SPSO Launches Consultation on Complaint Handling

The SPSO has launched a consultation that paves the way for better complaints handling in the public sector.  The Consultation on a Statement of Complaints Handling Principles and Guidance on a Model Complaints Handling Procedure will run from 16 June to 8 September 2010. Following the consultation, the statement of principles will be sent to the Scottish Parliament for approval in the autumn.

According to the Ombudsman, Jim Martin:

''This consultation marks the next, important, step in a journey towards better complaints handling across the public sector in Scotland. The right complaints culture can pay dividends: restoring trust between the service user and provider, improving public services, and cutting costs to the public purse.''

Background
The Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010 gives the Ombudsman the lead role in developing standardised public service complaints handling systems. The Act requires the Ombudsman to publish a statement of principles on which all public service complaints handling procedures should be based. The statement requires Parliamentary approval.

The Act also provides the Ombudsman with the power to publish model complaints handling procedures (CHPs). The guidance on model CHPs is intended to provide broad direction and support to public service providers. It lays out the high level components of an effective CHP and
should be used by service providers to inform continuous development of their own procedures.

Based on the principles and guidance, the Ombudsman will establish a complaints standards authority (CSA). Working in partnership with individual public sector areas, the CSA will oversee the process of developing simplified and standardised model complaints handling procedures for each sector. The CSA will be in place later this year and ready to start to implement the project early in 2011.

For further information
The SPSO's Valuing Complaints website will act as the resource and reference point for public service providers to support them in ensuring that their procedures comply with the principles and are in line with the guidance.  Visit www.valuingcomplaints.org.uk.