Related Links

How to make a complaint

Our approach to handling complaints

We welcome all feedback from the public and use it to help us improve the services we provide.

When things do go wrong, we are keen to hear about it so that we can look into the issue, learn lessons for the future and, where possible, identify improvements to our ways of working.

We also undertake to provide full and constructive responses to any complaints we receive.

Why the Complaints Procedures have been introduced

We have always engaged with the public and responded to concerns and complaints. We have introduced formal complaints procedures to ensure consistency of approach and service standards when dealing with complaints.

Aims and objectives

Through the introduction of our complaints procedures, we aim to:

• provide a simple and transparent process to enable members of the public to complain about Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB) staff or services;
• create a mechanism for recording and reporting on complaints received so that management can monitor trends and take any necessary action; and
• encourage SPCB staff to discuss complaints received within their teams and agree changes to practice where this is appropriate.

Guiding principles

Our approach to complaints handling is guided by:

• the Scottish Parliament’s founding principles of openness, accessibility and accountability; and
• our commitment to using feedback from the public to drive improvements to the way we operate.

Scope of the Complaints Procedures

The Complaints Procedures cover complaints from members of the public relating to SPCB staff or services.

They do not cover complaints about:

• MSPs or their staff;
• Scottish Ministers;
• Government policy; or
• the merits of decisions taken by the SPCB acting within its legal powers.

Members of the public wishing to complain about any of the above can contact our Public Information Service on 0131 348 5000 for advice on where to direct their complaint.

How complaints can be submitted

A member of the public wishing to submit a complaint may do one of the following:

• complete the complaints form, which can be posted, faxed or handed in to any member of Scottish Parliament staff;
• send a letter or email to the Public Information Service, including details of the complaint; or
• contact the Public Information Service by telephone or textphone for further advice on how complaints can be submitted.

Full contact details for the above are available on the Public Information Service web page.

Overview of complaints process

1. Acknowledgement

The Public Information Service will acknowledge all complaints in writing (letter or email) within 3 working days of receipt.

2. Investigation and response

The Public Information Service will pass the complaint to the relevant office for investigation and response. We aim to provide a full response within 20 working days of receipt; but if this is not possible, we will provide an update on our progress within 20 working days and a full response will follow as soon as possible after that.

3. Appeals

If a complainant is not satisfied with our response, he/she has the right to appeal in writing to the Chief Executive of the Parliament (normally within 20 working days of our response being issued, although the Chief Executive may decide to accept appeals after this date). The Chief Executive will investigate the case and respond to the complainant within 20 working days. If a full response is not possible within this timescale, a progress update will be provided within 20 working days and a full response will follow as soon as possible after that.

4. Consideration by Scottish Public Services Ombudsman

If a complainant is not satisfied with the response from the Chief Executive, he/she can ask the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (“the Ombudsman”) to consider the case. The Ombudsman normally requires this to take place within 12 months of the incident that gave rise to the complaint, but this is at the Ombudsman’s discretion.

The Ombudsman’s decision is final.

Roles and responsibilities

• Public Information Service: responsible for receiving, logging and acknowledging complaints and passing them to the relevant office(s) for investigation and response.
• Heads of Office: responsible for investigating and responding to complainants.
• Complaints Action Officers: responsible for providing administrative support to Heads of Office when handling complaints.
• Chief Executive: responsible for considering complaints appeals and responding to those complainants who have appealed.

Commitment to confidentiality

When we receive complaints about our services, we hold these and any related correspondence on a shared database, access to which is controlled by staff in our Public Information Service.

When we receive complaints about the behaviour of named or otherwise identifiable members of staff, we have additional safeguards in place to ensure confidentiality. Details of these complaints are not held on the database but are instead held securely and locally by the head of the relevant office.

Personal data associated with a complaint is never disclosed further or used for any other purpose.

Reporting and review

The Directors’ Group will receive regular reports from the Head of Public Affairs on the implementation of the complaints procedures, including data on the nature and volume of complaints received. These reports will normally be published on the Scottish Parliament website, in line with our Publication Scheme.

Directors will undertake a post-implementation review of the complaints procedures approximately six months after the procedures go live.