The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO) has launched the first phase of an interactive map. This shows the number of complaints closed in 2022—23 for each Local Authority area in Scotland across the sectors it oversees, mapped against measures of deprivation.
The map highlights the percentage of cases coming from the most deprived parts of Scotland according to the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD). The SIMD ranks areas across Scotland from most to least deprived.
The aims of the map are to increase transparency, show patterns or trends in complaints and provide benchmarking information. It will enable the SPSO, and others, to identify areas and sectors where tailored support and guidance might be helpful.
Over the coming years, data will be updated, and more data will be added to the map for other sectors, to build a clearer picture of where complaints come from.
Rosemary Agnew, the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman, said
"We are an organisation that recognises the value of public data. This map is the first step to visualising where the complaints we receive are coming from and who is making those complaints.
We see this as the beginning of a journey toward greater transparency, and we look forward to expanding the map to provide deeper insights in the future."
The map will be updated annually.