A joint team from the Department of Government at the London School of Economics and Political Science and the Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford have been awarded a grant from the Nuffield Foundation under their 'Access to Justice' research programme.

For citizens who are attempting to put right what they see as wrong decisions made by government departments, agencies, and local authorities or NHS bodies, the process can be difficult, stressful, complicated and long. Especially in the very earliest stages, access to information about how to complain, seek an internal review of a decision that seems wrong, or appeal that decision through the administrative justice system is likely to be a critical influence on whether or not potential seekers of redress successfully activate their rights.

This research project will look at how all aspects of the current complaints handling process currently works. Also, whether ideas such as co-ordinated provision of initial information, early case handling and active case progression can improve the situation for citizens trying to put things right. The project will also look at how finding information on complaints and appeals in the 'digital era' has changed the process of initiating redress.
This study will build on the foundations laid down by the same research team's previous work for the National Audit Office:

Citizen Redress: What citizens can do if things go wrong with public services
REPORT BY THE COMPTROLLER AND AUDITOR GENERAL
HC 21 Session 2004-2005, 9 March 2005

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