Social Security Experience Panels: agency buildings

This report details the key themes from research into social security client expectations on agency buildings, facilities and privacy.


Duration of meetings

We asked respondents how long they would be able to speak to a member of staff when visiting an agency building. Just over nine in ten respondents (91 per cent) said they would be able to speak to a staff member for more than 15 minutes.

Almost two thirds (58 per cent) said they could speak for more than 30 minutes and just over four in ten (42 per cent) said they could speak for more than 45 minutes. Just under two in ten (18 per cent) said they could speak for more than 60 minutes.

Table 16: How long respondents can interact with agency staff (n=180)

Duration %
Less than 15 minutes 8
Up to 30 minutes 33
Up to 45 minutes 16
Up to 60 minutes 24
More than 60 minutes 18
Total 99

Sometimes the discussion may need to go on for longer than a client felt able to manage, so we wanted to understand what respondents would like to happen in that situation.

Three quarters of respondents (75 per cent) wanted the ability to arrange a follow-up meeting if not everything was covered in the first meeting. Just over one in ten wanted to either arrange more than one meeting to start (14 per cent) or to finish the conversaiton as quickly as possible (11 per cent).

Table 17: What should happen if a conversation lasts longer than you can manage (n=167)

Preference %
Arrange one meeting, and arrange follow-up meetings if required 75
Arrange more than one meeting to start with 14
Finish the conversation as quickly as possible 11

Contact

Email: James.Miller@gov.Scot

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