IMPORTANT: SCOAF staff are working remotely due to Government guidance regarding coronavirus. You can still access our service by leaving a message on our phone, or by submitting your application to our contact mailbox: contact@scoaf.org.uk. If possible, do not send applications or documents to us by post as we do not currently have access to the office.

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Progress report

08
Jan
2020

2020: The Year Ahead

It 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 […]

20
Dec
2019

2019: Year in Review

As 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.

16
Jul
2018

Our allocation backlog

An Ombudsman’s office is the place people turn to when things go wrong. Whether they want information about how they can address their complaints, or want an investigation, there is an expectation that the Ombudsman can and will help in a timely manner. However, those expectations may not be met when that office is experiencing a backlog. This is the current situation in my office.

19
Jun
2018

My midterm update: What we have achieved so far and the work still to come

As the Service Complaints Ombudsman for the Armed Forces, I am appointed by the Crown for a single term of 5 years. Having started the role in January 2016, this month marks the halfway point in my term. In my blog this month, I reflect on what we have achieved so far and what I hope to achieve before the end of my term.

21
Dec
2016

December 2016 – Look back at 2016

As we approach the Christmas season we also come to the end of the first year of my term and also the very first year of the Office of the Service Complaints Ombudsman. Although our official year-end statistics won’t be released until the New Year, I thought it only appropriate to use my final blog […]

05
Jul
2016

June 2016 – The First 6 months

The end of June marks the completion of the first 6 months of the new Service complaints system and my Office. I thought that it would be appropriate to use my June blog to tell you about the work of my office in that time and what I hope the next 6 months will bring. […]

01
Feb
2016

January 2016 – Service Complaints Ombudsman – The first 30 days

The 1st January 2016 saw not only the beginning of a new year but the beginning of the new Service complaints system and my role as Service Complaints Ombudsman. Over the past 30 days we have received a steady stream of enquiries from current and former Service personnel wanting to obtain further information […]