities and attributes of a high performing organisation across the business

• Managers understand what constitutes a high performing team and feel able, confident and supported by HR to manage performance in their teams

• Managers and the HR team are working together constructively to resolve any difficulties in a fair and consistent way



measures of success

4.2 Rationalise and better manage our shared records and management practices

This initiative will make our business information better structured, more accessible, and better able to help us meet Data Protection requirements.

It will also continue to improve the integrity of the information we store.

Clear policy and guidance will be developed and embedded across the organisation to provide clear instruction about file management and data integrity.

• We have a documented owner for each folder who controls information created, stored and deleted as well as its review in line with retention schedule. The owner specifies who has access and works with IT to ensure this is put into practice

• We have developed, shared and embedded the principles and guidance, and worked to ensure that staff understand the importance of file management and its relationship with data integrity

• We have established a schedule of reviewing information with agreed procedures for managing folders when staff move within or leave the organisation

4.3 Use digital innovation to help support and improve our core work

The focus of this initiative is to:

Fully implement the new web-based portal so that it:

• forms an integral part of our end-to-end complaint management process,

• improves the efficiency of our case handling, and

• encourages users to access our service online. Develop IT into a proactive service, working in collaboration with frontline

• The portal has been effectively integrated into our casework processes as a user-friendly online area

• We have successfully identified opportunities to improve IT support and implemented positive changes in a timely way

• We have successfully tested the use of Skype in several teams; staff involved in the pilot are able to use Skype whenever it is beneficial to do so; have a clear agreed position on the use of Skype conversations to help progress cases.

• We have thoroughly explored and consulted within the business on the use of an IVR



measures of success

staff to:

• identify problems, challenges and opportunities as early as possible, and

• propose new and innovative ways of working, rather than waiting to react to helpdesk enquiries.

Work with casework managers and their staff to pilot the use of Skype, FaceTime (or similar technology) to help communicate effectively with complainants and progress those cases where face-to-face discussions are beneficial.

Research how an IVR (Interactive Voice Response) system might help reduce the number of calls handled by Intake, by directing calls to a more appropriate place in the organisation.

service and have drafted a proposal to the Exec Team. If implemented, the number of calls handled by Intake will be reduced, as some calls will be directed elsewhere in the organisation.



measures of success

4.4 Promote well-being at work, encouraging staff to flourish and achieve their full potential

This project supports our Learning Organisation initiative

Our key aims are:

• By listening to and learning from our people, to provide wellbeing at work support and services that help them to have mastery of their work, to reach their full potential and contribute to a high performing organisation.

• For all staff to have a strong sense of purpose and have an awareness of their own and others wellbeing at work by encouraging positive mental health in the workplace.

• To promote our wellbeing at work programme, related policies and services within our Total Reward offer, demonstrating our commitment to be a Great Place to Work for potential and existing staff

Listening to and supporting our people

• We see an improvement and responses to Wellbeing specific questions compared to year one

• Managers periodically and systematically check with their team members about their home working, to ensure safe and productive work is maintained

• The Wellbeing Champions Network is central to coordination and facilitation of wellbeing activities. Staff are engaged, and feedback is obtained to help shape future wellbeing at work initiatives

Supporting Mental Health

• We have completed the Time for Change programme and signed the employer pledge.

• Staff are better able to support their mental health and wellbeing, using interventions before they risk becoming unwell

• Total Reward

• Our Total reward offer is documented and communicated on the intranet, website and other online platforms so it is available to existing colleagues and potential employees.



measures of success

4.5 Work with Local Authorities to improve the handling of premature complaints

We will work with Local Authorities to better ensure that complaints only reach the Ombudsman when all stages of local resolution processes have been completed.

We will introduce new working procedures with Local Authorities, in which they will issue a letter (or form of words) which clearly invite a Person Affected to approach the LGSCO should they remain dissatisfied with the Local Authorities complaint response.

• Local Authorities have provided input to and support the new procedure and have

implemented the new procedure

• The Intake Team can clearly identify “premature” complaints

Documents

Business Plan 2020-21 - lgo.org.uk€¦ · LGSCO Business Plan 2020-21 v web Page | 11 business goals and outcomes measures of success 4.2 Rationalise and better manage our shared