Government 'must do better' responding to complaints

Thursday, 30 May 2024 07:00

Poor communication and delays responding to complaints is further eroding public trust in Jersey's government, according to the panel that handles grievances.

The States of Jersey Complaints Panel says being slow to respond to complainants is a 'recurring theme' and that it 'exacerbated situations where there was already a breakdown of trust'.

Geoffrey Crill, who chairs the volunteer panel, says that in most cases people simply want an apology and an acknowledgement that they have been poorly treated.

"What they find is that either they get passed on to someone else and they have to repeat the same thing all over again, or there's been a crossed wire somewhere, or that an appointment is cancelled and they find no progress is being made, as if they're not being regarded as being important.

"Very often, of course, these people are in a state of anxiety or vulnerability, and then when you are told that a meeting is arranged with somebody or a letter is being sent to you, they expect that to be a positive step forward to resolution, but so often it isn't."

The Complaints Panel - which is independent of government and acts as Jersey's public sector ombudsman - received 12 new cases for review last year. It also dealt with nine ongoing cases from 2022 and nine informal enquiries.

There were three hearings, and at each of those the complaint was upheld. Ten grievances were resolved informally.

Mr Crill says the government 'really must do better', though he acknowledged that there are 'many across the public sector who recognise that complaints provide an opportunity to improve service delivery and customer relations'.

Complaints about decisions taken by Ministers or civil servants should be submitted in writing to the Greffier of the States, Lisa Hart, at the States Greffe.