Y o u a n d t h e R A F
When there is a Serious Complaint to be Made
W
hen there is bullying, harassment, discrimination or victimisation going on just
who exactly do you turn to?
Dr Susan Atkins is the independent Service Complaints Commissioner for the Armed Forces. The first of her kind, her job is to provide a rigorous and independent oversight to improve the complaints system. Dr Atkins takes her role extremely seriously and will act as an independent point of contact for Service men and women and their families who wish to raise concerns.
She said: “My aim is to ensure that all Service men and women and their families have confidence in the complaints system and are treated properly. I have specific powers around equality and diversity complaints. Where I refer allegations of bullying, harassment, discrimination or victimisation the chain of command, up to and including the Defence Council, has a legal duty to keep me informed about the handling of a complaint and the outcome.
“I have found a genuine commitment by leaders of all three Services to tackle and root out all forms of improper and unacceptable behaviour; and an understanding of the contribution an effective complaints system can make.
“To turn that commitment into reality, a wholesale culture change is required. Too few Service personnel have confidence in the complaints system. Of those who said they suffered from bullying or harassment in 2007 only 5% made a complaint. Rather than regarding complainants as a problem, those in command need to regard such complaints as a useful warning light, investigate and take
“In 2008 I set the Services three year goals including, timeliness, good communication, evidence of significant increase in confidence and a reduction in the gap between levels of bullying and harassment reported in the Attitude surveys and levels of complaints.
“Anyone who feels they, or a colleague, are being treated unacceptably but does not feel able to make a complaint directly can come to me in confidence.
“I am working with all three Services to ensure that complaints are dealt with quickly, at a level which can make fair decisions and make changes where things have gone wrong. Complaints are currently regarded as matters of individual redress not organisational improvement. They need to be about both.”
Dr Atkins has met many RAF personnel during visits to Air Command at High Wycombe, RAF Halton, Odiham, Marham, Wittering Honington, Kinloss and Lossiemouth. She has also met RAF personnel out in Afghanistan and Oman.
She said: “It has been my pleasure to meet men and women serving across the RAF at
action as necessary to ensure the effective operation of the team.
bases in the UK as well as Afghanistan. It is important that I am able to get out and meet them and their families to understand the environments they work in and to ensure they are aware of and understand my role.”
“The Service Families Federations play an important role in supporting and representing personnel and their families and their value can never be underestimated in being there for the men and women who protect our country.
The Commissioner enjoys a good relationship with the RAF Families Federation. She said: “The Federation has helped to ensure members who may be suffering from improper behaviour are aware of my role, and how I may be able to help them.
“The RAF Families Federation team do a fantastic job in supporting personnel wherever they are and I have found listening to and working with them extremely useful to my role as Commissioner.”
To find out more about the role of the Service Complaints Commissioner visit: armedforcescomplaints.
independent.gov.uk
30 Autumn 2009
www.raf-ff.org.uk
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