About Us

We handle complaints about public services in Scotland including councils, the National Health Service, housing associations, the Scottish Government and its agencies and departments, universities and colleges and most Scottish public authorities.

We look into complaints where a member of the public claims to have suffered injustice or hardship as a result of maladministration or service failure. We are the 'last resort', and look at complaints when you have been through the formal complaints procedure of the organisation concerned.

We aim to provide justice for the member of the public that is making a complaint and also to share the learning from our work in order to improve the delivery of public services in Scotland.  The Advice & Outreach Team have a busy programme of Outreach activities that raise awareness of our service and promote good practice in complaint handling in bodies under the SPSO's remit.

Updated 13 May 2010