Service complaints system still not fair and effective but improving, ombudsman says

The Service Complaints system is not yet "efficient, effective or fair", according to the woman whose job it is to hold the process to account.

Speaking to Forces News, Mariette Hughes, the Service Complaints Ombudsman for the Armed Forces (SCOAF),  said that the system has been improving, with some aspects of the system performing better than others. 

But, she said: "It has changed. It is improving, but it is correct to say the system isn't yet efficient, effective or fair."

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"There are a number of metrics that we use that go into that and some aspects of the system are performing better than others," she explains.

"Things that we are really pleased with that has come into play over the last year is the introduction of centralised admissibility," Ms Hughes added. 

Centralised admissibility means that the chain of command has been removed from the decision-making process on whether or not a complaint can be looked at.

Ms Hughes said: "That's really helped people, I think. It gives the sense that there is not going to be bias in the decision-making process.

"It is going to be somebody completely disconnected from the complaint who is deciding whether or not it can be investigated," she added.

That, in turn, has led to an increase in the volume of complaints, which she sees as a positive outcome.

"As the ombudsman, I am in favour of more complaints.

"I am in favour of more people coming forward with the issues which are affecting them because we can't fix them if we can't see them," Ms Hughes said.

The early indication from the information being compiled for the SCOAF's 2022 annual report to Parliament again shows that complaints from women and ethnic minorities are over-represented, as in previous years.

In SCOAF's annual report for 2021, figures revealed that women made up 12% of personnel, but made 23% of service complaints, with a large portion of the complaints pertaining to bullying, harassment and discrimination.

The ombudsman's office is focused on creating a safe environment where personnel feel secure enough to come forward, as well as understanding the root causes of the complaints, with the ultimate goal of stamping out the behaviour that creates them.

Ms Hughes said: "We still do not understand enough about how the culture is operating and what is giving rise to those complaints." 

The next annual report detailing the figures and trends from the previous year is scheduled to come out in April.