This 8th October is Ombuds Day, which occurs on the second Thursday of October each year. Ombuds Day is promoted by the American Bar Association (ABA) to increase public awareness of Ombudsman institutions, their roles, function and the valuable work they provide. Similar to last year, the theme for Ombuds Day is ‘Unusual Name, Important […]
Continue readingSix months ago all our lives were very, very different. Looking back to 1 January none of us could have foreseen how a pandemic could have altered our lives so dramatically to the point of lockdown. While it has been challenging for everyone responding to this pandemic, it has brought out the best in all […]
Continue readingThis is an intensely personal piece, but as a Black British woman, sometimes the best way to make observations on a wider issue is to illustrate it with, and from, a particular perspective. That is why I am writing this. It has been 2 weeks since the killing of George Floyd. After 3 memorial services […]
Continue readingAs the Service Complaints Ombudsman for the Armed Forces, I have oversight of the Service Complaints system. But what some people don’t know is that not all complaints are dealt with this way. The Service Complaints system is the formal mechanism for resolving specific types of grievances[1] raised by Service personnel. However, many complaints are […]
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People often ask me what my job is like. Sometimes they want a broad picture of my roles and responsibilities. Other times, they want to know what I do day-to-day. While it is very easy to say what my broad role is, it is often more difficult to explain what I do on a daily […]
Continue readingIt has become a tradition for me to use the first SCOAF blog of the year to look at the year ahead. I look forward to writing this at the start of each year, but especially this year. Why? Well, not only does 2020 mark the fifth year of operation for SCOAF but because my […]
Continue readingAs 2019 draws to a close, it offers the perfect opportunity to reflect on the year that has passed; the challenges and opportunities we’ve encountered, what we’ve achieved, and where we are heading.
Continue readingWhistleblowing is a word that is sometimes used interchangeably with the word complaint – but the act of whistleblowing and making a complaint are two separate things.
Continue readingThe Service Complaints system is a workplace grievance system for members of the UK Armed Forces. In broad terms, if a Service person has been wronged in their Service life, while they were subject to Service law, they can make a Service complaint. But there are limits to what can be the subject of a […]
Continue readingThis year, the Ministry of Defence invited the Ombudsman to write a piece for anti-bullying week. The Ombudsman has decided also to share that piece on our blog.
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