Scottish Public Services Ombudsman slams complaints systems of public bodies, not fit for purpose, when is Holyrood going to give Watchdog more teeth?

Dear All

For some considerable time, I have been saying that Scotland is a corrupt country.

Where’s the proof, you might say?

From the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman!

He says that the way public bodies deal with complaints can be "confusing" and "cumbersome" in too many cases.

In other words the system is deliberately designed to deny justice and make you give up.

In Scotland, the rich protect the rich.

And the working class suffer as a result, all the time.

Ombudsman Jim Martin complained there was a "lack of customer focus in public services".

And he is right, at human rights abusing Glasgow University, there is a total of customer focus in order to protect bullies like Julie Ommer who have a history of preying on poor working class people.

http://glasgowunihumanrights.blogspot.com/2009/08/glasgow-university-senior-management.html

A detailed example of how the poor are victimised in Scotland even in 2011.

Which political party was prepared to stand up for George Laird?

None!

They prefer to support the rich middle class with status.

Martin made the accusation in his annual report as he called on public-sector organisations to try to meet a "gold standard".

There is no standard other than ass covering at human rights abusing Glasgow University.

However, he said:

"In too many cases, particularly in local authorities and housing associations, complaints systems are confusing, difficult to access, slow, cumbersome and overly bureaucratic."

And a lack of ability to record the complaints of customers particularly in the GHA in Glasgow!

If you complain in person, they don’t make a record of your complaint.

Of the NHS he said they had a "good system in place" and had "at least grasped that a simple system is in everyone's best interest", he added there was still "room for improvement".

In Scotland, health complaints can run into thousands.

The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO) received a total of 3,489 complaints in 2010-11, up from 3,307 the previous year.

Of all the complaints where it was fit for the SPSO to investigate, a total of 34% were upheld either fully or partly.

Martin said:

"To put this another way, in over a third of cases that had already been investigated by the local service provider, through multiple, often lengthy, stages of review and appeal, that provider had got something wrong. This level of upheld complaints is unacceptable and demonstrates that public bodies need to have better processes and policies, and a better culture of valuing complaints to support staff in making the right decision first time round."

And another to that is dealing with the Scottish culture of cronyism.

The report also highlighted the high level of premature complaints; however organisations drag out complaints for lengthy periods in order to delay.

The fact is that too many people don’t do their job properly or want to do their job properly.

And when they do, the result is a sub standard service.

If you want justice in Scotland, you don’t go to your councillor, your MSP or MP unless you are rich or socially connected.

You need money to get justice in Scotland.

This is the state of play 2011.

There are a few politicians which are an exception to the rule.

But we are talking a few.

And they are doing nothing to reform the system by way of legislation.

Having a just cause isn’t enough.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University