Complaints about PHSO service and decisions

The request was partially successful.

Dear Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman,

You have previously provided me with information on the many emails you received from people unhappy with your service and decisions:

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/c...

1. Please provide details of the number of emails you have received at the complaintsaboutphso mailbox since 19 June 2014. Show the figures for each month.

2. Please provide details of the number of telephone calls you received categorized as "complaints about us" for each month since June 2014. You supplied this information for an earlier period in this response:

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/2...

In the "Feedback about us" section of your website a link is provided to a form that complainants unhappy with your decision can download to complain. A telephone number is also provided:

http://www.ombudsman.org.uk/make-a-compl...

3. For each of the past six months, please provide details of the number of times you have been contacted by people using this form.

4. For each of the past six months please provide details of the number of times you have been contacted on the telephone number:

i. 0345 015 4033; and
ii. 0345 015 4033 by callers who chose option 3.
iii. 0345 015 4033 (option 3) by callers who though "there is something we have done well".

Yours faithfully,

J Roberts

foiofficer, Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman

Thank you for your e-mail to the Parliamentary and Health Service
Ombudsman. This return e-mail shows that we have received your
correspondence.

show quoted sections

All email communications with PHSO pass through the Government Secure
Intranet, and may be automatically logged, monitored and/or recorded for
legal purposes.
The MessageLabs Anti Virus Service is the first managed service to achieve
the CSIA Claims Tested Mark (CCTM Certificate Number 2006/04/0007), the UK
Government quality mark initiative for information security products and
services. For more information about this please visit www.cctmark.gov.uk

foiofficer, Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman

Dear J Roberts

 

Your information request – FDN 214237

 

I write in response to your Freedom of Information request dated 8
February 2015. I have responded to your questions below.

 

Question 1

 

You have previously provided me with information on the many emails you
received from people unhappy with your service and decisions:

[1]https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/c...

Please provide details of the number of emails you have received at the
complaintsaboutphso mailbox since 19 June 2014.  Show the figures for each
month.

 

In the last 60 days (at 11 February 2015) we received 475 emails in the
complaintsaboutphso mailbox. We are not unable to break down this figure
by month, nor are we able to look back further than 60 days as the
information is not held.

 

Please note, In December 2014 we discontinued using the
complaintsaboutphso mailbox.  A divert was set up to forward any received
emails automatically to our [email address] address. We
are not able to provide you with figures for the number of emails that
were forwarded to this address as the information is not held.

 

Question 2

 

Please provide details of the number of telephone calls you received
categorized as "complaints about us" for each month since June 2014.  You
supplied this information for an earlier period in this response:   

[2]https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/2...

Due to the changes of our telephone system, we are unable to provide you a
breakdown by month of the ‘complaints about us’ figures which we provided
in the linked spreadsheet as the information is not held.

Question 3

 

In the "Feedback about us" section of your website a link is provided to a
form that complainants unhappy with your decision can download to
complain.  A telephone number is also provided:

[3]http://www.ombudsman.org.uk/make-a-compl...

For each of the past six months, please provide details of the number of
times you have been contacted by people using this form.

Our ‘feedback about us’ online form was published on the PHSO website
(www.ombudsman.org.uk) on the 7 January 2015. Between 7 January and 11
February 2015 we received 4 responses through this form.

 

Question 4

 

For each of the past six months please provide details of the number of
times you have been contacted on the telephone number:

i.  0345 015 4033; and
ii.  0345 015 4033 by callers who chose option 3.
iii. 0345 015 4033 (option 3) by callers who though "there is something we
have done well".

Please find the requested figures below:

 

i.             Number of calls received by the telephone number 0345 015
4033 over the past six months:

 

August 2014: 2648

September 2014: 2983

October 2014: 3105

November 2014: 3276

December 2014: 2894

January 2015: 3502

 

ii.           We only started collating the requested data from December
2014; I am unable to provide you data prior this date. Please find below
the number of callers to 0345 015 4033 who chose option 3:

 

December 2014: 183

January 2015: 406

 

iii.         Between December 2014 and January 2015, we recorded two calls
where the call handler considered that the call was about where we had
done something well. Collecting data regarding the nature of the call
relies on members of staff recording call correctly, the call handler and
not the caller will select the option / outcome at the end of the call.

 

I hope the information is helpful.

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

 

Sohifa Kadir

FOI/DP Officer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

show quoted sections

All email communications with PHSO pass through the Government Secure
Intranet, and may be automatically logged, monitored and/or recorded for
legal purposes.
The MessageLabs Anti Virus Service is the first managed service to achieve
the CSIA Claims Tested Mark (CCTM Certificate Number 2006/04/0007), the UK
Government quality mark initiative for information security products and
services. For more information about this please visit www.cctmark.gov.uk

References

Visible links
1. https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/c...
2. https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/2...
3. http://www.ombudsman.org.uk/make-a-compl...

J Roberts left an annotation ()

"Please note, In December 2014 we discontinued using the complaintsaboutphso mailbox."

I thought something might happen to this email address that would remove clarity!

"Between December 2014 and January 2015, we recorded two calls where the call handler considered that the call was about where we had done something well."

Will this phone number go the same way as the email address above?

Dear foiofficer,

You responded:

"Between December 2014 and January 2015, we recorded two calls
where the call handler considered that the call was about where we had done something well. Collecting data regarding the nature of the call relies on members of staff recording call correctly, the call handler and not the caller will select the option / outcome at the end of the call."

Please provide all recorded information available to call handlers that assists them to select the option/outcome at the end of a call. Please also include all relevant screenshots.

Yours sincerely,

J Roberts

foiofficer@ombudsman.org.uk, Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman


Thank you for your e-mail to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman. This return e-mail shows that we have received your correspondence.

show quoted sections

All email communications with PHSO pass through the Government Secure Intranet, and may be automatically logged, monitored and/or recorded for legal purposes.
The MessageLabs Anti Virus Service is the first managed service to achieve the CSIA Claims Tested Mark (CCTM Certificate Number 2006/04/0007), the UK Government quality mark initiative for information security products and services. For more information about this please visit www.cctmark.gov.uk

J Roberts left an annotation ()

"Collecting data regarding the nature of the call relies on members of staff recording call (sic) correctly, the call handler and not the caller will select the option / outcome at the end of the call."

Could PHSO staff act incorrectly!

The actual phone message (option 3) is used:

"If you wish to give feedback about our service or decision"

Considering the prominence given to the entreaty for compliments on the PHSO website, is it be possible that call handlers have not been told to record all compliments?

In December 2014 and January 2015, option 3 was selected by 589 (183+406) callers. Only two callers left compliments. In other words, more than 99.66% of callers who gave feedback about a decision or PHSO service were not complimentary.

The message on the PHSO website is clear:

"COMPLIMENTS

If you think there is something we have done well, we would like to hear from you. If you would like to tell us about your experience, please contact us on 0345 015 4033 choosing option 3 or send us feedback using this form."

Fiona Watts left an annotation ()

First there was the offensive and misleading comments put out there that people have sent lots of compliments into the PHSO.

But when one scrapes off the PR Machine's effort - we are able to analysis the effort by their PR machine in residence. Now the rest of the public can review the possible contradictions and farce in these answers from the PHSO!

For example this one;
"where the call handler CONSIDERED that the call was about where we had done something well."

Well on the basis that the PHSO does not record its calls - its anyone guess what was said in that call isn't it?

Unbelievable that this institution is the Last Chance Saloon for so many traumatised, damaged and worn out souls.

Thank you JT Roberts for your pioneering and citizenship spirit of your FOI! Thank you to this volunteer led site.

foiofficer, Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman

This message has been hidden. Removed on request of the PHSO following the accidental release of what we have been told is personal, and sensitive personal information. The accidentally released material appears to relate to both PHSO staff and complainants. We will be seeking a replacement response. If you are the requester, then you may sign in to view the message. Please contact us if you have any questions.

Richard Taylor left an annotation ()

We've been sent a proposed replacement response which is in the form of an image of the text of the material requested. The original response was in digital text which could be searched, copied etc. We have noted it would be disappointing if the replacement was presented as an image.

We have asked for more details of the nature of the accidentally released material to inform our decision on what to do. It may be possible to re-publish the original response with some additional redaction once we know what exactly the concerns are.

The requester is still able to access the response; we've just decided not to publish it on our website at least temporarily.

--

Richard - WhatDoTheyKnow.com volunteer

J Roberts left an annotation ()

I managed to read some of the two documents before my access was denied (it currently still is).

The first document was very interesting. Speaking from memory, it showed a screenshot used by the call handler. It had a number of tick boxes that the caller handler must complete to indicate the nature of the call. One of the boxes was something along the lines of "a compliment". From an earlier response I received:

'Between December 2014 and January 2015, we recorded two calls
where the call handler considered that the call was about where we had
done something well. Collecting data regarding the nature of the call
relies on members of staff recording call correctly, the call handler and
not the caller will select the option / outcome at the end of the call.'

I do not see how a call handler could go wrong. It was all very, very clear.

One interesting thing from the second document was a screenshot showing a tick box indicating complaints referred to the review team. Could be useful.

foiofficer, Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman

2 Attachments

Dear J Roberts

 

Your information request – FDN 216899

 

I write in response to your Freedom of Information request dated 7 March
2015 in which you asked:

 

"Between December 2014 and January 2015, we recorded two calls where the
call handler considered that the call was about where we had done
something well. Collecting data regarding the nature of the call relies on
members of staff recording call correctly, the call handler and not the
caller will select the option / outcome at the end of the call. Please
provide all recorded information available to call handlers that assists
them to select the option/outcome at the end of a call. Please also
include all relevant screenshots.”

In context of your request, when we recruit staff we look for experience
in demonstrating a high customer service. Staff in our Customer Service
directorate, who are the first contact for our customers, are required to
have prior experience in working in a customer-focused environment and
possess exemplar communication and listening skills. When staff start with
us we make sure they are fully aware of the need to capture and record
information in full (particularly through telephone calls). We have also
provided training to our staff on enhanced communication skills (such as
bereavement training and managing challenging calls) and training on
equality and diversity. We also encourage staff to always be looking for
ways to resolve complaints as soon as possible and with customer focus in
mind – we do that via objectives in job plans and recognising/sharing best
practice examples.

 

We take customer satisfaction seriously and use an external research
company who regularly contact users of our service to ask them about their
experience with us. This includes satisfaction with our service as well as
the decisions we make. We regularly review that information to see how we
are doing and where we can improve.

 

Please find attached a screenshot showing the instructions that appear on
our call management system once a call has ended and the outcome options
we have to wrap up the call. I also attach a copy of our Customer Service
Officer Handbook which covers the technical aspects of wrapping up calls
such as descriptions for why and when each wrap up code should be used. A
small amount of third party personal data has been redacted from the
Handbook in accordance to section 40(2) of the Freedom of Information Act
2000 as we do not have consent to release this information.

 

I hope the information is helpful.

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

 

Sohifa Kadir

FOI/DP Officer

 

show quoted sections

All email communications with PHSO pass through the Government Secure
Intranet, and may be automatically logged, monitored and/or recorded for
legal purposes.
The MessageLabs Anti Virus Service is the first managed service to achieve
the CSIA Claims Tested Mark (CCTM Certificate Number 2006/04/0007), the UK
Government quality mark initiative for information security products and
services. For more information about this please visit www.cctmark.gov.uk

J Roberts left an annotation ()

The actual words I referred to with the word "compliment" are "positive feedback about our service".

The replacement attachment (customer service handbook) has had some personal information deleted, e.g.

p.6 name of woman that all calls at post review stage should be transferred to
p.7 let know
p.12 name of answering user