Managing complaints and customers in Scotland's public sector: how to get it right (online)

AGENDA

09:25  Chair's opening remarks
Judith Turner, Deputy Chief Ombudsman, Rail Ombudsman and Dispute Resolution Ombudsman
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Session 1: Understanding what public services users and clients want

09:25  What do good service user relations look like?
Nicola Harvey, Chief Officer – Director Customer & Digital Services, City of Edinburgh Council
Edinburgh_CC

• Transforming relations at pace with service user interests at the core of all plans
• How tackling global pandemic at a local level has reforged the relationship between Council and citizens
• Delivering digitally and real engagement: What do service users want

09:45  Re-establishing relationships - moving from transactional exchange to person-centred engagement
Rosemary Agnew, Scottish Public Services Ombudsman 
SPSO_Ombudsman

• Public service providers and consumers in a reshaped world
• Why we need to think about how we re-establish relationships between service users and producers
• What does person-centred engagement mean?

10:00  What do consumers and service users think and want
Mark Diffley, Founder and Owner, Diffley Partnership 
markdiffley1

• What does the public really think about public services?
• Service users and service delivery: Getting to what really matters
• Experience versus perception in shaping opinion

10:15  Question and answer session

10:25  Comfort Break

Session 2: What to do when services go wrong

10:40  Consumer complaints and effective dispute design
Jane Williams, Senior Lecturer in Dispute Resolution, Queen Margaret University
DisputeResearch

• Culture change in complaints handling: Welcoming complaints
• The value of a participatory approach in complaints systems
• Effective dispute design, what is it and how should you do it?

11:00  Promoting early intervention and proactive engagement with service users and clients  
Sarah Chisnall, Head of Scottish Policy and Public Affairs, Ombudsman Services
sarah_chisnall @OmbudServices

• Understanding the benefits of early intervention and proactive engagement
• What does early intervention look like and how should it be supported?
• What do people value in early intervention, where and when is it appropriate?

11:20  What does good complaint handling look like?
Niki Maclean, Director, Scottish Public Services Ombudsman
SPSO_Ombudsman

• What is best practice in complaints handling?
• Driving organisational learning and improvement through complaints handling
• Professionalising complaints handling and early accurate resolution

11:35  Question and answer session

11:35  Comfort Break

Session 3: What happens when it’s too late for prevention

11:50  Using effective mediation for resolution 
Graham Boyack, Director, Scottish Mediation  
ScotMediation

• What is mediation and how does it work?
• When is mediation appropriate and why?
• Adopting mediation practice and principles

12:10  Reputation, relationship breakdown and the media 
Andy Maciver, Director, Message Matters  
MessageTweet AKMaciver

• The danger of complaints becoming grievances in the modern media age
• What to do – and not do – when things go badly wrong
• When you have a reputational crisis – start here  

12:30  Thinking about the legal dimension - care, conflict and consequences
Johanna Boyd, Barrister (England & Wales) and Associate, Brodies LLP
BrodiesLLP

• Reflecting on the potential legal implications of public services failure and complaints
• Thinking structurally and strategically rather than episodically about services, service users and complaints
• What’s the worst that can happen? Thinking and acting toward prevention rather than cure

12:50  Question and answer session

13:05  Chair's closing remarks
Judith Turner, Deputy Chief Ombudsman, Rail Ombudsman and Dispute Resolution Ombudsman
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