How to make a complaint to SAAS
We would like to hear from you if you feel dissatisfied with any aspect of our service, for example, if you think we have:
- treated you unfairly;
- failed to explain things properly;
- given you wrong or misleading information; or
- have taken too long to deal with your case.
We want to know if things go wrong so that we can put them right and make sure that they do not happen again.
Stage 1 - How to make a complaint to SAAS
You can make a formal complaint by writing to tell us what has gone wrong. Clearly mark your letter “Formal Complaint” and include your SAAS reference number. Address the envelope to “SAAS Complaints” and send it to:
Gyleview House
3 Redheughs Rigg
Edinburgh
EH12 9HH
Stage 2 - What we will do
A senior member of staff will consider your complaint and will aim to reply to you within 14 days of receipt. If we cannot do so, we will write to explain why and to tell you when you can expect a full response. If your correspondence is not classed as a complaint, we will treat it as general correspondence and aim to reply within 15 working days.
Stage 3
If you are unhappy with the reply you receive, you may write to our Chief Executive to ask for a review of your complaint. Again, clearly mark your letter “Formal Complaint” and include your SAAS reference number. Address the envelope to the Chief Executive, SAAS and send it to the above address. You will normally receive a reply within 14 days. The Chief Executive’s decision is final in terms of the Agency’s procedures.
Stage 4
If you are not satisfied with the reply from the Chief Executive, you have the right to refer your case to the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO) for consideration. The Ombudsman can investigate complaints of maladministration but will normally only do so once you have completed the Agency’s procedures as detailed above. You should contact the Ombudsman, preferably in writing, within 12 months after the day you first became aware of your grounds for complaint. The SPSO’s office is based at 4 Melville Street, Edinburgh, EH3 7NS.
The SPSO’s contact details are:
Scottish Public Services Ombudsman
Freepost EH641
Edinburgh
EH3 0BR
Website - www.spso.org.uk
Tel: 0800 377 7330
Fax: 0800 377 7331
Recording, monitoring and reviewing complaints
We keep a record of all the complaints we receive and if they reveal shortcomings on our part, we use this information to review and improve our procedures.
Our Management Board reviews the complaints we have dealt with every 3 months to assess whether there are any patterns or trends that suggest we ought to change our procedures and publish details in our annual reports.