Consumer Network
To get involved in Consumer Focus Scotland’s work you can become a member of our Consumer Network. The Network has over 500 home-based volunteers from all parts of Scotland who help to identify local consumer issues and investigate services and facilities in their area for our research programme. We would like to hear from people who are interested in consumer issues such as education, the environment, health, housing, post and public services.
- Have your say on key consumer issues – give us your views on the government, regulators and service providers
- Speak directly to experts at our discussion groups – an opportunity to put your points and questions directly to people who have the answers and the power to act
- Be part of a network of consumers and share your views, experiences and ideas with them
- Investigate local services and facilities – tell us how they are performing in your community
This is a home-based opportunity, the time commitment is small – perhaps an hour or so every month. There are no formal qualifications required and no barriers to eligibility. The ideal Network member is one who gives us information and takes part in surveys – one who participates. Our members tell us that they enjoy being part of a group of like-minded people and share their views. One of our volunteers from Ayr said “My membership has been very worthwhile – I’ve been made to feel ‘one of the team’ especially when I’ve visited the office”. The great thing is that you decide which research projects you get involved in. You can find our more about what is involved in our Consumer Network Handbook.
Interested? Scroll down for our online application form
Keep up to date with what we’ve been doing through our quarterly newsletter Consumers Count Issue Ten, January 2012 .
You can find out more information at the Consumer Network Scotland Facebook page by either clicking the Facebook graphic to the left or following this link.
You can also subscribe to the Consumer Network Twitter feed by clicking here .
Any questions - please contact our Consumer Engagement Officer - Gill MacGregor:
E gill.macgregor@consumerfocus.org.uk
T 0141 227 8432
Research projects
From time to time we ask our Network members to take part in small-scale research projects. This may mean filling in a questionnaire on a particular issue, or we may ask our volunteers to investigate facilities and services in their area.
Assessment of the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman’s new complaints form
In April 2011, Consumer Focus Scotland and the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO) agreed to work together to explore consumers’ views of their new complaints form. The SPSO deal with complaints about councils, the NHS, housing associations, the Scottish Government and its agencies and departments, colleges and universities, prisons, and most other Scottish public bodies. They look at complaints after they have been through the formal complaints process of the organisation concerned. Having produced a new complaints form the SPSO would like to make sure that it is as user-friendly as possible and asked for our help to find out what consumers think.
The SPSO has asked me to pass on their thanks to our network of volunteers to let them know that we are grateful for their feedback and value their input. The next step for them will be to look at this feedback and make improvements. They hope to publish their new complaints form in the next month or so and I will let you know when this available.
For the full results have a look at our Briefing Paper – Assessment of Scottish Public Services Ombudsman’s New Complaints Form
Shelf Watch Campaign 
The National Farmers’ Union Scotland launched a ‘Shelf Watch’ campaign in Edinburgh on Tuesday 21 June designed to show the best – and worst – of Scottish branding on shop shelves. ‘Spot it – Snap it – Send it’ encourages supermarket customers to use their mobile phones or cameras to snap a picture of examples of good, and bad, uses of Scottish labelling while out doing their grocery shopping. NFU Scotland will be working with its members, and have invited volunteers from the Consumer Network to monitor how Scottish branding and advertising correlates with produce that can be found on supermarket shelves. You can find out more information on how to take part by clicking here.
