1. The number of complaints made to you regarding child safeguarding over the past 5 years.
The following points should be noted with regard to the data presented in response to this question:
(i) The Council records it’s complaints data by financial year, and not in calendar year. We are therefore able to provide data recorded for the last five financial years.
(ii) The complaints that we have covered by the scope of the request arise from Children’s Services involvement with families/individuals where the focus has been on the safeguarding of a child/children. The nature of individual complaints differ on a case by case basis – i.e. alleged inaccuracies in assessment report, staff conduct etc.
Taking into account the above, the following are volumes of complaints received for the last five financial years:
• 2023-’24 (information available up to present day) – 17
• 2022-’23 – 14
• 2021-’22 – 21
• 2020-’21 – 20
• 2019-’20 – 32

2. The number of these complaints which have been dismissed.
When considering this question, we have interpreted complaints that have been “dismissed” as those cases where an investigation has been completed and there were no findings of fault and/or maladministration on part of the Council.
Taking the above into account, the following is the volume data to respond to your request:
• 2023-’24 – 6
• 2022-’23 – 8
• 2021-22 – 11
• 2020-’21 – Data for this financial year was not recorded and, as such, we are unable to provide a response
• 2019-’20 – Data for this financial year was not recorded and, as such, we are unable to provide a response

3. The number of complaints which have dismissed where (a) the complaint was vexatious or (b) no evidence was offered in support of the complaint.
Having reviewed our records for the last financial years, we cannot see that we have any recorded complaints which have been “dismissed” where the individual has either been (i) considered unreasonably persistent, in line with the Council’s Unreasonably Persistent Complaints Policy or (ii) where no evidence at all was offered to support a complaint.