If something goes wrong or you are dissatisfied with our service, please tell us. We will work with you to resolve it.

What you can complain about

You can complain about things like:

• delays in responding to your enquiries and requests
• failure to provide a service
• our standard of service
• our policy
• treatment by, or attitude of, a member of staff
• our failure to follow proper procedure

Your complaint may involve more than one service or be about someone working on our behalf.

There are some things we can't deal with through our complaints handling procedure.

These include:

• a routine first-time request for a service, for example, local services, transport, housing, health provision
• requests for compensation from external organisations
• things that are covered by a right of appeal, for example, planning and related appeal decisions
• Freedom of Information or Environmental Information request decisions
• legal proceedings or judgements

If other procedures or rights of appeal can help you resolve your concerns, we will give information and advice to help you.

Get help to make a complaint

Anyone can make a complaint to us, including the representatives of someone who is dissatisfied with our service.

There may be reasons why you are unable, or reluctant, to make a complaint yourself. We can take complaints from a friend, relative, or an advocate, if you have given them your consent to complain for you.

You can find out about advocates in your area by contacting the Scottish Independent Advocacy Alliance.

Timescales to complain

Normally, you must make your complaint within six months of the event.

However, if you do not find out that you have a reason to complain until later, you can lodge a complaint up to 12 months after the event itself.

In exceptional circumstances we may be able to accept a complaint after the time limit. If you feel that the time limit should not apply to your complaint, please tell us why.

What happens when you complain

We will always tell you who is dealing with your complaint.

Our complaints handling procedure has three stages.

1. How to complain: frontline resolution

Contact staff in the area responsible for the service which has caused you concern.

You can find the right person to talk to by:

• checking our list of contact points
• emailing sgcomplaints@gov.scot
• writing to Scottish Government, Complaints, 1E.10, St Andrew's House, Edinburgh, EH1 3DG

We aim to resolve your complaint informally within five working days.

If we can't resolve the issue, you can take your complaint to stage two of the complaints procedure.

2. If you are not satisfied: investigation

An Investigating Officer will be appointed to prepare a comprehensive report and, if we have got things wrong, will recommend improvements.

We will:

• acknowledge receipt of your complaint within three working days
• where appropriate, discuss the complaint with you to understand why you remain dissatisfied and what outcome you are looking for
• give you a full response as soon as possible and within 20 working days

We will tell you if our investigation will take longer and will agree revised time limits with you.

After we have fully investigated and you remain dissatisfied, you then have the option of asking the Scottish Public Service Ombudsman (SPSO) to investigate your complaint.

3. Independent investigation of your complaint: ombudsman

The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO) is the final stage for complaints about public services in Scotland and may be able to independently take up a complaint on your behalf.

The Ombudsman will normally only be able to act if you have followed the steps above.

The SPSO’s contact details are:

Scottish Public Services Ombudsman
Bridgeside House
99 McDonald Road
Edinburgh
EH7 4NS

Freephone: 0800 377 7330

You can also contact the SPSO via its website.

Gàidhlig

Cuiribh gearan thugainn

Ma thèid rudeigin ceàrr no mura bheil sibh riaraichte leis an t-seirbheis againn, cuiribh fios thugainn. Obraichidh sinn còmhla ribh gus fuasgladh fhaighinn.

Dè an seorsa gearan a dh'fhaodar a chuir thugainn

Faodar gearan a chuir thugainn mu na cuspairean a leanas:

• dàil ann am freagairtean ri na ceistean agus iarrtasan agaibh
• nach deach seirbheis air choireigin a lìbhrigeadh ceart
• ìre na seirbheis againn
• na poileasaidhean againn
• mar a chaidh ur làimhseachadh le luchd-obrach
• nach deach dòighean-obrach ceart a leantail

'S dòcha gum bi gearan agaibh mu dheidhinn barrachd is aon seirbheis, neo mu dheidhinn cuideigin eile a tha ag obair às ar leth.

Tha cùisean ann ris nach urrainn dhuinn dèiligeadh tron phròiseas gearain

Nam measg tha na cùisean a leanas:

• iarrtas sìmplidh airson seirbheis airson a' chiad uair, mar eisimpleir seirbheisean ionadail, còmhdhail, taigheadas, solar slàinte
• iarrtasan airson dìoladh bho bhuidhnean air leth bhon riaghaltas
• cùisean far a bheil còir ath-thagraidh ann, mar eisimpleir, planadh agus dearbhaidhean ath-thagraidh co-cheangailte ris
• dearbhaidhean a thaobh Saorsa an Fhiosrachaidh no Fiosrachadh Àrainneachdail
• cùisean no breithean lagha

Ma tha modhan-obrach no còirichean ath-thagraidh a dh'fhaodadh ur cuideachadh gus fuasgladh fhaighinn, bheir sinn seachad fiosrachadh agus comhairle gus ur cuideachadh.

Faigh cuideachadh gus gearan a chuir thugainn

Faodaidh duine sam bith gearan a chuir thugainn, a' gabhail a-steach riochdairean airson cuideigein nach eil riaraichte leis an t-seirbheis againn.

'S dòcha gum bi adhbharan ann nach urrainn dhut fhèin, no nach eil sibh fhèin airson, gearan a chuir thugainn. Faodaidh sinn gearanan a chluinntinn bho charaidean, bho chàirdean, no bho neach-tagraidh eile, ma tha sibh air cead a thoirt dhaibh gearan a chuir thugainn às ur leth.

Gheibh sibh fiosrachadh mu dheidhinn luchd-tagraidh san sgìre agaibh fhèin bho Chaidreachas Tagraidh Neo-eisimileach na h-Alba.

Raon-ama airson gearan a chuir thugainn

Mar as trice, feumaidh sibh gearan a chuir thugainn taobh a-steach sia mìosan às deidh dhan tachartas. Mura bheil fios agaibh gu bheil adhbhar gearain agaibh aig an àm, ge-tà, faodaidh sibh gearan a chuir thugainn suas ri 12 mìosan às deidh dhan tachartas fhèin.

Ma tha suidheachadh air leth ann 's dòcha gun urrainn dhuinn gearan a chluinntinn às deidh don cheann-là a dhol seachad. Mura bheil sibh a' smaointinn gum bu chòir dhuinn ur gearan a chluinntinn às deidh dhan cheann-là, innsibh dhuinn carson.

Dè thachras nuair a chuireas sibh gearan thugainn

Innsidh sinn dhuibh cò a tha a' dèiligeadh ris an gearan agaibh.

Tha an dòigh a dhèiligeas sinn ris ann an trì ìrean.

1. Mar a chuireas sibh gearan thugainn: fuasgladh aig an toiseach

Cuiribh fios gu luchd-obrach san raon aig a bheil dleastanas airson na seirbheis a tha a' cur dragh oirbh.

Faodaidh sibh an neach iomchaidh a lorg anns na dòighean a leanas:

• coimheadaibh air an liosta de dhòighean conaltraidh
• cuiribh post-d gu sgcomplaints@gov.scot
• sgrìobhaibh gu Riaghaltas na h-Alba, 1E.10, Taigh Naomh Anndrais, Dùn Èideann, EH1 3DG

Tha sinn ag amas gus fuasgladh fhaighinn dhuibh taobh a-steach còig làithean-obrach.

Mura faigh sinn fuasgladh dhuibh, faodaidh sibh ur gearan a thoirt gu ìre a dhà den phròiseas gearain.

2. Mura bheil sibh riaraichte: rannsachadh

Thèid Oifigear Rannsachaidh ainmeachadh airson aithisg ioma-chuimseach a dheasachadh agus, ma tha sinn air rud sam bith a dhèanamh cearr, molaidh iad dòighean a dhèanamh nas fheàrr.

• Cuiridh sinn fios thugaibh gun d' fhuair sinn ur gearan taobh a-steach trì làithean-obrach
• Bruidhnidh sinn ribh airson gun tuig sinn carson a tha sibh fhathast mi-riaraichte agus dè tha sibh an dùil gun dèan sinn
• Cuiridh sinn freagairt slàn thugaibh cho luath 's a ghabhas, taobh a-steach 20 latha-obrach

Cuiridh sinn fios thugaibh ma mhaireas ar rannsachadh nas fhaide na seo agus aontaichaidh sinn raon-ama ùr còmhla ribh.

Ma tha sinn air rannsachadh slàn a dhèanamh agus tha sibh fhathast miriaraichte, faodaidh sibh iarraidh air Ombudsman Seirbheisean Poblach na h-Alba (SPSO) ar gearan a rannsachadh.

3. Rannsachadh neo-eisimileach air ur gearan: ombudsman

'S e Ombudsman Seirbheisean Poblach na h-Alba (SPSO) an ìre mu dheireadh airson gearanan mu dheidhinn seirbheisean poblach ann an Alba agus 's dòcha gun urrainn dhaibh gearan a thogail às ur leth.

Sa chumantas, chan urrainn don Ombudsman seo a thogail mura bheil sibh air na ceumannan gu h-àrd a leantail.

Faodar tuilleadh fiosrachaidh mu dheidhinn obair na h-Ombudsman fhaicinn aig Ombudsman Seirbheisean Poblach na h-Alba, neo sgrìobhaibh thuca aig: Freepost SPSO (chan fheum sibh ach seo a sgrìobhadh air a' chèis, agus chan eil feum stampa a chuir air).