Barking and Dagenham Council has fallen short of its target for responding to complaints within the agreed timeframe. According to the Customer Feedback Team Annual Report, only 70% of complaints were addressed within the target timeframe, missing the corporate goal of 90%. The target timeframe for Stage 1 complaints is 10 working days.

The report, presented at the Audit and Risk Committee meeting on Monday, 15 September 2025, highlighted that while the total number of complaints decreased by 3% compared to the previous year, the timeliness of responses remains a significant challenge. The report indicates that delays are due to high volumes of complaints, member casework, Freedom of Information (FOI) requests, and Subject Access Requests (SARs).

![Bar chart showing the number of complaints received by Barking and Dagenham Council from 2020/21 to 2024/25.](https://opencouncil.network/rails/activestorage/blobs/redirect/eyJfcmFpbHMiOnsibWVzc2FnZSI6IkJBaHBBek9WREE9PSIsImV4cCI6bnVsbCwicHVyIjoiYmxvYl9pZCJ9fQ==--fef71974cd5be7066c78575eeadff0011a6a36db/page262Figure_10.jpeg Bar chart showing the number of complaints received by Barking and Dagenham Council from 2020/21 to 2024/25.

Key findings from the Customer Feedback Team Annual Report include:

  • A 3% decrease in the total number of complaints compared to 2023/24.
  • 70% of complaints were responded to within the target timeframe, falling short of the corporate target of 90%.
  • An increase in the number of complaints being referred for Stage 2 and 3 reviews. For children's social care, the report suggests that the rising complaint volumes may reflect growing dissatisfaction or increased complexity of the cases that are undertaken, and that some issues aren't being fully resolved at the first stage.

The report indicated that the Housing Environment and Communities (HEC) service area generated the highest volume of complaints (1,792). The report notes that this area also delivers the most direct services to residents, and that the complexity and expectations of cases are increasing, putting pressure on resources and capacity.

In response to the findings, the council stated that it is addressing these gaps through targeted improvement work, digital upgrades, and stronger partner service level agreements. The council also welcomes feedback from the Audit and Risk Committee on its progress.