Service Complaints in the Armed Forces

The service complaints process is available for "service matters" — issues relating to the personal service of the individual complainant. This includes:

• Bullying, harassment, or discrimination (including on grounds of race, sex, religion, disability, sexual orientation)
• Unfair treatment by an individual officer or unit
• Decisions about posting, promotion, or career management that are alleged to be unfair
• Pay and allowances disputes
• Issues related to housing, welfare, or medical treatment in service
• Complaints about the conduct of another service person toward you

Service complaints are not the appropriate route for operational matters (e.g., tactical decisions on deployment) or for conduct matters that are being investigated through the Service Police or the military justice system.

To make a service complaint:

1. Submit within 3 months of the incident or matter complained about. Submit using the JSP 831 service complaint form (available from your chain of command, Adjutant, or Unit Admin). You can also submit in writing if the form is not available — state clearly that you are submitting a service complaint under the Service Complaints Procedure.
2. Submit to your Designated Officer (DO) — typically your Commanding Officer or another officer specified in your service's arrangements. If the complaint is about your DO, there are alternative submission routes — your Adjutant or RAO can advise.
3. Include all relevant facts, dates, witnesses, and the remedy you are seeking.
4. You are entitled to be assisted by an "assisting officer" — an officer who is independent of the chain of command involved and can help you prepare and present your complaint.

The service complaints process has two levels:

1. Level 1 — Designated Officer: The DO considers the complaint and must make a decision within a specified time (usually 6 months for complex complaints). The DO must investigate the complaint and give you the opportunity to be heard.
2. Level 2 — Appeal Body or Defence Council: If you are dissatisfied with the DO's decision, you can appeal to a higher authority. For most complaints, this is an Appeal Body within the chain of command. For the most serious complaints (involving fundamental rights, for example), the Defence Council may be the appeal body.

Throughout the process, you can seek assistance from your assisting officer, the Service Complaints Secretariat, or — for welfare matters — SSAFA or the Royal British Legion. There are strict time limits at each stage — failure to respond within time can result in the complaint being treated as withdrawn.

The Service Complaints Ombudsman for the Armed Forces (SCOAF) is an independent statutory appointment that provides oversight of the service complaints process. SCOAF can:

• Consider a complaint that the service complaints process was not handled "properly or fairly" — i.e., where there was maladministration in how the complaint was dealt with (not necessarily the substantive outcome).
• Investigate systemic issues in how the Armed Forces handle complaints.
• Make recommendations to the MOD and the services about improving the complaints system.
• Act as a "last resort" for complainants who have exhausted the internal process and believe it was not conducted fairly.

SCOAF cannot: reinvestigate the substance of a complaint (only how it was handled); or order specific outcomes such as promotion or reinstatement. SCOAF reports to Parliament annually on the state of the service complaints system. Contact SCOAF at scoaf.org.uk.