Easter closure

Please note that we will be closed from 5pm Thursday 28 March until Tuesday 2 April 2024 for the Easter break. Complaints can still be made via our complaints form but they will not be received until we reopen. Wishing you a happy Easter! 

Technical issues:

The SPSO advice line is currently unavailable due to technical issues which we are working with our telephone provider to resolve.  We apologise for the inconvenience and hope to find a resolution as soon as possible. 

Making Complaints Work for Everyone report

SPSO 2016-17 Annual Report Front Cover ThumbnailWe are pleased to publish our second thematic report today, Making Complaints Work for Everyone.

The report focuses on the impact of complaints on staff who have been complained about. Whilst organisations are increasingly more likely to describe themselves as 'learning organisations', research suggests that being subject to a complaint can have an adverse impact on the individual involved and can limit, rather than promote, learning. 

The overriding message that has emerged from this report is that organisations need to actively support their staff through complaints processes and engage staff in positive and purposeful activities to manage and learn from complaints. Getting this right will encourage staff, help drive improvement in services and promote learning.

Input and advice was provided to this report by the staff of the Equality and Human Rights Commission in Scotland, and by Dr Gordon Skilling, who is a specialist psychiatric adviser to SPSO. 

Press enquiries can be directed to [email protected] or 0131 240 2990.

Updated: February 2, 2023