Working on a paper to completely reform how public service complaints are dealt with, by establishing a department of public advocacy. In other words, a team specifically set up to compile, draft, articulate, submit and monitor complaints. 
In other words, Scots would no longer complain directly to the public service. The DPSA would for all intents and purposes act as an advocate for them and push the complaint forward. It redresses the imbalance in the process (especially where the complainant can't....
articulate everything they want or need to have addressed i.e. they are complaining against their NHS board for instance and are unable to advocate for themselves rigorously due to ill health.
It would be the job of the DPSA to not only challenge the public service by fully drafting a complaint with the service user, but also to push forward the complaint. It would also allow a check and balance by being able to identify deficiencies in the complaint process.
Thereby allowing the government to fix problems through statistical analysis and reports from the DPSA. It would also be given powers where the SPSO has taken too long to do its job to independently refer the matter to government ministers for remedial action to be taken.
Now I have no doubt that the Scottish Ministers won't like this (because it would be a truly transparent process for the service user) but my interest is only in the service user, not how many noses it puts out of joint.
The DPSA would also act as a buffer to stop the service user being prejudiced by their own frustration. i.e. This is a f***** joke would be passed on to the service as "The service user is most displeased by your response time and this department agrees with that assessment".
The job of the DPSA would be to advocate for the service user and would also act as the point of contact between institutions and the service user. It would likely also relieve the SPSO of extra work.
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