Source · Select Committees · Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee
Recommendation 4
4
Paragraph: 20
The Committee appreciates that there is a risk that complainants could be overwhelmed with information...
Recommendation
The Committee appreciates that there is a risk that complainants could be overwhelmed with information if all the evidence the PHSO has collected is shared with them, but it remains the case that complainants need to be assured that all the evidence they have provided has been properly logged. We recommend as an initial step that the PHSO should at a minimum produce a schedule of evidence that they have collected and that this schedule is shared both with complainants and with the organisations being complained about. This would give both parties assurance at least that all the evidence they have provided has been properly logged. This may help improve scores against service charter commitment 8 on gathering all the necessary information.
Paragraph Reference:
20
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
PHSO recognises the importance of being transparent about the material evidence (the evidence which we have taken into consideration in making a decision on a complaint). We set out in each final investigation decision report how material evidence has supported the final decision on each case we have investigated. This evidence is available in full on request. Some evidence gathered will be material evidence that is relevant to PHSO’s consideration of a case, but some evidence may not be material to the decision. We consider scheduling non-material evidence would be disproportionate. We acknowledge that producing and sharing a schedule of the material evidence for investigations could help strengthen complainants’ and organizations’ understanding of how evidence is used in casework. We already produce a full schedule of material evidence on request in line with our service policy and we believe doing so is a proportionate means of meeting this need.