With 1 in 4 people experiencing a mental health problem this year alone, if a colleague says they’re fine, they might not be. To really find out, ask twice. It’s World Mental Health Day on 10 October and we’re supporting Time to Change, a growing movement that’s changing how we all think and act about mental […]
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As of 28 September we have 123 applications for substance (merits) and maladministration investigations that are waiting to be allocated to an investigator, this is a small increase from the last update in August. However, our Investigator Support Officer is providing regular updates to all of those waiting for an investigator. We have offered three […]
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In my first Annual Report as Service Complaints Ombudsman, one of the recommendations I made concerned the importance of training and education on the Service complaints system at all levels. It was a recommendation that I made after receiving feedback from a number of personnel who felt there wasn’t enough training on this issue. While work on this recommendation is still continuing, I wanted to let you know more about what we have been doing and why I think education in this area is so important.
Continue readingAs of 23 August 2018 we have 122 applications for substance (merits) and maladministration investigations that are waiting to be allocated to an investigator. Those applications date back to November 2017. We now have five Senior Investigators working on substance and maladministration cases after our new member of staff completed their training. We are in […]
Continue readingThere are time limits for making a Service complaint and also for making an application to my office. These time limits are set in law. Complaints that are made outside of those time limits can still be accepted if it considered “just and equitable”. But what does that actually mean?
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Today, the Samaritans are hosting The Big Listen – a 24-hour event to raise awareness of their work and the importance of listening. The Samaritans are open 24-hours a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year. They take calls from anyone who is finding it difficult to cope. It is a safe place […]
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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.
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New ways of dealing with complaints in the Armed Forces mean personnel can now take their grievances to the service complaints ombudsman.
Continue readingAfter recently appointing a new Head of Investigations and Senior Investigator, recruitment is continuing to fill the outstanding vacancies in our Investigations Team.
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9ICOAF took place in London in 2017 and was co-hosted by the Service Complaints Ombudsman for the Armed Forces of the UK. It focused on how ombuds institutions can act as a moral compass of the armed forces and engender positive change.
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