Lead Member: Councillor Alex Wagner, Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Transformation & Economic Growth

Lead Officer: Paul Clarke, Service Director – Strategy & Change

RESOLVED:

That Cabinet considered and agreed the recommendations and actions in the Annual Customer Feedback Report (pages 34 and 35), Appendix A, to support and improve customer feedback performance within Shropshire Council.

Cabinet received the Annual Customer Feedback Report covering the period 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026. Members noted that complaint volumes had continued to increase, with the most common issues relating to service standards, delays and decisions taken by the Council, although Ombudsman upheld rates remained below the average for comparable authorities and compliance with Ombudsman recommendations was 100%.

Members highlighted the importance of addressing the underlying causes of complaints, improving service capacity and learning from both complaints and compliments to support service improvement. It was acknowledged that increasing complaint numbers did not necessarily indicate increasing dissatisfaction and could reflect improved accessibility of the complaints process. Members also welcomed improvements in some service areas, including highways, and recognised the positive feedback received by staff working in complex services.

RESOLVED:

That Cabinet considered and agreed the recommendations and actions in the Annual Customer Feedback Report (pages 34 and 35), Appendix A, to support and improve customer feedback performance within Shropshire Council.