Email: [email protected] The Service Complaints Website: armedforcescomplaints.independent.gov.uk Commissioner Tel: 020 7877 3452 PO Box 72252 London SW1P 9ZZ Statistics Work Plan 2015/16 The Office of the Service Complaints Commissioner (OSCC) is publishing this Statistics Work Plan in the context of the office’s overall objectives1 and in accordance with the requirements set out in the Code of Practice for Official Statistics2. The plan sets out proposals for delivering statistics that are intended to meet the needs of users, serve the public good and are produced according to the professional standards set out in the UK Statistics Authority Code of Practice. The OSCC publishes statistics related to the contacts it receives from Armed Forces personnel and statistics sourced from Armed Forces administrative systems relating to the progress of Service complaints through the Ministry of Defence complaints systems3. As of January 2015, a dedicated member of the Government Statistics Service has been working to improve OSCC’s statistical processes. This plan sets out priorities for developing these processes and all other planned statistical developments for the coming year (see Annex A). A final version of this plan will be published (if required) following consideration and action resulting from any submissions received in response to the consultation included within this plan (see Annex B). 1 http://armedforcescomplaints.independent.gov.uk/aboutus.htm#role http://www.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/assessment/code_of_practice 3 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/jsp-831-redress-of-individual-grievances-service-complaints 2 Contents Overview of statistics in the OSCC .......................................................................................................... 2 Scope ....................................................................................................................................................... 3 Risks ........................................................................................................................................................ 4 Reviews/public consultations ................................................................................................................. 4 UK Statistics Authority (UKSA) Assessment ............................................................................................ 4 Coverage of statistics in OSCC ................................................................................................................ 4 Timing of changes ................................................................................................................................... 4 Annex A: Bulletin Series – Service Complaints........................................................................................ 5 Annex B: Consultation............................................................................................................................. 7 Annex C: Contact..................................................................................................................................... 8 Page 1 of 9 Overview of statistics in the OSCC The statistical products and services described in this plan will be delivered in the context of the overall vision and objectives set out by the Office for the Service Complaints Commissioner, and will be managed in a way which helps the OSCC carry out its key responsibilities: To ensure an efficient, effective and fair complaints process for all Service men and women and their families, ensuring they have confidence in the complaints system and are treated properly, by: monitoring individual complaints; focusing on outcomes and improvements; holding the Services to account for fairness, effectiveness and efficiency in their handling of complaints; working with the Services and Ministry of Defence to see that lessons are implemented swiftly and effectively; accounting publicly to Ministers and Parliament. The post of Service Complaints Commissioner (SCC) was created by the Armed Forces Act 2006 with a remit which covers any complaint made after 1 January 2008. It follows recommendations made by Nicholas Blake QC in his Review into the deaths of four soldiers at Princess Royal Barracks, Deepcut. The Act introduced a number of significant changes to the Service complaints system to make it fairer, more independent and more transparent. As well as the creation of the role of Service Complaints Commissioner, these changes included new joint standards for the three Services and a new Service Complaints Panel, with an independent member to consider some complaints on behalf of the Defence Council. Detailed guidance on the Service complaints system can be found in Joint Services Publication (JSP) 8314. In 2015-2016, subject to Parliamentary timetable, the Commissioner’s role is changing to that of an Ombudsman. This will give additional powers to the Ombudsman. In early 2015, a full-time statistician was recruited to OSCC to work with data suppliers and existing staff to improve processes and bring statistical reporting in line with professional best practice where possible. Legislative and policy context Pursuant to Section 339(2) of the Armed Forces Act 2006, the OSCC must prepare and provide an annual report to the Secretary of State for Defence. Prior to January 2015, the production of this report was done without any dedicated statistical resource largely without consideration of enacted statistical legislation or professional standards, namely: 4 the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007 which sets out the constitutional and functional arrangements that govern the production of official statistics in the UK; the UK Government’s Pre-release Access to Official Statistics Order 2008, which sets out the principles and rules governing access to Official Statistics in their final form before release; the best practice standards set out in the statutory Code of Practice for Official Statistics published by the UK Statistics Authority. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/jsp-831-redress-of-individual-grievances-service-complaints Page 2 of 9 Following the appointment of a statistician in early 2015, work is under way to ensure all outputs are collected, produced and published in line with the best practice principles set out in the Code of Practice where applicable. Management and deployment of statistical resources The statistical resource within the OSCC is fully embedded and provides support to the Commissioner in supplying statistics related to Service complaints. Currently there is no formal statistics management or further deployment, but there is a professional link between OSCC and the Ministry of Defence statistics teams to facilitate professional development and provide statistical support regarding the professional standards. Professionalism and accountability OSCC statisticians are members of the Government Statistical Group (GSG), a cross-government professional community for civil servants who are recognised members of the statistics profession. Membership of the GSG requires successful completion of GSG entry process and compliance with the professional standard set out by the National Statisticians Office – covering recruitment, qualifications, competence and training. Statistical portfolio The OSCC currently publishes a single statistical product (its Annual Report) on a regular basis using data gathered from a mixture of administrative sources. The Annual Report is not currently designated as a National Statistics product - this label signifies that a report has been judged to be fully compliant with the Code of Practice and has been through a formal assessment of compliance by the UK Statistics Authority. The OSCC Annual Report has not been assessed by the Authority and at present there is no planned assessment. Publication and dissemination Users and the public more generally can access all statistical outputs via the OSCCs website. The metadata, accompanying notes and commentary in the publications are also made available: http://armedforcescomplaints.independent.gov.uk/newsandpublications.htm Links with users The OSCC statistics team will publish a user engagement policy as part of ongoing improvements into its statistical work. There is currently no formal consultation with users– however, OSCC presents to users and stakeholders with the aim of making its published content accessible and useful to as wide an audience as possible. We will continue to work to identify and consult with groups of external users of our statistics. Scope This plan covers the statistical output as included in the OSCC Annual Report and includes details of developments to improve data streams within the report. The plan does not cover the work of OSCC in providing ad hoc statistical support by other means – for example, in PQ or FOI responses or in other reports or statements. Page 3 of 9 Risks The main short-term risk to delivering the existing statistical publications and any improvements is the retention of a professional statistician within OSCC. The organisation’s long-term goal is to establish transparent, clear and coherent statistical reporting processes which can be fully documented and handed over to trained non-statistical staff. Additional risks to the proposed developments include the continued support of the Ministry of Defence in providing their data and a reliance on the quality of administrative data systems which are not owned by the OSCC. Reviews/public consultations There are known historic or ongoing reviews of the OSCC statistical output. UK Statistics Authority (UKSA) Assessment One of the responsibilities of the UKSA under the Statistics and Registration Services Act 2007 is to determine compliance with the Code of Practice (CoP) and the designation of published statistics as National Statistics. At present, there are no plans for any formal assessment of OSCC statistical publications. Where possible, existing UKSA resources have been used to carry out self-assessments and provide guidance on areas for development. It is hoped that via future engagement with the UKSA best practice team and close consideration of the CoP, the statistics released by the OSCC will be considered for a formal assessment. Coverage of statistics in OSCC The statistics reported in the OSCC Annual Report relate to the formal Service complaints process for the UK Armed Forces as laid out in the Armed Forces Act 2006. The remit of the reported statistics does not currently expand beyond that and does not relate to broader related topics, e.g. Service internal discipline, crime or Service justice. Timing of changes A final version of this document will be published once we have considered, and where appropriate acted on, any feedback we receive in response to this consultation. We will proactively respond to new demands for statistics – these may not be fully included within this plan. Page 4 of 9 Annex A: Bulletin Series – Service Complaints Activities during 2014-15 Annual Report 2014: On 24 March 2015, the Service Complaints Commissioner published her 7th Annual Report covering the handling of Service complaints by the Armed Forces in 20145. Statistical recruitment: Recruitment of Government Statistics Service (GSS) member to OSCC. As a member of the GSS, the OSCC statistician will work co-operatively across Government and share knowledge, ensuring that professional best practice is followed as standard. Statistics working group: Lead in establishing a ‘Service Complaints Statistics Group’, bringing together data suppliers and key users to share best practice, provide a regular feedback mechanism and bring together data developments across the topic area. Activities during 2015-16 and priorities for future development Data collection improvements: Work proactively with Services to streamline data collection and move to a standardised, automated reporting process. The main aims are to alleviate provider and producer burden and improve ability to measure data quality. Timeliness statistics: Develop existing statistical reports regarding the 24-week target to provide further breakdowns of Service timeliness and delay type in a more efficient and timely fashion. Case management system: Engage in roll-out of OSCC case management system and aim to provide more timely updates of OSCC performance and help to monitor workload following future changes to the structure of the office and the transition to a Service Complaints Ombudsman. Review and restructure annual report: OSCC is planning to internally review the existing Annual Report structure, how statistics are presented and how users are able to access this information. The aim is enable a more efficient production, provide a clearer narrative of key statistical findings and publish a more easily accessible set of statistics. ‘Background Quality Report’: Develop and publish first OSCC ‘Background Quality Report’ alongside planned 2015 Annual Report. The report will seek to provide an overview and assessment of the report methodology and quality (including relevance, reliability, timeliness, accessibility, coherence, user needs, costs and security). Quality assessment: Take a more strategic role in overseeing, reviewing and taking steps to improve data quality across the statistics held by OSCC. This includes : - 5 6 Self-assessment against the UKSA Code of Practice6 to identify areas to improve compliance and monitor progress; http://armedforcescomplaints.independent.gov.uk/newsandpublications.htm#publications http://www.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/assessment/code-of-practice/index.html Page 5 of 9 - - Review of statistical outputs using the GSS Quality, Methods and Harmonisation Tool (QMHT)7 to identify areas of improvement in the production of OSCC statistical outputs; Implement principles underlying the ‘UKSA Regulatory Standard for the Quality Assurance of Administrative Data’8 and carry out regular assessments to guide areas of improvement. ‘OSCC Statistical Policy Guide’: Devise and publish the first OSCC ‘Statistical Policy Guide’, providing an outline of statistical working practices including release, revision, dissemination and a statement of administrative sources. Governance: Work collaboratively with partners to develop a clear governance framework for Service complaints statistics, seeking to enable transparent decision-making and promote clear ownership. Update and act on Statistics plan: Provide a mid-year update on this statistical plan if required. The update will aim to update on any actions taken as a result of feedback received or significant changes in the planned developments of the office. Other planned future developments Transition to Ombudsman: Planned changes to Service complaints process and organisation will necessitate consideration of new data requirements during the move to an Ombudsman. Web-based dissemination: Take opportunity to investigate the introduction of web-based visualisation techniques as part of the planned OSCC website refresh. Resourcing: Ensure OSCC has adequate statistical resources to provide business priorities, ensuring contingency is in place to minimise risk and training is delivered to non-statistical staff. Reconciling Service complaints data: Establish project seeking to consolidate OSCC and Armed Forces Service complaints data to better ‘track’ progress of referred complaints to an outcome. 7 8 https://gss.civilservice.gov.uk/statistics/methodology-quality/quality-2/quality-resources/quality-methods-and-harmonisation-tool/ http://www.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/assessment/monitoring/administrative-data-and-official-statistics/index.html Page 6 of 9 Annex B: Consultation This consultation document sets out a number of proposed changes to the collection, presentation and presentation of statistics related to Service complaints. There will be no loss of information from these changes. However, the presentation of outputs will be amended to improve data quality and present a more coherent overview of Service complaint statistics. The aim of these changes is to provide a more accurate representation of the complaints process and improve the quality and reliability of published statistics. This consultation will run from 1 June 2015 until 10 July 2015, with a view to providing feedback on responses and a summary of responses received on the OSCC website. The responses will inform whether a further final, published version of the Statistics Plan is required. Based on the priorities set out in the OSCC Statistics Plan, we are interested in answers to the following questions: Based on the plans detailed here: 1. Are you aware of any impact or consequences which we should consider? 2. Are there any activities which should be made a higher or lower priority? More broadly, regarding the published OSCC statistics: 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Do you use the statistics quoted in the published OSCC reports? If ‘Yes’, what do you use it for? Do the existing formats and presentation methods meet your needs? Do you find the information you want easily on the OSCC website? Is there any new SC-related statistical information that you would like to see included in the publication(s)? If so, please provide details. Please provide answers and any other comments on the content or structure of the publication to: [email protected] Please entitle your email ‘OSCC statistics consultation feedback’. Page 7 of 9 Annex C: Contact Any enquiries and responses in relation to this document / consultation should be sent to: Address OSCC Statistics PO Box 72252 London Postcode SW1P 9ZZ Email [email protected] June 2015 Page 8 of 9
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