SIC apologises over handling of school transport complaint

SHETLAND Islands Council (SIC) has apologised for taking over a year to fully address a complaint about school transport from a parent who said a two-mile route along a rural road was not suitable for young children to walk.

Following a review by the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO), the council acknowledged that the delay in re-assessing the route was “unacceptable”.

The child received school transport during the winter months, but not between Easter holidays and the October break.

The parent did not believe the road was suitable for young children to walk along and raised a complaint with the council.

A route assessment was still outstanding one year later, according to the SPSO, with the parent unhappy over the delay and how the council handled complaints.

The SIC said it apologised back in July and had undertaken a number of measures to improve its service.

SPSO also ruled that there had been “confusion” among staff about implementing their complaints handling procedure alongside the school transport policy.

It said the council failed to comply with timescales or keep the parent informed at each stage of the process.

However, it noted the “wide-reaching improvements” implemented by the council as a result of the complaint.

A spokesperson for the council said “The chief executive of Shetland Islands Council apologised to this parent in July 2018 for the poor level of service that they received and for the length of time it took to resolve this complaint.

“The council has recently agreed a new customer first charter which aims to ensure that in future we will resolve issues as quickly as possible.”