As 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.
Continue readingThis month, our blog is being written by Dr Vivienne Connell-Hall. One of our Senior Investigators, Vivienne has extensive experience in diversity matters and is a part-time lecturer at London Goldsmith University.
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This week is National Inclusion Week, an annual campaign run by Inclusive Employers to raise awareness of inclusion in the workplace.
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In 2018, 25% of the formal Service complaints accepted for investigation were about bullying, harassment and discrimination. Although they are terms that people are familiar with, a lot of people don’t know what they actually mean.
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