Improving access to accountability of public services - engagement: final report

Appendix 2: National Event Summaries

Dumfries

About

The first location was Dumfries at the Gracefield Arts Centre, on the 26th of February 2020.

Participants

The event gathered the opinions of 11 individuals from the area, over two sessions. Our morning session from 10:00 to 12:00 had 1 participant and our afternoon session from 14:00 to 16:00 gathered 10 participants.

Our participants ranged in age from 59 to 75 years old. All participant's apart from 1 attended as they were actively engaged in holding public services to account, whilst the other was interested in the topic.

All of the event attendees were retired with some of them working occasionally in different roles or volunteering.

Key themes

• Accountability and how it is enforced is important to the people in Dumfries as they felt it is currently not happening in their local council.
• Communication between the local council and the public was a recurring problem, with some attendees suspicious of things such as corruption.
• Understanding rights when it comes to holding public services to account.

Fort William

About

The second location was Fort William at An Drochaid, on the 27th of February 2020.

Participants

The event gathered the opinions of 9 individuals from the area. Two participants, both members of local community councils, attended our session from 10:00 to 12:00. In the afternoon we conducted interviews with 7 members of the public in the library, shops, cafes and a supermarket.

Our participants ranged in age from 28 to 80.

Key themes

• Residents in rural areas have a limited choice of service, which limits the ability to "vote with your feet". There was a feeling that many people put-up with poor service, rather than seek accountability.
• A number of instances of a public body not responding to enquiries or appearing to ignore inputs from the public.
• Need to encourage government bodies to engage with the community
• People don't trust council, they feel disempowered.
• Acknowledgement that Public services have their own funding issues.

Dundee

About

The third location was Dundee at the Business Bakery, on the 4th of March 2020.

Participants

The event gathered the opinions of 8 individuals from the area, over two sessions. Six participants attended our morning session from 10:00 to 12:00 and a further 2 attended our afternoon session from 14:00 to 16:00.

Our participants ranged in age from 38 to 75 years old. All participants attended because they were actively engaged in holding public services to account.

Attendees included those in work, working parents and retired workers who had struggled to hold a public service to account and so had joined a board or group to do so.

Key themes

• Frustrated by the process, some people turn to joining groups and boards to better understand and influence the complaints procedure.
• Issues around complaints relating to healthcare in the area.
• The different methods participants are using to currently hold public services to account outside of the regular process.

Tarbert

About

The fourth location was Tarbert at the Templar Arts and Leisure Centre, on the 4th of March 2020.

Participants

The event gathered the opinions of 17 individuals from the area, over two sessions. Our morning session from 10:00 to 12:00 had 4 participants and our afternoon session from 14:00 to 16:00 gathered another 4 participants. The team were also able to conduct vox-pop interviews across the town and interviewed a further 9 people.

Our participant ranged in age from 21 to 70 years old.

Key themes

• There is no habit of 'complaining'. Access to public services in rural areas is limited. Without options to choose from, people prefer not to complain.
• There is an expectation of local authorities and public services that they should be open and transparent (accept when they have made a mistake).
• Dialogue and honesty are key.
• Poorly linked public transport and poor use of technologies are blocking access to opportunities to hold services to account
• People feel that they are ignored or locked out of opportunities to hold services to account

Alloa

About

The fifth location was Alloa, at Resonate Together, on the 9th of March 2020.

Participants

The event gathered the opinions of 10 individuals from the area, across two sessions. Our morning session from 10:00 to 12:00 had 6 participants and our afternoon session from 14:00 to 16:00 gathered 4 more individuals.

Key themes

• Accountability of public spending and decision making within local authorities
• Differing experiences of elected and unelected officials
• The role of community councils within rural areas
• Limited access to advocacy services