COMPLAINTS to the city's social care services rose by 20 per cent last year, according to a new report.

City of York Council dealt with 111 complaints between April 1, 2006 and March 31, 2007.

Council chiefs said the rise in complaints was partly down to budget reductions - which have changed the way home care services were delivered and led to a new waiting list for people who required new or additional home care services.

In the report, complaints manager Cath Murray said: "The level and quality of service was affected for a number of customers during and after the changes took place, partly due to unavoidable staff shortages when one agency was unable to provide the services previously agreed.

"However, it is also considered that there were some areas where the organisation of these changes could be improved should this be necessary in future."

The department is divided into three different areas - adult services, learning disability services and children's services.

Council leader Steve Galloway said: "It's true, there was a peak of complaints towards the end of last calendar year.

"That was a transient situation and I would hope that complaint levels have now returned to normal. There was a change in home care arrangements, and some people who get day care packages were given different home care workers, when they would have preferred to keep the person they were familiar with.

"We're over that now and everything is stable again."

Of the 111 complaints recorded, 25 were upheld, 33 were partly upheld, 31 were not upheld, 16 were withdrawn, two were given no response and four are ongoing.

Last year, new legislation was introduced, putting more emphasis on logging requests and comments as well as complaints.

A total of 25 requests and comments were received last year, while 16 thank-you letters were also sent in from members of the public.