Following the Crerar Review, the Scottish Government established a Fit for Purpose Complaints System Action Group (FCSAG). This group was asked to develop proposals for simplifying public service complaints handling processes and streamlining the complaints handling landscape. Membership was drawn from consumer representatives, service providers and complaints handling organisations, as well as from policy makers. The Group was led by Douglas Sinclair from the Scottish Consumer Council.
The group made a number of recommendations. Many of these proposed new roles or responsibilities for the SPSO, including:
- That the SPSO help simplify and improve complaints handling by working with public bodies to develop standard complaints handling procedures;
- That the number of stand-alone complaints handling bodies should be reduced, and that responsibility for some complaints should be transferred to the SPSO, including prisons and water;
- That the SPSO should help public bodies develop a consistent way to capture their performance in complaints handling, including assessment of the costs of providing professional complaints handling services;
- That the SPSO co-ordinate a range of activity to help public bodies adopt best practice in complaint handling through supporting training for complaints handlers, assisting in the development of a complaints handling network, and issuing guidance.
- That the SPSO help to ensure that public service bodies use complaints to improve services on the basis of learning the lessons.
Other recommendations of the group included:
- The setting up of a signposting service, with a single point of contact, to provide guidance and general advice to consumers on complaining;
- That public service bodies provide appropriate authority to resolve complaints to front line staff and complaints handlers;
- That public service bodies review the training needs of front line employees and complaints handlers to ensure they have the skill and confidence to use the authority provided to them;
- That all public service organisations review and enhance the status of complaint handlers.
The full report and meeting papers for the Action Group can be found here.