Question reference: S6W-18150
- Asked by: Evelyn Tweed, MSP for Stirling, Scottish National Party
- Date lodged: 30 May 2023
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Current status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 9 June 2023
Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the current delay of up to five months
in allocating some complaints to the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO)
to a complaints reviewer, what impact this is having on the resolution of
issues within public services, and what action it can take within these public
services to mitigate any such impact.
Answer
Due to the impact of COVID-19, there is currently a delay of up to four months in allocating some complaints to a complaints reviewer at the Scottish Public Service Ombudsman (SPSO). The SPSO have put in place and are applying a number of measures to reduce the age and number of unallocated cases, and ensure urgent cases are identified and actioned. The SPSO has also received funding from the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body to recruit extra temporary staff in order to assist with the backlog. This delay has reduced from 11 months in 2022 and will continue to drop thanks to extra capacity and positive improvements in how the SPSO deliver their service which should mitigate any impact this may have on public services.