Assessment and Guidance Team Assistant

Contract Type: Fixed term (1 year)

Employment: Full time (35 hours per week, at least two days a week in the office)

Location: Edinburgh – Office-based with some home working agreed on a rotational basis with team colleagues

Salary scale: Grade 2 £ 32,220 – £36,500

Benefits: 40.5 days of annual leave including public holidays, Flexible working arrangements, Civil Service Pension Scheme arrangements, Life Assurance scheme, Employee Assistance Programme

The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO) is the final stage for complaints about organisations providing public services in Scotland. We investigate complaints across a wide range of sectors including councils, the NHS, housing associations, most water and sewerage providers, the Scottish Government and its agencies and departments, colleges and universities, prisons, and most Scottish public bodies.

Our Assessment and Guidance Team raises awareness, knowledge and understanding of our organisation with members of the public and the providers of public services. The Assessment and Guidance Team Assistant plays a pivotal role as the first point of contact to the SPSO and our complaints process. This involves handling incoming enquiry calls, providing relevant guidance and advice on how to make a complaint and information on the role of the SPSO.

Strong communication, administrative skills and an attention to detail are essential as the this role takes lead responsibility in setting up new complaints on SPSO’s complaint handling system.

• Handle incoming enquiry calls
• Provide relevant guidance and advice on how to make a complaint
• Give information on the role of the SPSO
• Take lead responsibility in setting up new complaints on the SPSO complaint handling system

• Minimum of two years’ experience working in a frontline, customer‑facing role, ideally with complaints handling
• Good knowledge and experience of a customer services environment, ideally within a public service organisation under the Ombudsman’s jurisdiction
• Strong administrative skills, attention to detail and experience of a range of IT applications

If you are interested in joining an organisation that enjoys challenge and strives for continuous improvement, please visit our website for an application pack and for further information.

Closing date: 10:00 on 19th March 2026

Interviews: To be held week commencing 20th April 2026

All applicants will be notified of the outcome of applications after 30th March.

Please note we regret that we are unable to consider applicants previously unsuccessful at interview.

We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and communities and in particular those that are currently under represented in our workforce. This includes, but is not limited to Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic candidates and candidates with disabilities.

We are committed to providing equal opportunities in employment and in the service provided to complainants. No job applicant, staff member or person receiving a service from us will receive less favourable treatment on the grounds of sex, marital status, or racial grounds or on grounds of disability, age, sexual orientation, language or social origin, or of other personal attributes including beliefs or opinions, such as religious beliefs or political opinions.

We are totally opposed to discrimination. We are committed to conducting the business in a way that is fair to all sections of the community. This may mean taking positive steps to ensure equal opportunities for staff involved in staff selection, staff management and service delivery.