Scotland’s Model Complaint Handling Procedures: Exploring Recent Developments and the Usefulness of Complaint Data for Administrative Justice Research

Mullen, T. , Gill, C. and Vivian, N. (2017) Scotland’s Model Complaint Handling Procedures: Exploring Recent Developments and the Usefulness of Complaint Data for Administrative Justice Research. Project Report. University of Glasgow, Glasgow.

Abstract

The aim of this research was to explore Scotland’s new system for local authority complaint handling. Following the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010, the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO) was tasked with simplifying and standardising complaint procedures across the Scottish public sector. To do so, itcreated an internal team called the Complaints Standards Authority (CSA). The CSA’s role involves designing model complaint handling procedures (model CHPs), monitoring the operation of those procedures (including setting data reporting requirements), and supporting the development of good practice in complaint handling. The aim of this report is to provide an insight into the operation of these new arrangements in the local authority sector. Our specific aims were to: examine how the model CHP in the local authority sector was operating; explore the usefulness to administrative justice researchers of the complaint data now being published; identify opportunities for future administrative justice research; and draw lessons for wider administrative justice policy based on early experiences of this new approach in Scotland.

• Item Type: Research Reports or Papers (Project Report)
• Status: Published
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Mullen, Professor Tom and Gill, Dr Chris
• Authors: Mullen, T., Gill, C., and Vivian, N.
• Subjects: H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General); J Political Science > JS Local government Municipal government; K Law > K Law (General)
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > School of Law
• Publisher: University of Glasgow
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2017 The Authors
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced with the permission of the Authors