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1. In 2013-14 COPFS received 293,672 criminal reports and 9,549 death reports - Strategic Plan 2015-18
2. Excellent responses - featured most or all of the above quality indicators and any failings or omissions were very minor in nature.
Good responses - featured some of the above quality indicators and failings or omissions generally did not detract significantly from the central message, standard of the letter or the substantive handling of the complaint.
Fair responses - featured some of the above quality indicators but failings or omissions detracted significantly from central message or substantive handling of the complaint.
Poor responses - featured few of the above quality indicators and failings impacted significantly on the standard response. Poor responses were also those where merits of a complaint had not been recognised, wholly or in part, in the response to the complainant or where there had been no substantive response sent.
3. SPSO Guidance on Model Complaints Handling Procedure February 2011.
4. Scottish Government Model Complaints Handling Procedure June 2013
5. http://www.copfs.gov.uk/publications/customer-care
6. Police Scotland, Parole Board for Scotland, Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service and the Scottish Prison Service
7. Published in April 2015: http://www.copfs.gov.uk/images/Documents/Victims_and_Witnesses/Standards%20of%20Service%20for%20Victims%20and%20Witnesses%20April%202015.pdf Section 2 of the Victims and Witnesses (Scotland) Act 2014 requires specified criminal justice organisations to publish standards of service
8. Proposed publication date: November 2015.
9. Provided by Section 4 of the Victims and Witnesses (Scotland) Act 2014.
10. Example provided at Annex A.
11. A communication service for persons who are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech impediment and cannot use a standard voice telephone. It connects people using a textphone with those using a telephone or other textphone,
12. See paragraph 97.
13. Proposed publication date is early 2016.
14. Term for online tools, websites and interactive media that enable users to interact with each other in various ways, through sharing information, opinions, knowledge and interests.
15. www.spso.org.uk
16. Independent Assessor of Complaints for the Public Prosecution Service Annual Report 2013-2014 and IAComplaints@cps.gsi.gov.uk.
17. Introduced in April 2013.
18. Source - COPFS Management Information Book - 27/07/15.
19. Source - RIU spreadsheet - 27/01/15.
20. The low number of complaints resolved by Quick resolution is discussed in more detail at paragraph 80.
21. Source - RIU spreadsheet - 27/01/15
22. Source - RIU spreadsheet - 27/01/15.
23. Recently re-titled as Head of Engagement and Information.
24. Discussed at paragraph 76.
25. See paragraph 67.
26. Civil service head and Chief Executive of COPFS.
27. Source: COPFS Enquiry Point Review Report, June 2015.
28. See paragraph 23.
29. See paragraph 54 above.
30. Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Review of Enquiry Point, Reported in June 2015.
31. See page 22.
32. 98 complaints were recorded as quick resolution and 623 recorded as formal complaints between June 2013 (when RIU was set up) and March 2014, 99 were recorded as quick resolution and 740 recorded as formal complaints between April 2014 and March 2015 - Source: COPFS Complaints and Feedback Policy Annual Report 2014/2015.
33. COPFS Newsletter, March 2015.
34. Each of the core functions - initial decision making, Summary, High Court and Sheriff and Jury business - is overseen by an Operational Board headed up by a member of the Senior Civil Service as the functional lead.
35. Calendar year
36. Source: RIU spreadsheet.
37. Determined using a sample size calculator with a confidence interval of +/- 10 and a confidence level of 95%
38. The total may not always add up to 79 due to the information not being available.
39. Term for initial decision making on what action to take in the public interest, including whether to prosecute or not.
40. Excludes quick resolution complaints dealt with by Enquiry Point.
41. 3 cases.
42. 10 cases.
43. See paragraph 65.
44. Source: RIU report to Operational Boards.
45. In two instances there was no final reply on file, the complaints were referred back to the local office
46. No written reply in 2 cases.
47. See paragraph 18 and 19.
48. See paragraph 121
49. COPFS Strategic Plan 2015-18
50. The Digital Strategy for Justice in Scotland: Published August 2014
51. Scottish Government On Board: A Guide for Board Members of Public Bodies in Scotland (2015).
52. Report of the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust Public Inquiry: Published February 2013.
53. Scottish Policy Now: Why Complaints Matter, December 2014.
54. A senior member of staff has attended their training on 'How to Turn Public Sector Complaints into Service Improvements'
55. An internal unit set up by SPSO to provide support to providers in improving complaints handling procedures.
56. Initial decision-making, Summary proceedings, High Court and Sheriff and Jury business.
57. Comprises of the Crown Agent and the four Federation Heads. The Chairs of the Operational Boards attend as required.
58. Comprises of the Law Officers and the Crown Agent. The Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee, the Chair of the Equality Advisory Group and the Senior Executive Team (the four Federation Heads) also attend.
61. The total may not always add up to 79 due to the information not being available.
62. ‘Other’ includes SFIU and Complaints against the Police.
63. ‘Other’ includes parents, partner, sister, wife, etc.
64. ‘Other’ includes local office, sheriff court, etc.
65. Evidenced by numerous calls or emails.
66. ‘Other’ includes poor/inadequate service, fiscal fine etc.
67. Internal target for quick resolution is 5 days.
68. Internal target is 20 days.
69. No evidence of holding letters being issued.
70. Could have been dealt by quick resolution.
71. Letters not on system, lack of detail if local office dealt with it, etc.
72. No written reply to assess in 4 cases.
73. No written reply to assess in 2 cases.
74. No written reply to assess in 6 cases.
75. No written reply in 1 case.
76. 2 cases dealt with by local office.
77. ‘Other’ includes solicitor and Scottish Government.
78. Dealt with by local office.
79. Dealt with by local office in 2 cases.
80. Dealt with by quick resolution.