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Informal resolution and alternative dispute resolution: What’s the difference?
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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Time to Talk Day 2020
For Time to Talk Day on 6 February, we’re choosing to talk about mental health. Too often, mental health problems are treated as a taboo subject – something not to be talked about, especially at work. However, mental health affects us all and we should feel able to talk about it. The more conversations we […]
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A week in the life of the Ombudsman
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 reading2020: 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 […]
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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.
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Whistleblowing v Service Complaints: What’s the difference?
Whistleblowing 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.
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What can’t I make a Service Complaint about?
The 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 […]
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