An apology has been issued following a complaint to the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO) regarding consultation on Early Learning and Childcare provision in 2025.
The following has been sent directly to the complainant.
Apology letter
David Robertson, Chief Executive
"On behalf of Scottish Borders Council, I am writing to offer you our sincere apologies for the shortcomings that have been identified with our consultation on Early Learning and Childcare provision undertaken during May and June 2025. We are sorry that the consultation fell below the standard you were entitled to expect from Scottish Borders Council.
"The Council accepts the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman's findings that the consultation process was unreasonable and acknowledges the shortcomings in the way it was planned, conducted, recorded and reported.
"In particular, we acknowledge that you were not provided with sufficient clarity about the purpose and scope of the consultation, that opportunities for engagement and feedback were not communicated clearly to you at the outset, and that records of consultation activity were not consistently maintained. We also acknowledge that concerns you raised during the consultation for legal matters to be considered, were not responded to as they should have been.
"We recognise the frustration, uncertainty and loss of confidence this caused you as an individual and acknowledge the concern that you felt regarding the impact of the proposal on your children. Thank you for bringing these matters to our attention and for the time and effort you have invested in pursuing your complaint.
"Once again, please accept our apologies and be assured that we are committed to learning from the Ombudsman’s findings. We will implement the recommendations made by the SPSO to strengthen our consultation and engagement processes, improve the recording of consultation activity and reinforce the use of our Community Engagement Strategy and Toolkit.
"Our aim is to ensure that future consultations are transparent, meaningful and effective for all participants."