The Model Complaints Handling Procedures

The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO) published revised Model Complaints Handling Procedures (MCHPs) in January 2020. Public bodies are required to implement the revised MCHPs over the coming business year, with full implementation by no later than 1 April 2021.

The SPSO combined the MCHPs for the local authority and social work sectors into a single document (the Local Authority MCHP). The revised Local Authority MCHP includes a core text, which is consistent across all public services in Scotland, with some additional text and examples specific to local authorities and health and social care partnerships handling social work complaints.  This includes the social work specific content from the previous Social Work MCHP, which has been incorporated (and updated where appropriate).  The core text was drafted based on the Social Work MCHP, so much of the content remains unchanged.

Revised MCHPs and related information can be found here.