We have a variety of guidance and resources available for public sector organisations in Scotland.
These will help you in complying with the Model Complaint Handling Procedure (MCHP) and provide additional advice and support for handling complaints well and learning from them.
Guidance and resource materials for organisations
Complaints handling
- Guide to alternative complaint resolution approaches
- Complainants with vulnerabilities (please note, this is internal guidance for SPSO staff that we are sharing externally as a practice example for public service organisations)
- Investigation plan template
- Decision-making tool for complaint investigators
- Complaints process Quality Assurance tool for improving the quality in complaints handling and management
- Complaints improvement framework for assessing and demonstrating the effectiveness of complaints handling
- Apology guidance
- Redress policy
- Revised MCHP overview of changes
- Revised MCHP resolution quick-guide
- Conference materials from the SPSO Complaints Improvement Conference 2020
Communications with customers
- Quick guide to communications
- Phrase cards for telephone conversations with complainants
- Complaint decision letter template
- Letter template for explaining when the CHP does not apply
- SPSO's Engagement Policy
- Complaints handling practice guide: handling difficult situations
- Conference materials from the SPSO Complaints Improvement Conference 2020
Making improvements
Governance
- Why do complaints matter to board members - guidance
- Complaints handling practice guide for dealing with problem behaviour
Insights for learning and improvements
- Thematic reports
- Case studies
- Local authority complaints reporting
- SPSO 'Our findings' database: search for relevant cases
- SPSO complaints statistics
- Complaints process Quality Assurance tool for improving the quality in complaints handling and management
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Monthly SPSO newsletter
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Social media
If you require any of our leaflets in other languages and formats (such as large print, audio, BSL, Braille, or a different file format for use with assistive technology), please contact us to ask for a leaflet in another language or format.
Contact us
If on behalf of a public sector organisation you have any questions about complaints handling, or if you require support or guidance, please contact us:
Phone: 0131 297 4863