ALLIANCE responds to updated SPSO Complaints Handling Principles consultation
- Area of Work: Policy and Research
- Type: News Item
- Published: 29th January 2025
The updated SPSO Principles demonstrate a positive shift towards putting people and their human rights at the centre of complaints handling.
The Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland (the ALLIANCE) welcomes the opportunity to respond to the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman’s (SPSO) consultation on the updated SPSO Statement of Complaints Handling Principles.
The ALLIANCE has long advocated for changes to complaints systems across health and social care services. We have called for person centred and human rights based approaches to complaints across our work on the National Care Service, and in our responses to the Human Rights Incorporation Bill and the Learning Disabilities, Autism and Neurodivergence (LDAN) Bill.
The updated SPSO Principles demonstrate a marked and positive shift towards putting people and their human rights at the centre of complaints handling.
By incorporating a person centred, human rights based and intersectional approach, that is underpinned by the PANEL principles, complaints systems will be tailored around individual rights and needs, encourage engagement and improve accessibility. This has been proven to result in improved satisfaction and outcomes.
Whilst we agree that the complaints procedure should follow the principle of universal design, we suggest that an explanation of the Principles of Inclusive Communication should also be incorporated within the SPSO principles. This explanation should be accompanied by guidance that elaborates on the different types of communication that should be proactively available. Any communications should be high quality, accessible and provided in individually tailored formats.
The ALLIANCE recommends that the SPSO principles empowers services and staff to meaningfully co-produce any feedback, complaints and redress system with relevant stakeholders, including people who access public services, unpaid carers, and independent advocacy, advice and legal services.
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